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NEWS FIT FOR KING’S SINCE 1973

SEPTEMBER 2020 FRESHERS’ ISSUE

Best Student Publication in London, SPA Awards 2018

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The Beirut Blast: King’s Students Share Their Experience

air: F ’ s r e Fresh n o s 5 am u 4 : d 1 n 1 i , F r 26 e b m e come l e w Sept U CLS K e h t on app!

Homes destroyed Post-blast protests Long-term impact

Covid-19: Online Learning and its Impact

Five Museums to Visit in London

Sports Team

Multiple pages

Page 19

Page 23

2020/21: London Season Preview

RO A R ’ S EDITORIAL TEAM Editor in Chief

president@roarnews.co.uk

Tara Sahgal

Comment Editors

comment@roarnews.co.uk

News Editor s

news@roarnews.co.uk

Shuprima Guha Sam Light

Sport Editor

sport.roarnews@gmail.com

T h i s ye ar we are e x p an d i n g !

Podcast Channel: Roar has recently launched ‘The Roaring Twenties’ podcast, a talk-show focusing on political and cultural issues.

The hosts, Isabella Skeekey and Samuel Pennifold, want to work with a small team in preparing the episodes. Unlike all the other sections, this one has limited space – apply if you dare!

Investigative Team: Some stories take a long time to write. Whether it’s investigating fire safety problems or racial bias in academia, sometimes you need to dig below the surface and spend weeks or months on the same concept. If that appeals to you, join Sayali Marathe’s team!

They work on long-run, important stories in the public interest.

Maughan Hub: Roar recently partnered with KCL Comedy Society to launch Maughan Hub, a wide-ranging and light-hearted satire column.

If you like humour and lampooning people, sign up forthwith!

F i n d o u t mo re o n ro ar ne w s . c o. u k

College

Marino Unger-Verna Social Media Editor

Asher Gibson

Virjinia Vassileva Culture Editors culture.lifestyle.roarnews@gmail.com editor.roarnews@gmail.com Matthew Ader Deputy Editors

K LONDON ING’S

2 roarnews.co.uk

Nikita Dahiya

Alex Blank Head of Marketing & Ally Azyan Analytics Editor

Shuprima Guha

marketing.roarnews@gmail.com

Alfie Wilson Podcast Editors

podcast.roarnews@gmail.com

Isabella Sheekey Samuel Pennifold

A L E T T E R F RO M THE EDITOR: Ta r a S a h g a l

E dit o r in C hi e f

is infamously characterised as the month S eptember of freshers: the hubbub of wide-eyed students step-

ping foot into a new environment. And although the tumultuous events of the past year have undoubtedly changed the “fresher experience” and broader university life, the beginning of your journey at university is always something that should be celebrated.

These are your golden years, and no one can take that away from you. So whether you’re based in London or abroad this academic year – welcome to King’s!

Being a fresher at university is daunting; but you might find comfort in the fact that some things always remain unchanged. For example, there will be noise. There will be confusion. There will be a cumulative sense of chaos that you will share with your classmates, despite the distance between you. That’s the glass half-full approach: through the inevitable cacophony, you can still form relationships with your peers. You can still find your niche and thrive in it.

Of course, things have changed for us too. Roar will most likely be going digital this semester, in the hopes that we can be accessible to as many new students as possible. There’s always a lot going on at King’s – be it administrative failure, election scandals, or even visits from Hillary Clinton and HM the Queen. Roar focuses on highlighting these and holding the university and Students’ Union accountable, even in the most challenging of times. Most importantly, our biggest strength lies in providing a safe space for students like you to voice their opinions, reflect and debate.

This year, we hope that through Roar, we are able to foster a sense of togetherness. At the end of the day, that’s what this edition means to us: celebrating new life in the King’s community. Celebrating you. With that in mind, if you’re ambitious, passionate, and want to share your thoughts on topics as diverse as sports, music and politics, Roar is the place for you!

We champion diversity and transparency and are always open to new minds.

The world is constantly changing, and it can often be hard to keep up. That being said, I hope that this year at King’s brings you peace. I hope that you learn to make mistakes, engage respectfully with others, and above all, have faith in yourselves. Being a fresher is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Make the most of it.

I am going to finish with King’s motto, which I hope will come to give you a sense of comfort over the years: Sancte et Sapienter (with holiness and wisdom) All the best, freshers – I’m sure we’ll see many of you very soon.

News

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Sept 2020 News Editors Shuprima Guha Sam Light

KC L G ai n s G ro u n d o n O t he r L o n do n Un i v e r s it ie s i n Wo rl d Ran k i n g s Samuel Light Ne w s E ditor

College London has moved one place up The K ing’s Times Higher Education World University Rankings bucking the downward trend of other London universities.

shame that more money isn’t put into teaching as this is what has a direct effect on student satisfaction”.

The yearly league tables released by The Times measure and compile a university’s teaching proficiency, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook. Top U.S. universities have generally done well in the 2021 rankings, making up eight of the top ten places and pushing many UK universities downwards.

Imperial College London is the UK’s top non-Oxbridge performer but has still fallen from 10th to 11th. Similarly, UCL has fallen from 15th to 16th, whilst LSE remains 27th place. While King’s is still a few places behind its London competition, it can proudly say that it is making up ground.

The move up from 36th to 35th is the best position the university has achieved since landing in 27th in 2016. King’s maintained a high score in the “international outlook” category likely due to the high percentage of international students and its London location. Academically, the university scores highest in research and citations, but lowest in teaching.

The indication that many of KCL’s world-leading departments do not provide teaching that is as distinguished their research may ring true for some students. Chloe Smith, a third-year War Studies said, “While research is crucial it’s a

KCL yearly rankings graph

The News Team Tara Sahgal Editor in Chief

Javier Rodriguez Staff Writer

Virjinia Vassileva Deputy Editor

Rachel Brooker Staff Writer

Matthew Ader Deputy Editor

Rosa Roe Staff Writer

Shuprima Guha News Editor

Samuel Chadwick Staff Writer

Sam Light News Editor

Sara Khash Staff Writer

Asher Gibson Comment Editor

Sarah Saeed Staff Writer

Marino Unger-Verna Comment Editor

Sebastian Baciu Staff Writer

Nikita Dahiya Social Media Editor

Sophia Mencarelli Staff Writer

Helen Kursten-Holmes Staff Writer

Stella White Staff Writer

UC U Ur g e s Un i v e r s it ie s t o S c r ap Re o p en i n g P lan s an d Te ac h On l i ne M a r i n o Un g e r- Ve r n a C omm e nt E ditor

a post on the University and College Union (UCU) I nwebsite, the group warned that universities will be-

A new list of guidelines for UK universities supplied alongside the UCU article includes stipulations for masks to be come “the care homes of a Covid second wave” if action worn in all indoor spaces, no in-person teaching, and sufficient systems for personal and facility sanitisation, testis not taken. ing, tracing, and quarantine measures.

The article specified: “The union fears that the migration of over a million students across the UK risks doing untold In a statement to Times Higher Education, Universities UK damage to people’s health and exacerbating the worst public president Julia Buckingham stated: “Universities tell us that health crisis of our lifetimes.” The UCU cited the recent A- many staff want to return to in-person teaching, research and Levels crisis and the trend of campus closures in the US as other activities where it is safe and appropriate to do so and warning signs of the dangers reopening campus and hold- are mindful of the benefits of in-person teaching and support ing in-person lessons would pose for both students and staff. for students’ well-being and development. The dedication shown by staff throughout the lockdown and into recovery The union agrees that “there would be challenges switching has been remarkable, and we hope that UCU will continue from blended learning to online”, but believes the risks outweigh to engage constructively with university leaders as the sector the difficulties, and that preemptive action is preferable to “a prepares for the start of term.”

U-turn that would be too late even by this government’s standards”. UCU general secretary Jo Grady stated: “Refusing to act Professor Jonathan Ball of the University of Nottingham now will only store up problems further down the line as courses echoed that sentiment, telling the BBC that “we have to alare forced to move online and students forced into lockdown. low these students to get the education that they have worked hard for - and to enjoy university life as much as “It is no good blaming students later on for a problem that is possible at the moment”. Professor Carl Heneghan, dicould have been avoided by government action. We need to rector of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine at Oxmove all teaching online for the first term of the new academic ford, stated that it is “as safe as it has ever been” to return year, as recommended by Independent Sage, and the govern- to campus, but that universities could put off face-to-face teaching until spring/summer 2021 to further decrease risk. ment needs to underwrite any lost funding for the sector.”

King’s administration announced in June that campuses would be reopening for the upcoming academic year. The King’s Covid-19 FAQ page still reflects this decision, while also describing the safety measures to be implemented: “Personal safety and personal health and well-being of our students and staff are the top priority of the university. We are following the guidance set out by UK Government and Public Health England.

“Measures in place will include safe distancing across the King’s estate, provision of hand sanitiser and portable hand wash stations at main entrances and in common spaces and an enhanced cleaning regime across all university buildings. We expect students and staff to wear face coverings when they are in our buildings, recognising that not everyone will be able to wear one due to medical conditions.”

Students will also be told to inform the university if they are self-isolating as the result of a Covid-19 risk or infection. Regarding in-person teaching, King’s has stated that “returning to campus during July is by mutual agreement with your manager”, with the term “manager” typically implying a student’s personal tutor or department head. King’s has yet to respond to the UCU statement.

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A - L e v e l A p o c aly p s e : “ I o p ene d my re s u l t s an d c r ie d ” Sayali Marathe Staf f Wr ite r

the debacle of A-Level Results students’ grades, as they feel their expertise was ignored. them to go to university. They will be disadvantaged, F ollowing as they cannot afford to pay international fees and are Day on August 13, 2020, Roar reached out

to students and teachers across the UK to get Miss Roberts, a teacher at a city comprehensive in an ineligible for scholarships with their current grades. area of high social deprivation, told us that her school their testimonies and thoughts.

is currently in “rapid improvement”, meaning that pre- Students and teachers both inside and outside the UK vious results are poor but are improving. Her school are unhappy with how the government and the CAIE With the Covid-19 pandemic ongoing, A-Level stu- is likely to be affected massively by the new measures. have handled the pandemic and the announcing of dents did not sit for exams this year. To help remedy results. Students across the United Kingdom includthis, The Office of Qualifications and Examinations She feels disheartened at the lack of trust the govern- ing York and Liverpool have also declared protests Regulations (Ofqual) introduced an algorithm to pre- ment has put in educators, stating: “I think after months alongside those in London. The only appeal to unidict results with the help of mock examination grades. of the government and the media damning and criticis- versities is to not look at the final grades predicted by However, the corrective measures did not reap as ing teachers during the lockdown, this is the final straw the algorithm. These grades are not proper indicamany benefits as predicted, despite the lack of exams. for lots of us. What Gavin Williamson said essentially, tions of students’ work as they do not take into acIn fact, Ofqual reported that almost 40% of teacher as- is that he doesn’t trust teachers. He claimed in an in- count their potential. In contrast, teachers’ grades are sessments were downgraded due to the algorithm. terview with This Morning that teachers would have perfect indications of students’ grades, given that they inflated their grades (which even if that did happen, have worked with students for at least two years now.

Students who have had their futures compromised took wouldn’t be worse than lowering them via a computer to Twitter to express their anger and frustration at how who doesn’t know the student). The lack of empathy As for students: do not grow disheartened - you’re not both Gavin Williamson, Secretary of State of Education, and compassion from the government in handling this alone. University students, other A-Level and GCSE stuand the larger government have handled the affair. Pro- has sadly not been shocking but has been disgraceful. dents, parents, and teachers all stand with you in solidartests were held at 10 Downing Street today, as the lack ity against the unfair grading system robbing their felof a proper appeal apparatus puts thousands of students “The ‘triple lock system’ is a waste of time. Mocks aren’t lows, children, and pupils of that which they desire more at risk of not being able to go to university in time. The actually a requirement and every school does them differ- and rightfully deserve.

PM responded to protests by insisting that the A-Level ently, some walk the students through them, others only results are “robust” and “dependable for employers”. do part of the paper whereas some do them more strictly.”

A brief look through Ofqual’s report suggests that overall A-Level results in England are higher compared to 2019’s statistics. According to their report, the grading system and standardisation have not advantaged or disadvantaged students from different socio-economic backgrounds. However, Ofqual’s own analysis of grades according to centre types show that independent schools experienced a 4.7% increase in grades A and above, while similar grades only increased in secondary comprehensives and sixth forms by 2.0% and 0.3% respectively.

Furthermore, The Guardian also reported that the largest difference between students’ final grades and those predicted by teachers could be seen in the cases of students from the lowest socio-economic background.

She also went on to discuss the impacts of downgraded results on students from low-income families or lower socio-economic conditions. According to her, “it is of course not surprising them that independent private schools haven’t had their grades dropped. They are widening an already huge gap between those students and the most disadvantaged that we as teachers in those schools have been trying to close. They are sending the message to future generations of young people in schools like ours that they will never achieve and are somehow defined by their postcode rather than their work ethic and achievements.

An 18-year-old student, who attended sixth-form in South London suburbs, spoke with Roar about their experience. Wishing to remain anonymous, they said: “When I received my results yesterday [13 August 2020], along with everyone, I never anticipated I would get the grades that I did. I joked with “Also, the cost of appealing - in my friends how it would be funny if I got a D in any the past, our school has had to subject, but the reality was much worse than that. cherry-pick which few students we can afford to appeal on the be“I was predicted a B in Psychology which was also my half of, thanks to years of funding mock grade. However, I ended up with a U instead. Simi- cuts, this year I imagine there will larly, my A was downgraded to a B in Philosophy and be more students wanting (and Ethics. My English grade came out the way I wanted it deserving) appeals than ever beto, so I’m pleased about that and by some miracle, my fore; and who is footing that bill?” university accepted me. Despite being accepted into uni, given my heritage, it has been very mentally straining for The cost of requesting a prelimime to explain to my parents that I got such low grades. nary stage appeal will be £111.75, I recognise that I was fortunate enough to get into uni- increasing to £186.15 if it proversity, but the government has failed so many others.” gresses to a hearing. The high cost of appeal will only advantage stuThey also told us that they felt disadvantaged merely dents who can afford it. Furtherdue to the fact that they went to a state school. This more, students are having to appoints towards an obvious bias in the system and the peal grades that do not fully reflect government’s failure in refusing to acknowledge it. their ability. This has been the reality for thousands of students who Other students were even unluckier. We spoke to Eliza- took A-Levels in England, North beth Lamb, a 17-year-old student who went to a gram- Ireland, and Wales. However, the mar school. She was downgraded from AAB to ABC board extends out of the UK, and and rejected from her dream university. She told Roar: “I students abroad have felt ignored opened my results and cried. I was lucky enough to get ac- throughout the whole process. cepted into Nottingham University, which was my insur- Cambridge Assessment Internaance, but I missed out on my first choice uni by one grade tional Education (CAIE) is reand didn’t get in. I got in contact with my school and they sponsible for conducting Internagave me the Centre Assessment Grades that they entered. tional A-Levels and International GCSE exams across the world.

“I was given AAB by my school, which would have got me into my dream course and dream university with a A Somali student from the United grade to spare. Instead, I ended up with an A in Clas- Arab Emirates, who wished to resics, B in English Lit and C in Politics. My head of year main anonymous, also spoke to called me after I submitted a request to talk to a teacher us and expressed her frustration: and see what happened and he, too, was upset for me. “I feel angry and betrayed. CAIE When I called the University of Edinburgh, they told seemed to solve the problem for me they were unable to accept me unless I got AAB, but students in the UK but forgot that they will be keeping my place until September 7.” about us candidates worldwide. I feel as though the chances of my She also added: “I feel being at a grammar school was appeal getting accepted will be of advantage, but the fact that my classes were large very low since I live in the UAE.” and I was in a year of 226 wasn’t of advantage to me.”

They also feel that even if they Elizabeth’s testimony point towards the fact that schools do appeal and get their grades have been trying to help students as much as they can. upgraded, it won’t be in time for Teachers are just as unhappy with the downgrading of

News 5

U K E nt e r s “ D e e p e s t Re c e s s io n o n Re c o rd ” a s G r aduat e s Fac e Un s t a b le Jo b Mar ket M a r i n o Un g e r- Ve r n a C omm e nt E dit or

two consecutive quarters of Gross W ith Domestic Product (GDP) decline, the

nouncement; the FTSE 100 ended business on August 12, 2020 with its highest closing level since July 17. Jane Smith, research director at the Resolution Foundation, told the Financial Times: “Although today’s data tells us that the economy is recovering as lockdown restrictions ease, it still has a long way to go. And that challenge will be bigger for the UK than for most other rich countries.”

UK has officially entered its worst-ever recession as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to affect day-to-day life in the country.

The most significant blow came in Q2 (April-June) of 2020, during which period the UK’s GDP shrank by 20.4% - the worst crash since quarterly records were originated in 1955.

This is the first recession the UK has experienced since 2009 and, according to CNN, the “deepest recession of any major global economy”.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of people in work fell by 220,000 between April and June, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying the UK still has a “long, long way to go”. In the past, financial crises have also been linked to an uptick in mental health issues among those affected. A 2012 study estimated that the 2008-2009 recession “led to about 1000 excess suicides in England”.

Image courtesy the Financial times

Image courtesy the BBC

As recent King’s graduates enter this unprecedented job market, their prospects seem, to some, rather bleak. Rachel Brooker, a recent King’s History and IR graduate, told Roar: “I think the current political and social climate has made me very convinced that doing a Masters was the right decision, as I feel graduating into a recession after Covid is a terrifying prospect. There aren’t really any jobs, and internships were basically cancelled. It’s quite terrifying to know there may not even be any jobs when I graduate next year.”

The GDP decline during Q2 of 2020 is approximately double that experienced in the US, and is significantly higher than figures released by neighbouring European countries, including Germany and France. In a statement to the BBC, Chancellor Rishi Sunak described the situation as “unprecedented”. Sunak told the Financial Times: “Today’s figures confirm that hard times are here . . . But while there are difficult choices to be A recent graduate of the Classics department, who wished to made ahead, we will get through this.” remain anonymous, voiced similar fears, saying: “I’ll be honest and say I just feel really hopeless about it all, especially This “flash recession” is the result of both Covid-19 lock- given the already competitive nature of museum jobs.” One of downs and the mass industry shutdown which followed. their fellow students told Roar: “It’s pretty bleak. Although my Despite the record drop, there is good news on the horizon: friends and I are trying to keep an overall positive outlook the UK’s GDP began to recover in June as lockdown meas- we’ve worked hard and it’s paid off with our results - it really ures were gradually lifted, with GDP increasing by 8.7%. sucks to be graduating into a full-on economic recession.”

Investors also seem unsurprised and unshaken by the an-

K i n g ’s St u d y S how s T hat Human s , M ic e an d F l ie s Us e Si m i lar Me c han i s m s f o r B r ai n D e v e lo p ment an d F u nc t io n He l e n Ku r s t e n - Ho l m e s

Staf f Wr ite r

study led by King’s Col- study between King’s College London, Univer- that control when and where these genes are ex- may therefore provide a deeper understanding A recent lege London researchers has shown sity of Arizona, University of Leuven and Leibniz pressed, otherwise known as cis-regulatory ele- of the changes that can occur in genes and brain that humans, mice and flies share the same fundamental genetic mechanisms that regulate the formation and function of brain areas involved in attention and movement control.

Despite their large physical differences, research has found that the brains of flies, mice and humans are similar in how they form and function. Data has shown that the genetic mechanisms that underlie the brain development of insects and mammals are very similar, but this has been interpreted in two different ways.

Some believe it provides evidence of one single ancestor for both mammals and insects and others think it could support the theory that brains evolved multiple times independently.

Dr Frank Hirth from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London said: “To my knowledge this is the first study that provides evidence of the source of similarities between human and fly brains, how they form and how they function.”

He continued, “Our research shows that the brain circuits essential for coordinated behaviour are put in place by similar mechanisms in humans, flies and mice. This indicates that the evolution of their very different brains can be traced back to a common ancestral brain more than a half billion years ago.”

Institute DSMZ has provided strong evidence that both insects and mammals have the same mechanisms that regulate genetic activity required for the formation of brain areas, particularly areas important for governing behaviour.

The research also demonstrated that when these regulatory mechanisms are inhibited or impaired in insects and mammals, they experience very similar behavioural problems. This indicates that the same building blocks that control the activity of genes are essential to both the formation of brain circuits and the behaviour-related functions they perform. According to the researchers, this provides evidence that these mechanisms have been established in one common ancestor.

Nicholas Strausfeld, Regents Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Arizona and a co-author on the study added: “The jigsaw puzzle of how the brain evolved still lacks an image on the box, but the pieces currently being added suggest a very early origin of essential circuits that, over an immense span of time have been maintained, albeit with modification, across the great diversity of brains we see today.”

The study focused on those areas of the brain known as the deutocerebral-tritocerebral boundary (DTB) in flies and the midbrain-hindbrain boundary (MHB) in vertebrates including humans. Using genomic data, researchers identified the genes that play a major role in the formation of the brain circuits that are responsible for basic Published in the journal Proceedings of the Na- motion in the DTB in flies and MHB in humans. tional Academy of Sciences, this collaborative They then ascertained the parts of the genome

ments.

The researchers found that these cis-regulatory elements are very similar in flies, mice and humans, indicating that they share the same fundamental genetic mechanism by which these brain areas develop. When the relevant genomic regions in flies were manipulated so they no longer regulated the genes appropriately, the researchers showed a subsequent impairment in behaviour. This corresponds to findings from research with people, where mutations in gene regulatory sequences or the regulated genes themselves have been associated with behavioural problems including anxiety and autism spectrum disorders. These results

circuits that can lead to mental health disorders such as anxiety and autism spectrum disorders.

Dr Frank Hirth from the IoPPN, King’s College London commented: “For many years researchers have been trying to find the mechanistic basis behind behaviour and I would say that we have discovered a crucial part of the jigsaw puzzle by identifying these basic genetic regulatory mechanisms required for midbrain circuit formation and function. If we can understand these very small, very basic building blocks, how they form and function, this will help find answers to what happens when things go wrong at a genetic level to cause these disorders.”

6 roarnews.co.uk

“ One B ig He ar t b re ak ” : K i n g ’s s t u dent s i n L e b ano n o n B e i r u t B la s t Ta r a S a h g a l

E ditor in C hi e f

as one of the largest non-nuclear blasts in T outed history, the Beirut blast that took place on August

4, 2020 left at least 135 people dead, 5000 injured and 250,000 driven to homelessness. Roar spoke to three King’s students about their experience in Lebanon before and after the incident.

The explosion in the Port of Beirut was caused by 2750 tonnes of Ammonium Nitrate that had been stored without proper safety measures in place. At around 6pm EEST on August 4, a fire broke out in the Port and was shortly followed by a loud explosion. Yasmine Ghandour, a second year Digital Culture student, noticed the fire and started filming it. She turned her back just as the blast hit, and her first thought was that she was going to die. Similarly, Emma El-Asmar, an incoming Medical Physiology student, was making a TikTok with her friends when she heard the first mini-explosion. She first thought that it was an earthquake.

Damage inflicted The shockwave of the explosion caused the most damage. Yasmine’s house was completely destroyed. Describing the impact of the blast, she said: “The ceiling collapsed on us, all the windows and their frames came off with a lot of force, tables broke and doors flew off. We even found some of our furniture on the ground floor.” Yasmine sustained injuries and had to get stitches in four places. “My maid also got stitches on her leg and our neighbour passed away”, she continued.

Emma, on the other hand, was slightly luckier: “The windows exploded in my living room, but that’s it.” She and her friends moved away from the windows mere seconds before they shattered. To Roar, she said: “There wasn’t any damage except for a few scratches on my foot – I was barefoot when it happened. The only thing was that it was a little hard to breathe because there was a lot of smoke and a lot of chemicals in the air.”

She went on to describe other houses in Beirut, particularly those closer to the explosion. “I couldn’t recognise my friend’s house anymore. We were searching for a place where we could have survived if we had been in the house – but we couldn’t find a single place that wasn’t damaged,” she told Roar.

Dorine Aksar, a second-year Pharmacy student who was volunteering in Beirut after the explosion, said that volunteers were “closing the broken windows and doors with plastic sheets and taking measurements to help replace the broken parts”. Some areas were also closed off because of falling buildings.

Difficulty in finding medical aid In the aftermath of the explosion, it was incredibly difficult for victims to find medical aid. The cell phone service went out in the city and it became increasingly hard to call for help. According to Yasmine, “even emergency hotlines were on ‘user busy’ once we were able to get service.

“All the hospitals were full. I was rejected by 2 hospitals and there wasn’t even place to stand in the emergency room. Some victims of the explosion died because hospitals couldn’t accommodate them or just couldn’t treat them on time.”

Yasmine’s living room

Shuprima Guha

Ne w s & An aly t i c s E dit o r

There were also some Red Cross responders on the streets who were stopping cars to check for injuries. They helped Yasmine as well, putting a temporary bandage around her wounds to stop them from getting infected.

Overall, hospitals and public infrastructure in the capital were severely damaged. “Hospitals don’t even exist anymore because they were really damaged. I heard some stories that they didn’t have enough sutures for the people because they didn’t prepare for this kind of thing,” said Emma.

She further recounted a story from a nurse she knew, who told her that “there were people coming in and we didn’t have enough sutures. We were trying our best and when we finished stitching them up, we said ‘Please can you go home, we don’t have enough space in the ER’, and they told us ‘But I don’t know where to go because I don’t have a home anymore.’”

Beirut: Before and After When asked to contrast between Beirut before and after the explosion, both Emma’s and Yasmine’s answers were emotional.

Yasmine spoke about how although the city had undergone changes because of the revolution and Covid-19, “people were still trying to live ‘normally’”. “Now,” she said, “Beirut is just one big heartbreak. Many people are sweeping the streets and helping out, but the city took a huge hit which is very hard to recover from. It’s in survival mode.”

Emma focused more on how she felt living in the city after the explosion. She emphasised: “Beirut is really different and it’s sad because I used to hang out in the places that are now damaged and broken. When I walk the streets, they’re the same streets but I cannot recognise them.”

Emma also mentioned that although she cleaned a lot of houses she wasn’t familiar with, she was overcome with emotion when she visited her friend’s home. She told Roar that “there’s a piece of this table, there’s a piece of this chair, a piece of a vase I used to know that was in the room, but now it’s in the salon or in the living room. It’s really heart-breaking to see the house – I knew what it looked like then and how it looks like now, after the explosion.”

In contrast, Dorine had a more optimistic view, likening Beirut to a Phoenix – a mythical bird that rises from its ashes: “Seeing Beirut, the capital of Lebanon in such a disaster is indescribable. It is not just Beirut that got affected but the whole neighbouring area. Beirut used to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world, until a lot of wars happened and destroyed it. But I’m sure that it will rise again as it always does.”

Moving forward There is a stark difference between Beirut and other cities in Lebanon that did not feel the impact of the blast. Yasmine, who went to the mountains in Lebanon after the explosion, was surprised by the disregard people had for the newcomers from Beirut. She said: “Those already here continue socialising, partying, and living without consideration for those who came after the explosion. People here act as if nothing has happened.

In Beirut, however, the citizens are angrier than ever. Dorine spoke about a series of protests that had been taking place since October 17, 2019. “Lebanese people call it the ‘Revolution of October 17th’ or in Arabic, ‘thawrat sabataash teshrine’ , she explained.

Similarly, Emma stated: “There’s a sentiment that we all have, and it is anger. We are really angry at our government.” She placed particular emphasis on the people who have been rendered homeless as a result of the explosion, saying that “there are people that have lost everything.

Their homes and jobs. We’re trying our best to give them food, give them water, give them emotional support but this help is temporary, you know? When everything will go back to normal, for them it won’t because they won’t have a house anymore, they won’t have money anymore.”

Emma also spoke about brotherhood and the positivity shown by the people of Beirut in the face of adversity. Talking about the volunteers, she said: “All of us just left our house and went to other houses to clean, collecting and giving food and water to the people.”

Yasmine likened the sentiment of the citizens to heartbreak.

“So many people are trying to be optimistic and positive, but everyone needs their time to grieve and recover,” she elaborated. It’s also important to give due recognition to the immense psychological impact of the explosion. Emma explained this to Roar, saying that “every time something is moving or I hear a big sound, I’m just really scared.

We’re all really still scared. We think that every sound, every movement is something that can kill us, you know?”.

When asked what they were most worried about at present in Beirut, Emma responded with: “I’m just worried about the people that don’t have houses anymore.

There will be a lot of homelessness. I think that the worst damage is not the material damage. Even though it is a little bit difficult, I think that it is just that people who now have nothing — I’m worried about them.”

Dorine explained how although the situation is steadily improving, “from a disaster point of view, the city is totally destroyed and needs several years to get up again. A lot of people are homeless now and houses are not inhabitable.

Help is still needed and Covid-19 cases are increasing.”

For Yasmine, the biggest worry is the possibility of another catastrophe in a city that is already fragile: “I’m worried about another explosion. I’m just scared the city can’t recover from this.”

Donate to the Lebanese Red Cross on their website: https://supportlrc.app/donate/donate_guest.html or contact them on +961-1-372802.

“With that said, you don’t feel the grief and sadness you do when you are in Beirut, so it’s a temporary reality. Once people go back to Beirut it’s going to hit them again.”

Car damaged by the explosion

News 7

Volunteers in Beirut

Cars and buildings destroyed by explosion

“ Te ar G a s i n My E ye s an d No s e ” : Pro t e s t s af t e r B e i r u t B la s t Ta r a S a h g a l

E dito r in C hi e f

Shuprima Guha

Ne w s & An aly t i c s E ditor

spoke to three King’s students about their experience in Lebanon before and after R oar the Beirut blast.

The Beirut blast only added fuel to the fire of thawrat sabataash teshrine, or the Lebanese “Revolution of October 17th.” Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, Lebanon was facing both an economic and political crisis; and the Lebanese government’s negligence in storing large amounts of Ammonium Nitrate without proper safety measures in place was the nail to its coffin. On August 10, six days after the explosion, Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned along with the Lebanese cabinet. This was most likely due to pressure from the citizens of Lebanon, who had taken to the streets to voice their anger against the government.

Protests against the Government

Hope for the future?

Impact on return to University

Talking about these protests, second-year Digital Culture student Yasmine Ghandour said: “I agree with the protests against the government. All of them are corrupted. All of them were aware of the Ammonium Nitrate in the port and did nothing about it.” Yasmine also remarked that she would have joined the protesters if she hadn’t been injured during the blast.

There have been furious debates around the consequences of the resignation of the Lebanese leadership. When asked about this, Yasmine was somewhat optimistic: “The resignation was just the start of a hopefully larger, positive step, but there is still a very long way to go. There will be no change until the rest of the government resigns.” She explained that though the primary leadership has lost most of its power, “until a new Cabinet is formed, they have to continue to occupy their previous roles — although not in the same way.”

When asked if the explosion and its after-effects would impact their return to London for university, Emma spoke about the economic crisis in Lebanon. She said that while her personal circumstances remain unchanged, many of her friends have been negatively impacted. According to her, they “don’t know how to pay for their university because all the banks and bank accounts are closed, so we can’t use our own money.” It has also become increasingly difficult to transfer funds internationally.

Conversely, Emma did not share Yasmine’s optimism for the future. “Even if the Prime Minister and Cabinet resigned, I’m sure that the people that are going to replace them will be just like them. I also don’t think that Beirut will get over what happened; not this year, not next year.

We were already in the middle of an extreme economic crisis before the blast — there was a lot of famine and all the middle-class people became poor. Now, the financial burden will not be worse, but it will not change,” she told Roar.

Yasmine, on the other hand, mentioned that online classes meant that she was already in two minds about returning to London before the explosion. “Now,” she said, “I’m most probably not coming back, especially if my wounds haven’t healed by the time university starts.”

Emma El-Asmar, an incoming Medical Physiology student, shared a similar opinion. She had been participating in protests since October 2019 and mentioned that there was a noticeable difference in the protests commencing after the blast. Detailing this to Roar, she said: “People were angrier this time. I saw a girl standing on a car and reading the names of all the people that died out loud. We were all paying respect to them by chanting.”

Emma further explained that there were two sides to the protest – the atmosphere fluctuated between unity and anger. According to her, “there was one side next to the Parliament where they were a little more violent. They tried to break into the Parliament.” The police used tear gas and smoke bombs against the protesters in this area; and Emma, who was in the vicinity, stated: “The place was so big that I just had a little bit of tear gas in my eye and in my nose.” She had to leave the protest soon after because of a shooting.

When asked about the nature of protests amid a global pandemic, she emphasised that everyone was wearing a mask and acting self-aware, but that “it was not the first priority.”

She further explained that there were doctors present at the scene, giving safety instructions to protesting citizens.

Dorine Aksar, a second-year Pharmacy student who volunteered in Beirut after the explosion, spoke about the potential causes of the resignation: “It is not the result of these protests alone, but the result of a series of protests that have been happening since 17 October 2019.

“There might also be a deal between the French and Lebanese governments, because when Macron visited Lebanon after the disaster he promised the people a lot of changes concerning the government. So I would say that the resignation is the result of a governmental malfunction and a need for change — one which was supposed to happen years and years ago.”

She further elaborated that Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Beirut in the aftermath of the blast only disheartened people more: “They were more disappointed than sad; disappointed that their government was not doing anything and that another President was doing what our President was supposed to do.”

Donate to the Lebanese Red Cross on their website: https:// supportlrc.app/donate/donate_guest.html or contact them on +961-1-372802.

Comment

Sept 2020 Comment Editors Asher Gibson Marino Unger-Verna

A C r i s i s o f C o m p a s s io n ?

The Comment Team Asher Gibson Comment Editor

Izzy MacKellar Staff Writer

Marino Unger-Verna Comment Editor

Laura Maxwell Staff Writer

Alexia Radu Staff Writer

Maisie Allen Staff Writer

Alin C. Luca Staff Writer

Manon Powrie Staff Writer

Alli McKelvey Staff Writer

Manya Sareen Staff Writer

Anoushay Okhai Staff Writer

Maria Malik Staff Writer

Dania Quadri Staff Writer

Rory Orwell Staff Writer

Danielle Jones Staff Writer

Radha Raheja Staff Writer

Haleema Ayyub Staff Writer

Sayali Marathe Staff Writer

Hanna Pham Staff Writer

Scarlett Yu Staff Writer

Ha l e e m a Ay y u b Staf f Wr it e r

writer Haleema Ayyub newspapers may have a reputation reach safety, the bleak reality of why peoR oar on the way in which the refu- for producing controversial content, ple are fleeing their homes in the first place gee crisis is often portrayed by mainstream media, and why that must change.

When images of a young Syrian boy of Kurdish origin named Aylan Kurdi, washed up on the shore after drowning in the Mediterranean Sea, began to circulate in 2015, many were stunned into shock. While most responses were empathetic, a general lack of empathy towards refugees has and is gaining traction as we acclimate to the ways in which these stories are typically reported.

Sky News’ recent coverage, for example - videos of reporters on a safe boat, screaming question after question at a group of people in a dinghy that looked quite unsafe - was highly disturbing to view. It reeked of inhumanity. Articles circulating with titles such as “Rescue boats?

I’d use gunships to stop migrants” (2015, Originally in The Sun) and “Priti Patel urges France to TOW boatloads of illegal migrants back across the channel...” (2020, published in the Daily Mail) are just a few more examples of such behaviour.

Regardless of the fact that certain

these publications still have large readerships and are influential in their own ways. While it is important to let opposing views be heard - I don’t wish to imply that everyone has to think one particular way - I think it is unnecessary to lead with such insensitive and dehumanising titles devoid of any human sympathy, especially when those titles are all some people may read.

should at least be acknowledged. Put quite simply, no one wishes to leave their home and travel in unsafe conditions. It is done only out of necessity and desperation. Particularly during a global pandemic, it is all the more concerning that refugees are being treated with so little remorse and described with such dehumanising language.

From a Western perspective, it is hard to put ourselves into the shoes of people fleeing from wartorn countries. But The migrant crisis has been ongoing for that is exactly the point - we should have many years, but as the number of people enough collective empathy to imagine how attempting to cross the channel steadily truly painful such an experience must be. increases, some have raised border concerns. Currently, those seeking safe passage Ultimately, this is also a political problem, in France are being turned away, forcing and governments have to deal with this crimany to make a perilous journey across the sis and mobilise in the most pragmatic and Channel. However, what the general pub- empathetic way possible. However, the way lic are being shown on national news are in which the migrant crisis is often preessentially nothing but voyeuristic videos. sented by mainstream media outlets must Context is rarely provided in a way that al- change. Journalists do have a responsibillows for empathy. Instead, it’s “where do ity to context and accuracy: they should you come from?”, without a shred of care highlight why people are fleeing in the first about the fact that these people have fled place. Of course, journalism should not from their homes because they are unsafe solely pander to a certain political agenda. and politically unstable. It is discomforting At the same time, however, the general to view this crisis from a place of compas- public should not become desensitised sion when we are exposed to so many arti- to the plight of refugees due to articles or cles that implicitly perpetuate a reduction- videos that perpetuate an anti-refugee narist view of the plight of refugees. rative. Instead, a more widespread, empathetic angle should be adopted - for the If people are willing to risk their lives to sake of our collective humanity.

“J’Accuse...!”

Jo u r nal i s t s ’ R ig h t s are Human R ig h t s Ror y Or well Staf f Wr ite r

writer Rory Orwell cally privileged commentators sorship and physical repression. a post-EU sanctions regime in the short term, but not freedom R oar argues for freedom of the in democracies debate the ex- In any case, there is a pattern of could help better protect for- from arbitrary punishment in retpress against a global trend of tent of freedom of speech itself, institutionally neurotic “authori- eign journalists in more fear- rospect. When press freedom is it is not without naivety or irony. ties”, or their accomplices, preying ful and unstable states by ap- under threat, it is conceptualised repressing journalists.

However, the inspiration for this article was the story of an egregious miscarriage of justice, representative of genuine repression.

Journalist Azimzhan Askarov, an ethnic Uzbek, reported on the lawlessness of law enforcement in south Kyrgyzstan. The police arrested him during a period of inter-ethnic conflict in 2010, on charges of inciting violence. Behind bars, he exclaimed: “I swear by the Koran! I swear by my kids!

It’s not my fault, it’s not there Soon after, the ongoing case of Ju- where the incident happened!” lian Assange began at the Old Bailey. If the publication of leaks is He had numerous alibi witnesses. punished, that can induce a prec- The prosecution relied on a seemedent for hiding abuses of power. ingly fabricated police account.

The pre-gone conclusion was Rebuking ideas is a type of tyr- political: life imprisonment. The anny. “Cancel culture” arises government gaslighted, claiming from an aversion to alienation the judiciary was independent. and controversy by those who Yet Askarov became a scapegoat. envisage a fashionable blob (or Ten years later, this July, still in mob?) of intolerance, and then prison, he died of pneumonia. aspire to project themselves as The Legatum Institute reports a its heroic victims. When politi- recent trend towards both cenAttacks on the press are attacks on democracy. So said the critics of Extinction Rebellion’s bamboozling the distribution of British newspapers in the early hours of a Saturday morning, as police officers tried to let the trucks drive out. This unimpressive stunt made net zero direct contribution to de-funding polluting industries and building smarter alternatives, other than perhaps reminding the public of the urgent need to do so.

on those who do not conform to the outward deference demanded.

Ukrainian investigative journalist Mykhailo Tkach found his car burnt; Belarussian media were fined and censored; Montenegrin editors-in-chief were jailed; the Morrocan government hacked the computer of Omar Radi.

Amidst an “erosion” in press freedom, Malaysian police found documentary-makers in violation of the country’s Communications and Multimedia Act, whilst a Myanmar news editor appeals a jail sentence for an article which caused “fear and alarm”.

As Beijing and Canberra provoke and retaliate, it is notable that the human cost is paid by journalists and scholars caught in the middle. After activists, the first targets in the quashing of Hong Kong protests are journalists. All these examples are from 2020 alone.

It has been speculated that

plying standards more equally. as a sort of precious gem being slowly chipped away at. Yet the The historical Western “democra- reality is that for a good number sphere” takes press freedom for of editors and writers around the granted because there is noth- world, exercising the human right ing, other than threats, to protect to share information is both a hisjournalists from. Britain is lucky torical novelty and a daily risk. to have its history of liberal dis- These truth-tellers may well ask cussion in coffee-houses and the themselves: is it really worth it?

House of Commons. Yet even the Just as democracy dies in darkness, most traditionally epitomised of journalism is immortal - in theory. In constitutions doesn’t guarantee the 19th century play Richelieu; Or the full press freedom in the mo- Conspiracy, the eponymous Cardinal ment of an event, on the ground. remarks: “the pen is mightier than the The de facto Soviet-style show sword”. This aphorism is, at first entrial of Azimzhan Askarov shows counter, profound, but upon reflection, that press freedom is inextrica- bullshit. Of course the might of the state bly linked to due legal process, is effective at quelling dissent. (Just ask or lack thereof. In practice, what Erdoğan. Well not literally. that might determines press freedoms are not be wise, judging by Wikipedia.) the dark decisions of the powerful made behind closed doors, Ultimately, though, any such represcombined with the political cul- sion is temporary: the keyboard canture. What can scrutinise and not be defeated. Journalism kindles the change this but journalism itself? flame of any human civilisation. It is the first hope and last bulwark against The internet is analogous to a new the corruption which all too often printing press. Its platforms pro- stops it. vide universal freedom to publish

Comment 9

On l i ne A c t i v i s m Ne e d s L e s s Vi r t ue Sig nal l i n g M a ny a S a r e e n Staf f Wr ite r

writer Manya Sareen on R oar virtue signaling in online activ-

With so many issues that society is trying to tackle, can one care about them ism and why the practice dilutes all? If they can’t, why do they try to? the efficacy of such movements. And if people on social media often post about all or most of them, can we conclude that they must be faking some of it?

Virtue signalling, though a fairly new term, is not a recent phenomenon. Big It would be idealistic to believe that all businesses and politicians are often ac- 24 million posts tagged with #Blackcused of faking their environmental or LivesMatter on Instagram were genusocio-economic concerns to improve the ine and aiming at spreading awareness. public’s perception of them. Virtue signal- On the other hand, it can be said that ing is just that: an act performed to dis- virtue signaling is just a pessimistic play a virtue that may or may not be true. way of looking at things since you can never actually know one’s motivations.

In the past few years the term has gained popularity because of social An example of virtue signaling was the media. Since online virtue signal- digital campaign for Amyotrophic Latling is frictionless, it is becoming more eral Sclerosis (ALS) charity awareness widespread. All you have to do is click called the ALS ice bucket challenge. It one button to retweet or share a post. took place in 2014 to help spread awareness about and raise donations for the The need for awareness of virtue signal- disease. Overall the campaign was a sucing lies less with calling other people out cess, but it also resulted in many individuand more with self-awareness. Showcas- als posting seemingly jovial videos, making yourself as virtuous when you’re not ing no mention of the disease at all and is hypocrisy. You begin to feel as if all neglecting to donate for the cause. They you have to do to be virtuous is to show cared more about the attention received it. We often conclude that a post on so- for it which resulted in virtue signaling. cial media must mean that you care.

In the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement, King’s College London, the Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, and Guy’s & St Thomas’ Charity released a joint statement declaring that their statues of Robert Clayton and Thomas Guy would be removed from public view. When there are so many other changes that could be made to dismantle instances of systemic racial inequality at King’s, why should we take the easy way out? Is the removal of the statues simply symbolic? It’s much easier to forget the past than work on issues for our future.

the world, you just can’t feel as much of an attachment to it. So, when people post about such a diverse range of issues on social media, it’s hard not to wonder: is any of it is real? Has online activism, in its widespread use, made itself irrelevant?

The argument against virtue signaling can easily be dismissed by saying “all publicity is good publicity”. But on a more introspective note, if you care about an issue, wouldn’t it be more useful to spend your time and energy doing something to elicit real change? Being honest about the things you care about Social media can help us realise that the comes with an essential sense of integrity. issues we face often coincide with another individual’s. This is the root cause of why It is becoming increasingly important to online protesting has become widespread. create change we genuinely care about and The #MeToo movement is a great exam- leave other issues in other hands. This is ple wherein women all over the world not to say that all online activism is virtue came together, especially on social media, signaling. We just have to find a level of and united against male supremacy. But virtue without virtue signaling - one that such unity is the exception, not the rule. makes yourself feel worthwhile and which leads to the change the world needs.

Individuals tend to bypass things that don’t directly impact their families and loved ones. Even though you can empathise with an issue that’s happening halfway across

Tr an s it io n i n g t o a D ig it al A g e A m id s t t he C ov id - 1 9 Pan dem ic S c a r l e t t Yu Staf f Wr ite r

writer Scarlett on the im- Leading economists and business lead- ered this global crisis an opportunity to times, RXR has succeeded in surviving the R oar portance of adaptation in com- ers have been urging governments to take restructure their business models by imple- unpredictable changes that came with Covaction and set necessary priorities in the fight of the Covid-19 outbreak. The present is already a time of rapid change, as businesses across the world shift toward a new era dominated by AI, 5G network, and cloud technologies. A digital transformation, one able to enhance collaboraSince the Covid-19 pandemic took over the tion between business partners and boost globe at lightning speed, humanity has faced efficiency overall, could be exactly what an unprecedented crisis necessitating reform we need to help combat this pandemic. and change from government officials and business leaders. As soon as local quaran- Since the pandemic began, the Global Ecotine regulations and social distancing meas- nomic Forum has gathered immense supures were enforced in communities around port for the business community through the world, more and more digital-based ac- its launch of the Covid Action Platform to tivities began taking place. As a result, the help stabilise the economy in these unusual demand for high-tech services and prod- times. During a virtual call held in early ucts is increasing swiftly. Societies around April, participants from several businesses the world have needed to adapt to the digi- and organisations voiced their opinions as tal age amidst this global health crisis, for to the next approaches which should be the sake of the survival of the human race. taken. Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, stated: “Given the In just the past few months of widespread nature of the crisis, all hands should be on chaos, countless lots lives and a devastating deck, all available tools should be used.” economic recession - the worst since the Brian Moynihan, CEO of Bank of America, global economic crisis in 2007-2009 - have also expressed his thoughts on the ideal forocked the globe. Sharp rises in unemploy- cus for businesses: “The number one thing ment and steep declines in countries’ GDP is to focus on employees and customers.” only contribute to these losses. The world He emphasised that both groups should be has suffered not only emotionally, but by the approached with deliberate care in order to aftermath of a failing economy. In the face of maintain a healthy and sustainable relationthese suffocating wounds, it is the respon- ship between households and businesses. sibility of the world’s people to realise and respond to the severe damage Covid-19 can Another company has stood out in its hanstill wreak on communities, and its poten- dling of affairs during the Covid-19 pantial to throw people into life-threatening sit- demic. As a North American investor and uations. German Chancellor Angela Merkel developer in real estate, RXR Realty faces has insisted that “we will be living with this its own barriers to doing business, as it is virus for a long time” - her claims suggest bound to one universal acknowledgement: how important the development of strate- location is the primary measurement of gic planning is in responding to Covid-19. value in real estate. Surprisingly, in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, RXR consid-

batting the Covid-19 pandemic, and how companies around the world aim to meet this generational crisis head-on with the help of digital technologies.

menting an innovative set of technological id-19, and has thrived in its own creative tools to embrace a digital transformation. and innovative way. Thus, a business that is ready for change will experience longevBefore the start of the outbreak, RXR had ity and prosperity no matter how unusual already established a digital lab seeking to the world turns out to be. This is the kind of provide the best services possible to meet enterprising spirit modern businesses need. tenants’ commercial and residential needs.

By entering a stage of enhanced digitalisa- Likewise, it is of extreme importance for tion, RXR seeks to reinvigorate the strug- educational institutions to take necessary gling company with a complete refurbish- measures and actions to ensure that their ment of their traditional roots and familiar entire faculties and student communities patterns at the core of their business values. get the learning experience they deserve. As In an inclusive collaboration with Leap a leading institution in higher education,

by McKinsey, they gathered a specialised King’s College London (KCL) emphasises group of professionals, ranging from data richness and inclusivity in university expescientists, engineers, designers, and prod- rience above all else. Thus, as the new acauct managers in an endeavour to build new demic year approaches, KCL has announced technological services, customised and a combination of on-campus teaching and personalised to be their best. One of the in- online learning as the main plan for class novations RXR made is a personalised app deliveries. In order to boost the number of able to provide digital services and products online resources available, the university tailored to residents’ needs, such as grocery unlocked a series of technological services, deliveries, rental payments, and moving such as free access to thousands of knowlschedules, so their personal living experi- edge-based videos at LinkedIn Learning, ences are fulfilled with perfect optimisation. while providing a massive library database for researching purposes. Determinedly, In addition, regarding office environment, KCL is keen to ensure that students reRXR CEO Scott Rechler emphasised: “Help- ceive the kind of online education they ing to ensure an environment that prioritiz- should have in spite of external factors. es safety and wellness is particularly important in light of the Coronavirus.” As a result, Indeed, Covid-19 has forced many new the company invested in digital capabili- and unfamiliar changes in the way society ties by developing another new app called deals with its economic and educational RxWell. Its main function provides infor- environment; and some may not be willmation on the environment of a company ing to accept these immediately. However, building, like occupancy levels, air quality, people may find themselves surprised at the and worker shift times. The transition has blooming growth of possibilities this transproved successful. One of the primary fac- formation will lead to. Evolution has always tors of its success lies in RXR’s core business been the greatest aspect of human continuvalue of customer experience. Due to their ity. At the end of the day, people will find a swift response to the pandemic, reshaping way to sort things out. the way business could be done in difficult

10 roarnews.co.uk

St u dent Nu r s e s Hav e B e en H it Wo r s t b y C ov id - 1 9 ; we ne e d t he b r u nt o f K i n g ’s support writer Danielle Jones arR oar gues that mismanaged timeta-

D a n i e l l e Jo n e s Staf f Wr ite r

bles and placement rotas have left student nurses underprepared for the coming year.

We need to support student nurses, not make their lives as hard as possible. Thanks to Covid-19, most university degrees have been disrupted, with the majority being moved online.

However, no degree has been more disrupted than Nursing and Midwifery.

I have had basic training to use personal protective equipment (PPE), but I only feel confident in keeping myself safe due to volunteering across the summer.

I’m terrified that my colleagues won’t be able to keep themselves safe due to a lack of knowledge about the PPE we’re expected to wear around our patients.

Student nurses need to complete 2300 hours of theory and 2300 hours of placement (unpaid work in a hospital or community environment, following a strict rota) to graduate. Thanks to Covid, firstyear nurses had their second placement of the year cancelled, leaving us all short of hours we need to complete our degrees.

Nursing students have a longer academic year to facilitate both teaching and placements, and King’s decided to use the extra placement time to teach second-year modules via e-learning.

Furthermore, second-year Adult Nursing students have been informed that all classes will be online. While most students have the opportunity to stay home this semester for online learning, student nurses have no choice but to find accommodation near to the university so we can attend placement. It’s truly terrifying to be sent out on placement, which for most means using public transport, while it’s considered “too dangerous” for most students to attend classes on campus.

the hours we missed last year. While this is completely necessary, King’s pushed back giving us our placement allocations until Monday the 14th of September.

Rotas are supposed to be supplied to student nurses at least two weeks in advance so that we can plan our days on and off. The two-week time period is critical for those with families and jobs who need to organise childcare and their hours. Allocating placements two weeks in advance leaves us scrambling to contact our wards to find To add insult to injury, the announce- out when we start and what our rotas are. ment of our next placements was delayed. We were informed that we would Many unions and nursing groups have be going out on placement by the end pushed for fairer allocations of rotas to of September to allow us to catch up on improve student wellbeing. Progress While this meant that student nurses weren’t left in a summer-Covid limbo, it still leaves us in a tricky situation.

We have a longer gap between teaching and examinations with placement in between. Working 40+ hour weeks doesn’t leave a lot of time to revise.

I haven’t even been fit tested, so if a patient suffers a cardiac arrest I’m expected to stand back and do nothhas been made in the last few years and ing, which goes against everything I’ve most Nursing students receive their ro- been taught and every instinct I have as tas at least two weeks in advance. While someone who signed up to help people. every student nurse is acutely aware of the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, As I said, every student nurse and midwife the current situation has set us all back. is acutely aware of the impact of the pandemic. Everything has changed and there’s A Nursing degree is incredibly tough, no end in sight. But someone needs to necessitating the juggling of academic support us at this incredibly scary time so work, the usual hardships of university that we can support our patients and enlife, and placement hours all while deal- hance our knowledge as much as possible. ing with the knowledge that we deal with real patients and their loved ones. I really hope that King’s ensures we get roWe should be doing everything we can tas at least two weeks in advance in future to make sure placements run smoothly, and actively finds ways to support student and it feels as though King’s has shoved nurses and midwives while we go out on placement accommodations to the placement. back of their minds across summer.

St ay i n g Pu t : a C o m mu n it y - b a s e d A r g ument f o r Remo t e L e ar n i n g Asher Gibson C omm e nt E ditor

Comment Editor Asher R oar Gibson argues that widespread

households. With this in mind, my argument does not and cannot apply to everyremote learning in first semester one. It applies to those of us who can feasichoose to stay at home because, for us, would benefit public health in Lon- bly there are some very good reasons to do so.

don at a community level.

On March 23, the United Kingdom went into national lockdown and King’s sent its students packing. Thousands have died, been disabled by, or lost loved ones to Covid-19. Thousands more have lost their livelihoods as once-booming economies have shrivelled worldwide.

In response, King’s gave us the option to study remotely during the upcoming first semester, to cancel part of our contracts and come back in October or January.

And yet, as the R-value rises again and the government restricts gatherings of more than 30 people, over 75% of us are expected to return to London anyway.

But there might be more benefits to remote learning than you’d realise.

We are a diverse community, with students returning from unsafe places ranging from oppressive nations to abusive

If you have a window where you are right now, or you’re reading this in a public place, how many people are nearby?

If you’re not a city-dweller, like me, its likely far fewer than in London. What is your environment like? What’s your air quality like? What kind of people are around? Are they primarily key workers?

Our campuses sit on what were some of the most noxious streets in the UK before the pandemic. The Strand was infamous for having consistently broken NO2 objectives, despite being in an Ultra-Low Emission Zone.

You might recall the media hype when the environmental benefits of lockdown were revealed, and may therefore have been led to believe that this will be less of a problem in 2020/1. Though it is true that air pollution in London dropped after the lockdown, as the government pushes for people to return to their offices and

commutes, this trend is unlikely to last. are disproportionately those on clinical placements who will be frequently moving Air pollution is a dangerous public between other students, the general public, health concern in its own right, but it is and patients. The fewer people there are also well known to exacerbate the symp- on campus, the less likely these students toms of Covid-19. If your hometown is are to catch the virus and bring it to some less polluted and populous than Lon- of the country’s most vulnerable people. don, even by a narrow margin, you are going to be less likely to catch the vi- King’s is aware of this, advising that sturus and pass it on if you remain there. dents only visit campuses when they have in-person classes. However, the These are the factors that make London a policy is effectively non-enforceable potential “border point” for the govern- across a student population of just unment to impose a targeted second lock- der 33,000, according to 2018 HESA down in the event of the second spike data. We have been left to police ourlikely to come in the winter months. selves in terms of the space we take up, who we share it with, when, and why.

Young people have recently become the target of criticism from Secretary of State The individual reasons why a student Matt Hancock, supposedly responsible might be safer in London than elsewhere for the recent growth in UK Covid-19 should never override these factors. Ulticases. There are complex socio-economic mately, as individuals, we can only make reasons for this and making us a target so much impact. A community is merely is unlikely to be an apolitical decision. a collection of individuals, after all. But, But we should still be conscious that, at if you’re someone who will be safe either this moment, our social circles are more way – who has a choice over whether to likely to carry the virus within them. stay home or come back to campus – reKing’s is also connected to three large Lon- mote learning for a few months longer don hospitals – Guy’s, King’s, and St Thom- could be a good idea. as. The students that can’t study remotely

Comment 11

C ha o s at K i n g ’s - Re o p en i n g A m id s t C ov id - 1 9 Radha Raheja Staf f Wr ite r

writer Radha Raheja on the troubles R oar faced by students as King’s administration

that rhetoric has changed to “face-to-face teaching where possible”. The details of placements, which struggles to tackle the ongoing issue of the Cov- are crucial for these students, had still not been released amidst this influx of confusing information. id-19 pandemic.

Autumn 2020 is finally here. As lockdowns lift and the “new normal” looms upon us, it is also time for students around the world to head into the new academic year, starting this autumn semester.

So far, things around the world still look bleak. Governments and organisations introduce and then retract their decisions regarding academics in the pandemic, from the UK’s erratic handling of A-level results or the volatile re-opening plans of colleges in the United States.

Students of the Dickson Poon School of Law say that information from their departments has been neither precise nor concrete. While emails have said the school is open to accommodating different needs and requirements, instruction on the same has seemed “red-tape”-esque. Hana*, a student of Mathematics, told us something similar - communication on behalf of her department has been minimal, and on asking for more information, students have merely been told to refer to the FAQs on the King’s website.

Timetables, usually released in the last week of August, have now been pushed to the fourth week of September. Freshers have expressed their growing concern about the deferral of this information, while finalyear students conveyed frustration - but not surprise.

With a student population of over 30,0000 and hundreds of departments and degrees, the King’s experience is different for everyone. But for many, it has been a distressing one over the course of the pandemic, with falling student satisfaction scores indicating the same.

I recently had the opportunity to attend a virtual social for incoming residents at King’s Accommodations, attended mostly by first-year students eager to find flatmates and make friends. At one point, we talked about the struggles of coming to uni in the middle of a pandemic, including the onslaught of peculiar information and the looming threat of a seemingly endless self-isolation period for many. However, I noticed that nearly everyone had great things to say about their choice of degree and their hopes for making the most out of what the university has to offer this term. At the end of the day, the experience is worth it all for many.

Some students have been lucky in terms of access to information. For instance, Alishia*, a student of Biomedical Engineering, has told Roar that her department has been clear on the matter of remote learning: all teaching will be teaching place online. Students of English Language and Linguistics, however, tell a different story.

Administration has apparently pedalled back on their promise of “some components being taught offline”, and is now speaking of randomly allocating online or Paula*, a second-year student of Nursing, com- offline alternatives to students for the autumn semes- Despite this, it is now, more than ever, that students plains of unclear communication from King’s ad- ter. Final-year students of History have also been told should be able to expect timely support from the emimin about what aspects of their course will continue that module changes will not be entertained this term. nent institutions they are part of. As times remain unto be held online in the new semester. Students were certain, I hope that the King’s is able to progress in the told that lab skills would be taught face-to-face, but way it provides for its students.

Here at King’s, while we theoretically have a standard policy on “blended learning” for the new academic year, testimonies of students across departments paint a very different picture. It seems that each department plans to take on the autumn semester in a different way, but not all have been able to give students enough information on how exactly they will be doing so.

Pr ac t ic al A dv ic e : T he Re v o l v i n g D o o r s o f Un i v e r s it y A l i n C . Lu c a Staf f Wr ite r

writer Alin C. Luca gives advice to incom- they often do). Yes, you will make lots of friends and The most important thing that no one bothers to R oar ing freshers on how to make the most out probably maintain diplomatic relations with only half tell you is to trust yourself. of their first week at university.

of them by the end of the year, which is totally fine.

There is no experience like being a fresher. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about. I’ve been a fresher twice, so I can tell you a thing or two. First, there are the things you already know of: newly gained independence, new environment, new people, and probably even a new city. These are all self-explanatory and don’t require others to inflate – or accordingly, deflate – their importance. On the other hand, there are many things you will have to experience by yourself, such as managing your bullion or learning how to not drink to death. No one is going to nanny you.

Or, better said, what would be the point in gaining that bit of independence if others start telling you what to do?

A framework

But there are also some realities that need to be pointed out. Yes, you will be bombarded with emails, flooded with welcome texts and you will most probably drown in all the government guidelines regarding Covid-19 (and speaking of Covid... not necessarily the freshers’ experience you were expecting, but hey! Life rarely goes as expected). Yes, you will find lots of friendly people — most are either just pretending or want your money, especially in London. Yes, King’s sometimes is a bureaucratic black hole, so don’t get angry when they mess things up (as

Trust yourself, because the world is complex, sometimes wicked, and full of many types of people. Don’t let anyone stop you from doing what you wish to do.

In Amor Towles’ Gentleman in Moscow, Count Ros- Don’t let anyone tell you something is impossible. tov allows his young adopted daughter, Sofia, to roam And, even if it is, try it. Don’t let anyone step on your freely and unsupervised across the Metropol hotel, personality and undermine you as a human being. claiming that he does not want to ruin her inherent curiosity and thus spoil her natural learning framework. In this age of conformity, what I’m saying now might soon be deemed illegal, but do speak your mind. Don’t “Rather than tucking in blankets and buttoning up be afraid to think independently and swim against the coats, we must have faith in them to tuck and button crowd. You might feel the need to “belong to a group” or on their own. And if they fumble with their newfound to a particular society, which in reality is not that imporliberty, we must remain composed, generous, judi- tant. Be a bit snobbish with your time and spoil yourself. cious. We must encourage them to venture out from under our watchful gaze, and then sigh with pride when Whatever you want to do or experience during your time they pass at last through the revolving doors of life…” at university, regardless of whether you fail or succeed, if you approach that goal while trusting yourself, that is Life is an ongoing process of learning wherever you are, already a fruitful step through the revolving doors of life. be it at university, work or in your day-to-day chores.

What is a prerequisite, though, is the framework the wise anti-Bolshevik Count talks about. For my two years as a fresher, no one mentioned anything about it. As such, if you gain anything from this column, I hope it is this.

12 roarnews.co.uk

On t he F ro nt L i ne s : Te s t i mo ny o f a C ov id - 1 9 V o lu nt e e r contributor Rachael PaG uest jak on her efforts as a volun-

teer first aider in hospital for St John Ambulance (SJA) during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sunday, March 24 I was with a friend, enjoying my weekend, when my phone buzzed. It was an email from SJA asking for volunteers at Lewisham Hospital’s A&E department, and a simultaneous text from my friend Amber asking if I was going to sign up. With museums, pubs, and public places closed and nothing else to do, I decided to sign up, completely oblivious to what would come next.

As I first entered the hospital, trying to find the training room, I walked past a door taped over like a murder scene, with a sign reading: “DO NOT ENTER: COVID AREA”. I thought to myself, “how bad is this disease, actually?”

Peter, an SJA clinical district lead in Lon-

don and an advanced clinical who’s been knocked off his bike R a c h a e l Pa j a k practitioner at the hospital, was stumbling around unsure Gu e s t Wr it e r explained to us that our role where he was; a patient sitting was not a temporary duty, but in a wheelchair because there would probably go on for months. He ex- weren’t enough beds, vomiting a bloodyplained the department was split into two black substance that covered her arms and halves: the red, or “dirty” area, and the legs; a mental health patient wailing with green, or “clean” area. We were unlikely to her arms dripping in blood. work in the red area. As we walked to the simulator room for training, I asked Am- This wasn’t a normal A&E. It is the word ber, “So when they say dirty, it means we we are forbidden to say: Quiet. In the Red won’t be dealing with people bleeding and area, the bays were filled with patients, all vomiting, right?” Amber scoffed. “No, Ra- with suspected Covid cases, quietly keepchael, ‘dirty’ means Covid”. After that, I ing to themselves. Despite the sense of calm felt nervous; what had I signed up for? and quiet, the section had a very depressing atmosphere, as the hospital is no longer At that point, only a few hundred people in allowing visitors. When a new patient was the UK had died of Covid-19. When I got admitted, I would think: “Am I going to be home that night, I watched Boris’ speech to one of the last people they will ever see or the nation announcing that the UK would touch? They won’t even be able to see my be going into lockdown - and thus, the new face, it’s covered with goggles and a mask.” normal had begun. I signed up to my first shift later that week, where I was thrown I never thought I would appreciate that 55% into the “Red Majors’” area despite be- of communication is non-verbal, but having told it was highly unlikely volunteers ing your face covered limits the amount would be based there. The last time I was of empathy you can give to your patients. in an A&E majors department in Septem- With a mask on it is hard to start a conber 2019, it was chaos. A confused cyclist versation with someone and just as hard

S e x ual Vio lenc e i n U K Un i v e r s it ie s i s A l i v e an d We l l

Maisie Allen Staf f Wr ite r

to really tell how distressed or anxious a patient may be. These is not the ideal conditions for working in healthcare and providing a service that the NHS is proud of.

Now, several months since lockdown began, things have changed. People are less scared to come into A&E, so things are getting busier, and the Red area has shrunk.

Visitors are now welcome back to hospital to see loved ones. However, the staff are still on standby, ready for the next spike, for the next wave of victims to be struck by this disease, whenever that may be.

Since April, I have moved onto the film and television industry as a “Covid Supervisor”, where it’s a struggle to get people to comply with government guidelines that, 3 months ago, they obeyed with religious fervor. I have realised we now live in a rose-tinted world in which people want to go back to work and see their friends and family, putting Covid behind them and toast it away on New Year’s Eve. However, that time has not come yet. Covid-19 does not care how old you are or how healthy you are. If you grow complacent, you will be its next target.

Fare we l l t o P h i l B ar : Memo r ie s o f Pa s t Pat ro n s M a r i n o Un g e r- Ve r n a C o mm e nt E dit o r

writer Maisie Allen on the recent nity really affords to tackling sexual violence on omment Editor Marino Unger-Verna speaks ing a test I failed, but I knew that any day I went there, I R oar Durham sexual assault scandal and the campus. The lack of visibility of King’s online C with Phil Bar regulars in the run-up to the would have friends there and it would make the day easier for me. It was a safe place for me to go when I needed to. sexual violence reporting tools could also sugissue of sexual violence and its prevention in gest that it isn’t actually effective at supporting universities across the UK. students or investigating complaints, and therefore doesn’t seem worth marketing to students.

Sexual violence on university campuses has once again entered the news sphere after chats After screenshots from the Durham Univerfrom a Durham University fresher group were sity group chats circulated on the internet, leaked online. The group chat, named “Dur- the university condemned the comments ham Boys Making All the Noise”, contained made and have stated that they are commitmisogynistic, classist, racist, and homophobic ted to investigating those involved. Despite content and included a competition for those this, there has been no mention of any other involved to sleep with the poorest girl on cam- measures being put in place to prevent and pus. Threats of using so-called “date rape” drugs deal with sexual violence on their campus. were also widely mentioned, leaving many students at Durham feeling scared and vulnerable. An example which many students hope their respective universities will follow in light of However, whilst many people across the UK recent events is that of St Andrews, whose have taken to social media to express their Got Consent workshops will be a compulsory surprise and disgust at these chats, these mes- part of all students’ online matriculation this sages are just proof that rape culture is alive year after the university was plagued by aland well in the university bubble - just as it is legations of sexual violence earlier this year. in every other aspect of society. Recently, The Organisations like Not On My Campus UK Tab released results of a survey they carried have also been at the forefront of championout earlier in the year, revealing that almost a ing reform in sexual violence support services third of King’s students reported experiencing and challenging campus rape culture, but their unwanted sexual attention in SU venues. The outreach and impact is limited if universities mass normalisation of this is so entrenched keep ignoring their work and only convey suthat, in research carried out by Revolt Sexual perficial solidarity to their student survivors.

Assault and the Student Room, 62% of students and recent graduates reported expe- Another positive development in the support riencing sexual violence at UK universities. sphere recently is the collaboration between Scottish universities and the charity EmilyTest on What’s even more disturbing is that very few a new Gender-Based Violence charter. They aim UK universities offer dedicated support ser- to expand the charter to include universities and vices for sexual violence survivors, let alone a further education colleges in the rest of the UK. reporting mechanism to offer anonymity to those affected. Sexual violence on campus, most It is worth noting though that while workshops commonly occurring in halls of residences and are great for educating students about sexual at social events, seems to have been accepted violence and empowering them to be active byas just a way of life for students, especially for standers, they’re cannot be the sole solution for women, who are more likely to experience managing the entrenched rape culture within sexual assault and harassment. This follows campuses. If universities want to take sexual vithe all-too-familiar rhetoric of victim-blaming olence seriously and support their students over in which survivors are deemed responsible their own reputations, more concrete action is for their assault, suggesting that those who needed. They must start by investigating their experience this are somehow “asking for it”; own policies regarding sexual violence and whether it’s because they’ve had a few drinks how well they’re put into practice. Competent or are wearing so-called provocative clothing. measures should also be made compulsory for all universities; with sexual violence happening Additionally, many of the reporting mecha- on every single campus in the UK, collaborative nisms currently in place are archaic and have and cohesive policies are desperately needed. institutionalised systemic forms of oppression, meaning that many students don’t feel like they It isn’t enough to express rage and sympathy to would be taken seriously and are often made to those dealing with incidents of sexual violence feel ashamed. In the aforementioned Tab sur- or to post on social media during Sexual Asvey, 88% of students said they were unaware of sault Awareness Month. Universities need real how to report incidents of sexual assault and systemic change if they want to help survivors harassment to King’s administration. The lack and prevent instances of sexual assault from of visibility in itself is telling of how little atten- happening to anyone else. tion and commitment the university commu-

bar’s closure.

In a statement this past July, the KCLSU announced that KCL’s infamous Phil Bar would not be reopening for the 2020/21 academic year and would remain permanently closed. Citing both the Covid-19 pandemic as well as financial difficulties, Phil Bar’s future looks bleak - petitioning alone cannot save a business in the red, after all. Student reactions to the announcement, however, were far from understanding.

“The KCLSU are rything is about a lot of money. dents who come

destroying a community. Not evemoney, and the SU already makes Giving a good experience to stuto King’s should come above that.”

These two students are not alone in seeing Phil Bar as a safe space. King’s student Tymon Rybak told Roar: “It’s so easy to be hyperbolic and say ‘Philosophy Bar felt like home’. But at the same time, that phrase encapOne Phil Bar regular, Alexander Oman, told Roar: “To some sulates perfectly what Phil Bar meant to so many of us. extent [this decision] was unbecoming of the SU, and I say No one cared that it wasn’t the cheapest bar around. that because the SU has often subsidised societies and club which don’t run a profit. The other bars run at King’s are “The place had natural character, with the same familiar pretty much party bars, almost nightclubs, like Guy’s and faces tucked into the same dimly lit corners most nights the Vault. Maybe they should have talked about adjusting - it was such a refreshing contrast to the synthetic feel prices - I think they took away a key point of community of The Vault. In many ways, Phil Bar’s worn-down look at King’s in the name of profit. To me, that’s a bit heartless.” was comforting - it almost invited conversation, and it was the place where I’ve met people outside of my course Phil Bar is not the first venue the KCLSU has shut that I know will be in my life long after university ends.” down on Strand campus. In 2018, the Macadam building’s Waterfront Bar and Kitchen was shut down to Another student, Diogo Capelo, told Roar: “Phil Bar bemake room for the SU’s shiny new Vault in Bush came a very important hub for my friends and I, and our House. As The Tab’s Emily Gulla wrote 3 years ago, preferred place to just meet and hang-out. And how could “The Vault claims to be ‘just like Waterfront’ but we’re it be otherwise? After all, most of us met each other there. pretty sure it won’t be. With potentially one of the After three years at King’s, I have shared a house with three best views in London, Waterfront is one of a kind.” people that I met there, and had the first interactions with some of my now best friends at that bar. I have lived some of With the Vault now a staple of King’s life for those who my most memorable university nights there. This bar will weren’t around when the Waterfront Bar was still kick- forever have a special, comforting place in my memory.” ing, and having personally never stepped foot in the latter venue, I nonetheless find myself in agreement. While With the Covid-19 pandemic ongoing, it is obvimuch of what I hear about the Waterfront Bar can likely ous that Phil Bar could not open for our upcombe attributed to beer-goggled nostaligia, it sounds in- ing first term. The decision to close it permanently, finitely more enjoyable than the concrete prison yard though, is one which should not have been taken as of the Vault, where cocktails are never served when ad- lightly. As a new wave of Freshers arrives at King’s, vertised (“I’m sorry, it seems we don’t have the ingre- the last student bar on Strand which actually felt like dients”) and which, an hour in, has you googling the it was run by students, for students, has shut its doors. nearest Spoons so you can actually have a good time.

In my faculty orientation last year, we were told of bar As Oman went on to tell us, “One of the most commonly with an unmarked door somewhere on Strand. The simused terms in our group chat was ‘Phil?’, and my friend ple idea of it felt like something unique to our campus, and I literally have that tattooed on our arms. That was a drinking hole tucked away from the rest of the world, where we went to unwind and be with friends after a long and the enormity of our studies. As King’s student day at the library. To be totally honest, that’s where I met Emma Foster put it: “I don’t have a favourite memory, about 3/4 of my friends in first year. It was a community that would be like asking someone what their favourite gathering place, and was central to my King’s experience. memory is from time spent in their lounge. That’s effectively what the Philosophy Bar is, it’s your lounge, “[The KCLSU’s] decision was not very student union- it’s a little bit of home in this otherwise indifferent city. like, in that funding problems were not brought to the larger community, and it was a unilateral or bilat- “The bar is so much more than a bar. It is one of the only eral decision. I think that is unbecoming of your char- remaining features of an old-school student experience, in ter. Student unions should not be profit-driven, and it so many ways superior to the current one in the sense that seems short-sighted and profiteering to make this deci- it is more intimate - bridging the gap between the acasion during a pandemic and a global economic crisis.” demic and social side of the Philosophy Department and wider university, and in doing so solidifying the ‘arts stuAnother Phil Bar regular, Rodrigo Prieto, told Roar: “[The dent culture’ many young people understandably crave. shutdown] was king-of expected, but I just couldn’t really understand it. Maybe it wasn’t the most profitable bar, but “There is a clear disconnect between what management it was the one bar at King’s that seemed to have a student want and what students want. These are the same people bar community. Phil Bar wasn’t about the big events for me that stripped us of Waterfront. Management want King’s - I might have been having the worst day ever, studying for to be all glass and Bush House. Students want a bit of traten hours, not being able to write my dissertation or hav- dition and a lot of soul.”

Comment 13

T he I n d i an - E n g l i s h E x p e r ienc e Dania Quadri Staf f Wr ite r

this two-piece article Roar writer Dania I nQuadri speaks about her experience of growing up in both India and the United Kingdom as an Indian-English Muslim.

T he Po l it ic s o f D ual S o l idar it y w it h a C h i l d ho o d s C at c h

British Indian-English Muslim, Fast-forwarding to Modi’s election in 2014, things grown up with a diverse my international friends offered me support.”

H aving A sI afeel impacted by the politics of changed rapidly. People who were quietly Islamfriend group, King’s equally di- While Reza mentioned that the demands of betwo countries: India and England.

I have hopscotched between both countries since I was born, and have spent exactly half my life in each nation-state. I was born in India while my family resided in London, moved to London as an infant, stayed through my early childhood, went back to India for school and sixth form, and finally returned to the UK around seven years ago.

At primary school in London, I remember having a lot of birthday parties and spending time reading or playing with my sister. I don’t ever remember feeling like the “other”. Even when our friends had birthdays at pubs, which can be off-putting to those who do not drink, I remember my Indian mum taking us anyway, saying we’d eat vegetarian food. As far as I remember, no one cared that we were Indian or Muslim or both. Of course, at such a young age I probably wouldn’t have noticed the things I do now.

As for growing up in India, those were interesting times. I quickly became aware of the fact that people treated my white-passing half-English father very differently compared to everyone else.

We always managed to jump queues, receiving special service and attention whenever we went out. I knew people were fascinated by my English-looking father, and admittedly, I was happy to have a cool dad. Even if my parents would insist on waiting, friendly managers and staff always ushered us in, tables would magically appear for us in packed restaurants, and the doctor would always see us first.

As I grew older, I realised that we were treated differently not because my dad had cool super-powers, but because of a deep-rooted colonial mentality in India. This became increasingly obvious after my parents got divorced. When we went out with just my Indian mum, we had to wait like everyone else. I was angry that my mum didn’t get the same respect afforded to my dad in social settings.

By this point, I understood that privilege manifests itself in the forms of race and gender, but I never thought religion would be something I’d feel negatively impacted by. My mum grew up with non-Muslim friends, and they remain close to this day; they would sometimes show up for meals even when she wasn’t around. The only time religion was factored in was when it came to serving food. She always ensured that meat wasn’t served to anyone who didn’t eat it, on specific days or otherwise. Some of her friends would come over to eat chicken biryani, shaami with khatti daal and chicken khorma secretly, and I sometimes wonder what secrets she left behind in her childhood friends’ homes.

My life has been very similar to my mother’s. My friends visit my mum even while I am away, often sending me pictures of them sitting together. They celebrate Eid at my house, and despite not being Muslim, they can feel the celebration and be a part of it. Likewise, I spend Diwali at theirs - though as we’ve grown up, most of us have abandoned firecrackers. I also pray at my friends’ homes. Most of them know the direction of the qibla, and plans are easily accommodated to fit in namaz time.

While my friends were generally kind and open-minded, my school was blatantly Islamophobic. I dealt with what I now know were microaggressions on a daily basis but preferred to ignore them and carry on.

ophobic prior to his election began to engage with and justify right-wing rhetoric, including anti-Muslim sentiment. Those who were aware of Modi’s role in the Gujarat riots of 2002 would counter with, “but, he IS good for the economy.” Microaggressions similar to those from my secondary school days were making a strong comeback.

It was clear that many felt Muslims did not belong in India. As people within my own friend circle became proud of the BJP, I began to feel alienated.

I received my greatest shock when my friend, whose house I practically grew up in, began mindlessly echoing nationalistic rhetoric. We were in the old city of Hyderabad, a predominantly Muslim and underprivileged area, when I remarked that it was a shame India did not do much to preserve its heritage. She pointed to the IndoIslamic architecture around us and remarked dismissively, “this is all from invaders anyway.” Her statement, intentionally or otherwise, directly othered a community whose entire existence cannot be relegated to the invasion and oppression of Hindus. I remained silent for the whole journey home. Had our 18-year-old friendship been muddied by right-wing Hindutva rhetoric overnight?

Likewise, many of the people my cousins grew up with are turning against them, fuelled by nationalistic propaganda. It is truly heart-breaking. Nonetheless, as the situation for minorities and lowercaste individuals has worsened, some people have begun seeing sense and switching sides. I wish they didn’t have to witness large-scale atrocities and mainstream media coverage to understand our reality. I also, however, know people who have remained by our side and are fighting the good fight. I am grateful to have them in my life.

Moving to the British political landscape, things are far from perfect. Hate crimes against Muslims rose by 593% in the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque shootings in 2018. Racially-motivated crimes have been on a steady increase since a spike in 2016 following the Brexit Referendum.

47% of all religious hate crimes that occurred between 2018-2019 were committed against Muslims. In addition to this, the British government’s handling of Shamima Begum’s citizenship and the Windrush scandal depict how the media and government engage with the citizenship of “visibly racialised and Muslim individuals”. Instead of investing in community engagement and mental health services that would promote social connectedness and decrease the appeal of extremist ideologies, the government’s PREVENT system only makes things worse. There has been extensive research on how PREVENT enforces islamophobia and can both cause and exacerbate episodes of mental illness. I myself had to think hard about approaching mental health services at university for fear of being reported and having to deal with the potential consequences. It is concerning that a safeguarding policy may impede access to mental wellbeing services for those who need it.

Where one would expect solidarity from people of colour, there has been widespread support for Modi in the Hindu diaspora. The same people who need left-leaning or liberal politics to survive in the UK are opting for right-wing, conservative politics to supposedly thrive in India. To come full-circle, the BJP has managed to slither its tentacles into British politics, urging BritishIndian Hindus not to vote Labour due to their pro-Kashmir stance, anti-Hindu politics, and apparent support for Islamist terrorist organisations. Right-wing white and Hindutva rhetoric go hand in hand; they are focussed on supremacy and thrive on the vilification of the “other”. Perhaps this is why I am so cautious of British Indian spaces.

verse student body appeals to me.

I feel more at home in spaces where friendships are founded on empathy and cultural exchange, rather than having an immutable cultural identity. So, while I am aware of the religious and cultural societies at King’s that may relate to me – the Indian and Islamic Societies, for instance – I don’t necessarily engage with them.

This is partly because my connections to Indian culture do not need reaffirmation, and partly due to my experiences on campus.

ing on a Postgraduate course meant he had less time to engage with societies, he said that he did find India Society to be “childish” and overly “Bollywood/party-centric” in a time when activism and awareness are critical. As Zaynub told me, “their silence is them taking a stand”.

While the Islamic Society or Ahlul Bayt Society may fulfil some Indian Muslims’ religious needs, they are not the be-all and end-all thereof. In fact, Nashrah and Reza both told me that they rarely felt the Friday qutbah addressed Indian Muslim issues. More importantly, all the students I spoke to identified with religion differently; so while they recognised and acknowledged the importance of religious In hindsight, my very first interaction with In- societies, they still felt “there was a big gap”. dians attending King’s on a WhatsApp group chat set the tone for what lay ahead. When Ar- Just when I was becoming optimistic about findticle 370 was abolished, the sentiments of many ing like-minded Indians who opposed hate poliin the group mirrored the nationalistic rhetoric tics, the Indian Political Society at university was of ab Kashmir hamara hai, meaning “Kashmir forced to cease all operations until further notice is now ours”. There appeared to be widespread due to security threats from extremist organisasupport for Modi, and the violence that fol- tions. It is unsurprising that the Hindutva rhetolowed the historical decision was proudly justi- ric has seeped into campus life given the farfied as a means to an end. There was no discus- reaching consequences of transnational political sion regarding the wider implications this move affiliations. However, a few other societies remain would have for minority sentiments at home which provide space to discuss all issues British, and abroad. Though this was almost enough Indian and Muslim, including the King’s Indoto deter me from exploring Indian spaces at Pak Development Forum (IPDF), and perhaps King’s, I was eager to learn how other Indian the Intersectional Feminism Society (IfemSoc).

Muslims engaged with identity on campus.

Consistently being expected to prove our IndiZaynub Murad, a third-year History student anness, Britishness, and/or Muslimness in difat King’s, told me she has had a similar en- ferent social settings can be exhausting. It can gagement with individuals from India Soci- feel as though we’re “being pressured from all ety. She mentioned that there was no actual sides”, as Zaynub put it. The effort to build a corepresentation of Muslims in the society, the hesive community must come from all sides too. inferred message being that Muslims were not really seen as Indian. I agree. None of the com- If you’ve grown up in British households that mittee members come from minority back- project Muslims as un-Indian, challenge the nagrounds, and I have seen no genuine effort to tionalistic rhetoric behind this. When someone include Muslims as part of their narrative. In asks you about India, do not centre the narratheir defence, however, they did upload an Eid tive around privileged or upper-caste Hindu Mubarak post this year, and had a stall on dur- experiences; include other narratives that run ing Charity Week – an Islamic Society initiative. parallel. Use your collective experience of being othered for your brown skin in Britain to The implications of these deficiencies are re- extend your empathy to those being othered flected in their events – parties, pujas, speed for their religion or caste in the motherland. dating, and alcohol-focused events. Nashrah Maheen, a first-year Medical student, told me: I recognise that this article does not delve into the “I have no problem with parties. I just think issues faced by other minorities within the minorthat there is a lack of affordable and diverse ity, such as Muslim students from denominations events for those who may not drink.” She said such as Ahmadis and Ismailis, LGBTQI Muslims, that before university, she was excited to join and Muslims with disabilities. While I can’t speak India Society. But when she attended the meet for millions of Indian Muslims across the world, and greet, she felt like she had to prove her “In- I will always be willing to listen to those facing dianness,” going on to say: “People just can’t get injustice and oppression, whoever they might be. over the fact that you’re Indian and Muslim.”

My suggestions to any society wishing to repreSo, for a more top-down approach, Zahra Kazi sent India in the diaspora are fourfold. Firstly, Injoined India Society as a Marketing Officer in dia is a diverse country with different traditions, the hopes of making the society more inclusive languages and customs – regionally, religiously and reflective of the diverse spirit of the Indian and caste-wise. Reflect these differences in your subcontinent that is withering away. A third- events socially, economically, and culturally. Secyear Geography student, she told me that she ondly, raise awareness about the varying commuresigned when she felt that the society did not nities that make our country what it is; minorities reflect her own personal ethics, with no room and members of lower-castes form the fabric of to discuss opinions, injustice, and politics. its very existence! Thirdly, collaborate with ALL religious societies meaningfully, and fourthly: This can be seen through the society’s silence spread awareness about ongoing injustice in India. in response to recent police brutality against Communities that are struggling need more than students in India. Reza Khan, an international just a Bollywood Boat Party (by the way, some Master’s student at King’s, was particularly dis- of us are from the South). We need solidarity. appointed by this. Khan received no solidarity from his fellow Indian classmates on the issue, Being Indian and Muslim is no paradox, and it telling me: “No Hindu Indians wanted to speak never will be. about the injustice against students… only

Culture The Culture Team Alex Blank Culture Editor

Karen Ng Staff Writer

Ally Azyan Culture Editor

Keval Nathwani Staff Writer

Andrew Nunes Staff Writer

Luca Galli Zugaro Staff Writer

Anoushay Okhai Staff Writer

Maisie Allen Staff Writer

Anoushka Chakrapani Staff Writer

Matthew Seaman Staff Writer

Arjan Arenas Staff Writer

Molly Green Staff Writer

Camilla Alcini Staff Writer

Rhian Kerslake Staff Writer

Dania Quadri Staff Writer

Samuel Chadwick Staff Writer

Elena Veris Reynolds Staff Writer

Sara Khash Staff Writer

Helen Kursten-Holmes Staff Writer

Sayali Marathe Staff Writer

Jess Smith Staff Writer

Scarlett Yu Staff Writer

Joyce Hida Staff Writer

A s o c i al cooking for s t u dent s Alex Blank

Cu lt ure E ditor

Sept 2020 Culture Editors Alex Blank Ally Azyan

ERS’: H S FRE TENT T! CONR ALER ILE SPO

Dania Quadri St af f Wr it e r

into university, we’re erance – and you’re just not feeling it. to the capital can make it harder to fulfil Coming always told to be prepared The boy who said you have really beauti- these expectations. Everyone, including for the best times of our lives: Freshers’ Week. It is a period of freedom, independence and exploration. Our best moments flash before our eyes days before we even begin university, and we imagine them to be seamlessly woven into two chaotic weeks - we’re going to meet our best friends, find a sense of belonging at the first society that sounds appealing, and find an intelligent and beautiful soulmate.

I remember walking into my first student-halls kitchen. From the whiteness of the floors and cupboards, and the pinkness of some girl’s hair, I still recall nothing but tension. After a week of dangling in and out, I gave up and never came back. I lived in that place for a year, and I have never stepped into that kitchen again.

What did I live off? Don’t ask.

Take two. New university, new and

ful eyes and took your number is now hitting on someone else. Rumour has it he is fresher fishing, and you breathe a sigh of relief. You wish you had agreed to date Jamal in Year 11, whose beautiful biceps now glisten on Instagram. At least you’d have company to endure the night.

Londoners, is in an entirely new environment. Furthermore, do not underestimate the impact of beginning university during a pandemic; that in itself is commendable!

Feeling safe and exploring your identity may not happen the moment you set foot on campus. That’s fine. For some students, certain factors such as their mental and physical health, and the random chance of meeting like-minded people very early on, align during Freshers’ Week.

This pushes them to experiencing Freshers’ Week as they expected. But if you’re not one of those people, that is okay.

I hated Freshers’ Week both times. The days seemed never-ending and the obligation to make fun memories was overbearing. I found it strange to be ignored by people who had offered me pot last night. Didn’t we just spend two hours talking, didn’t we exchange numbers, didn’t you say we should hang out sometime and that you meant it? May I add this was The objective of Freshers’ Week is to exAt the end of two long weeks of partying, before any sort of inebriation took place? perience it. In whichever way you choose we see ourselves living the dream: laughto. Have fun, by all means, be brave, chat ing with our new multicultural friends, I expected to partake in fun, stimulating to everyone, and reach out in a way that’s running late to induction sessions – only conversations by day and explore Lon- comfortable for you. But equally know to find that they have saved you a seat. don by night. Instead, on one of my first that this is only the start of university. You You sink into your lecture chair with an days, I found myself in a group of girls will invariably make friends along the way. overpriced coffee and smile: the world who made fun of my accent. ‘Mate, isn’t is as it should be. The clichés were real. she like sooo fresh?’ a girl said when I I strongly recommend that you build an pronounced her name the way her lan- ecosystem outside of King’s in the followOr not. As a mature student who has at- guage demanded for it to be pronounced. ing weeks. Make friends with the grocer, tended two Freshers’ Weeks, I can attest to Unfortunately for you, I am culturally the librarian, your local coffee shop barista, this being very far from the truth. Freshers’ aware, I defensively mused. I then excused join Meetups and try Bumble friends. StepWeek is chaotic. It is a high-pressure envi- myself and left the building, my over- ping out of the University Bubble makes ronment which seems like everyone but you whelming sense of dread trailing after me. you realise that there is life beyond univerhave it sorted. (Spoiler alert: they don’t.) sity. Socialising in this realm will assuage The hype surrounding Freshers’ Week any doubts of you ending up friendless.

Imagine this: during the day, you drag makes it feel like something is wrong with When you find familiar faces off-campus, along with people who had extended a you if by the end of it you haven’t found the prospect of making friends on-camkind gesture and invited you to sit at lec- your flock, or have crazy stories to tell your pus seems less urgent. In turn, the lack of tures with them. You try to join in on pals back home. But there is absolutely urgency eases the anxiety and fear of betheir jokes, but one day you realise you’re nothing wrong in feeling overwhelmed ing alone, and you can find comfort in not sitting with them anymore. In fact, by an overwhelming environment! your current social pacing at university. you prefer this. You prefer being on your own and tell yourself you will find your Let’s get this straight: some people do So, all the best for Fresher’s Week, and I people during a Freshers’ evening event. find their flock and relay crazy stories to look forward to seeing you on the other their friends, and that’s good for them. side. Remember, it may not be the best But everyone at partying events is too The danger is when you come in with the time of your life, and I hope I’ve convinced wasted to remember you the next day. expectations of it being the best time of you that that is beyond okay. In fact, it’s Some confident teetotallers are around, your life, and it doesn’t end up being so. perfectly normal for many of us! exploring their sexuality and alcohol tol- The pressure of leaving home and moving

Culture Editor Alex shiny student halls, new part of cial R oar Blank on the comforts of the city. This time will be different, on cooking like a hermit and embracing your asocial tendencies.

Everyone has their own set of anxieties. Personally, there are few things I dislike more than people seeing me cook - and, correspondingly, eat. I had been afraid of many aspects of university, but the food stuff was one of my biggest fears. I didn’t even care (as much) about the fact that I would most likely not make any friends; I was too preoccupied with my thoughts on The Kitchen.

F re s he r s ’ We e k may no t b e t he b e s t t i me o f yo u r l i f e - an d t hat ’s o kay

as me, here are some tips are staring at me. Suffice it to say, how to survive cooking I never cooked rice again. I don’t this time will be fine. I was the first among strangers without re- even like it that much, to be fair. one to arrive on my floor, which nouncing your hermitage status. gave me enough space to inspect Another life saver: a mini fridge. every nook and cranny, every pos- First of all, I cannot stress this Granted, my freezer was the size sibility for missteps or awkward- enough: microwave is your best of a spleen, so buying extra bread ness, in the giant shared kitchen. friend. I made oatmeal in the mi- or frozen fruit / vegetables forced crowave, I cooked pasta and vari- me to store them in the kitchen, On my first night and second morn- ous kinds of grains, I scrambled but at least it gave me a range of ing, I ate a sandwich from home as eggs, I grilled cheese sandwiches, cold-meal options to sustain me well as a shattered Pop Tart. The I “baked” mug cakes. Sometimes when I didn’t have the nerve to second night in, I finally did it. I I got up super early and cooked leave my room. It’s fine, it happens went in. I was armed with a pink pasta in the morning - not to - you’re tired, you’re irritable, your pan in hand and sauce that was as face anyone for the 9 minutes it words stumble upon themselves red as my cheeks. I was alone, and takes to cook the pasta, but only in your mouth. It’s better to have I made my meal in peace. Though for 1 minute it takes to heat it up. a cold meal than to have your voI managed to almost conquer my cal cords freeze as you try to make fear of the kitchen, I left my pots It only backfired once, as I tried to hateful small talk with a flatmate. and pans to gather dust in my cook rice. I put it in, went back to room, ordered a mini fridge, and my room and turned a timer to re- Last but not least: couscous is dangled between two unchanging member to get it. All of a sudden, your best friend. It’s warm, quick, points for the rest of the year - my a piercing fire alarm reverberated healthier than ramen, and arguably room and the kitchen’s microwave. all over the floor, and I was greeted - since it only transforms into diI prepared simplistic meal-like con- with more socialising I was able to gestible shape if you cover it with a coctions on my tiny desk, and then bear at 7 a.m. More than that, I had plate after pouring water over it and took them - as inconspicuously to admit it was my fault, and I stood leave it alone - just as asocial as me. as I could - to that safe-like box. awkwardly amidst the smoke, not knowing what to do, because I I’m not claiming you should masIf you are as semi-proudly aso- can’t do anything while people ter self-isolation, even though

we’re now more adept at it than we used to be. It’s important not to feel lonely, and I know that cooking and eating together can bring people closer (though I still don’t get the appeal). However, everyone has different needs, everyone connects differently, and some people need their space to be able to clumsily pour one thing over another while not burning anything, including their cheeks.

It’s fine if you have asocial tendencies in one area or another - whether it’s food, cooking, commuting, studying, or anything else. Life is about balance and boundaries, and breathing, and all of those need space. I don’t feel guilty over being so private anymore, because I know it gives me enough peace of mind to be able to put myself out there in other ways, on my terms.

There is only one good piece of advice here, really: University is your experience, and you are allowed to make - and/or break, on occasion your own rules.

Culture

15

Su s t ai na b le Si p p i n g : How t o Hav e an E c o - F r ien d ly F re s he r s R h i a n Ke r s l a k e Staf f Wr ite r

up - we’ll soon be seeing H eads hordes of thirsty freshers lay

siege to Piccadilly Circus, Soho and Camden (lockdown permitting).

However, socialising – though excellent fun – can be surprisingly tough on the planet (not to mention your long-suffering bank account).

Here, I’ll be demonstrating how we can all make slightly better choices while still waking up with a stinking hangover on Sunday. ‘Sustainable’ and ‘eco-friendly’ are thrown about pretty willy-nilly here, but the gist of the two is the same. Ultimately, we just want to know the choice chugs from the bad bevvies.

san and local craft breweries perfect for a classic pub crawl. Many of these small-scale breweries send their waste grains to British farms, too. If Bermondsey is a little far from you, why not set yourself the post-lockdown goal of discovering some nearby craft breweries? Not only can you find some gorgeous little haunts, but staggering back home is even easier!

Beers, Bottles and Breweries The classic lager: smooth, crisp and clutched in the mitts of a baby-faced 18-year-old, is a big contender for the most popular choice. Carlsberg, like many companies, is on a sustainability kick: in 2019, they’ve reduced CO2 emissions by 4.5%, water usage by over 3% and are looking at using recycled shrink-wrap in transport.

Important when the beers are shipped from their brewery in Manchester, 208 miles from London.

Though these numbers are nice, the company acknowledges it’s still a long way from sustain- Let’s have a w(h)ine. able.

If you’re a wine drinker, you may be upset to hear that Echo Falls’ sustainability measures pale in comparison to Heineken’s. However, all is not lost - boxed wine is one of the easiest ways to get your eco-friendlier wine fix (with up to 10x lower carbon emissions than bottled). Glass is harder to recycle in the UK than paper and cardboard. Even bottled Echo Falls, however, is more efficient than the more expensive options: fancy wines are bottled at their country of origin and shipped in crates, whereas budget wines such as Echo Falls are transported in bulk before being bottled here in the UK. Not only does this keep logistics costs down, it also produces far less CO2. Who knew being a cheapskate could be so great for the environment?

Heineken is another big player in the industry– and not just the lager. Heineken UK owns almost half of the drinks seen at a party: Fosters, Strongbow, Bulmers and Bierra Moretti (to name but a few!). This company is one of the more forwardfocused organisations. They’ve reduced their water usage by almost a quarter since 2008, getting CO2 production down to 3.11kg of CO2 per 100L of cider and lager. They also source all of their apples from British orchards - 30% of apples grown in the UK go towards Heinekens’ ciders!

Almost 80% of the orchards they source from are sustainable farms, too. Their mill is located round the corner from their orchards, reducing transport emissions. Finally, the unusable side product from their milled apples (called pomace) is transported to a nearby farm for biogas energy.

Anheuser Busch may ring a bell to those with a taste for Budweiser, Stella Artois, Corona and Leffe. That’s because Anheuser, like Heineken, is another alcohol conglomerate. They’ve gone for a much flashier route to sustainability, having ordered a fleet of Tesla and Nikola zero-emission trucks. They’ve invested a quarter of a million into glass recycling capabilities near their Texas plant. Though they’ve also hosted many riverstewardship programmes, their efforts are limited to the US. Sure, international markets are an important aspect to global eco-sustainability - but it’s without doubt better to buy as local as possible.

Thankfully, London is teeming with independent breweries. Though slightly more expensive, the quality and sustainability of these beers, lagers and ales are far greater. Breweries such as Fourpure brew as local as possible from their Bermondsey brewery. Speaking of, there’s the Bermondsey Beer Mile – a full stretch of arti-

Dodgy Diageo Those interested in spirits, you may be surprised to learn that many go-to drinks are from one company: Gordon’s, Smirnoff, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan’s and Baileys are all owned by the multinational Diageo. This company has made some sensible first steps toward sustainability.

Gordon’s gin is undergoing a change to 100% recycled glass and 33% lighter bottles – useful when transported from its Cameron Bridge distillery in Scotland. Smirnoff is also switching to plastic bottles. Despite positive motions, Diageo is notoriously non-transparent on issues around child labour within its supply chain, failing to disclose how it ensures child labour is avoided.

Furthermore, they “expect suppliers to respect the land rights of communities, including indigenous peoples,” with no methods of supervision explained. This tarnishes the eco-friendly shine they’ve given their products in recent years and undermines much of their supposed sustainability.

a pouch at your doorstep (just like the boxed wine - easier and cheaper to transport) and has an address stamped across the back. Once the pouch is empty, simply post it and it arrives back at its Scottish distillery to be recycled.

- Vodka (Ciroc, Ketel One & Smirnoff) - Element 29 vodka is sourced entirely from British produce, its wheat from East Anglia and copper from the Black Country. Sapling’s West London distillery approach this with a twist, too – not only do they distil their vodka nearby, with locally sourced GMO-free wheat, but they plant trees around London, Suffolk and Bristol as they do so!

- Bailey’s – try Edradour Cream Liqueur, made from whiskey brewed in Scotland’s smallest distillery. Failing that, you could look further afield to Italy for Haywines’ Coconut Cream Liqueur, sourced from organic milk, sugar, coconut and aromas. Eco-friendly cream liqueurs are still surprisingly hard to come by, however.

- Whiskey (Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit, Seagram’s, George Dickel, Caol Ila, Talisker, Lagavulin, Oban, J&B, Cardhu, Buchanan’s and Bells) – the sheer number of whiskey brands that Diageo owns makes the brand hard to avoid completely. If you’re a whiskey drinker, however, that makes it all the more important to show what matters to you. Britishdistilled whiskeys included Mortlach Rare, with its spicey liquid-gold qualities, and you may be familiar with Laphroaig, renowned for its smokiness and medicinal taste. One budget-friendly alternative is the Old Pulteney 12-year malt.

The Venue The flat party will always have an undisputed eco edge due to a lower reliance on disposable cups and lack of large sound systems. But sometimes you just don’t want to invite the rabble round – enter the classic British pub. Let’s look at the biggest student pub chain in London: Wetherspoon.

Though they have abolished all single-use plastic straws and cups, there’s a distinct lag in reducing plastic through other means (i.e. water bottles, food packaging and dairy cartons). They also don’t tend to source locally, resulting in a much larger carbon footprint. Their schemes to reduce emissions, as listed on their website, seem limited to LED lighting and free-cellar cooling systems (which circulate outside air internally, if it’s cool enough). Frankly, their attempts at ‘going

However, brands can change – and the way to do so is with your wallet. Here is a full list green’ are about as appetising as that last tequila of Diageo’s brands, and my personal sugges- shot your mates pressured you into. tions on alternatives:

For reference, let’s look at some trendy ecofriendly places: Shoreditch’s Long Arm sports - Guinness – choose Murphy’s Irish Stout pub is powered by fish, fed by the brewing pro(owned by Heineken, brewed in Ireland) or per- cess’ leftover grain, that then produces waste for haps Young’s London Stout, brewed in Bedford, the veg garden and feeds hungry drinkers. The if you prefer slightly sweeter coffee notes. beers require no packaging at all, as everything

is brewed on-site, too. If beers aren’t your thing, - Gin (Aviation, Tanquerey & Gordon’s) - why not grab a few of your well-behaved mates choose the Kennington-brewed Beefeaters if and visit Hackney’s Scout bar? This cocktail bar’s you’re feeling swish, or Lidl’s Finton’s gin if menu focuses on ecosystems, with seasonality you’re on a budget. Craft gins have seen an ex- and foraging an integral part of their ethos. To plosion in popularity, with avant-garde pro- quote the bar’s menu, “Each of the drinks we jects like Dunnet Bay Distillery’s Rock Rose have created contain ingredients and elements gin cropping up recently. This gin arrives in that have either been re-used or those which so-

ciety tells us are past their best and for the most part, are discarded without a second thought.”

For those with a taste in wine, pop into Soho’s Antidote. They only partner with vineyards that use organic and biodynamic processes, eradicating any reliance on pesticides in the growing process. They also promote natural fermentation with native grape strains, pinnacles of sustainability within the wine industry.

On a more sober note, the consumer is the most powerful component in any industry – if you’re actively working to be more eco-friendly, there is an abundance of better choices to make. This isn’t to say anyone who drinks Gordon’s gin or fancy bottled wine is a bad person, but knowledge really is power (even if you wake up with no recollection of the night before). Now, stay safe and go get pissed.

16 roarnews.co.uk

St u dent s an d t he C o m mo d i fic at io n o f S e l f - C are Maisie Allen St af f Wr it e r

writer Maisie Allen discusses R oar the toxicities of the self-care indus-

try, with particular regards to womxn and university students.

Over the Covid-19 induced lockdown, articles and blog posts on how to take care of yourself during this unprecedented time seemed to dominate the internet and cultural conversation. This is obviously understandable, as the emotional toll of the pandemic and other forms of social upheaval have been felt deeply by many, however the discussions surrounding this have been overtly superficial and marketed towards specific demographics. These groups primarily include womxn and young people, especially students, and the products advertised in the means of selfcare only tend to offer short-term solutions rather than looking towards concrete methods of change.

According to the Global Wellness Institute, the so-called self-care industry is worth 4.5 trillion US dollars and feeds into the harmful idea that selfimprovement is intrinsically linked to caring for your body and mind so you don’t burn out. Where there is money, there is power - yet the self-care and wellness industry is recklessly promoting problematic consumer behaviours, leading many

to feel disillusioned and stressed in the first place. for womxn to feel better about themselves they just need a bit of retail therapy, buying into the neoliberThe upheaval of moving to a new environment, al ideal of materialism and consumer culture. This beginning new studies, and achieving a newer market aspect is largely due to the fact that womxn level of independence - that starting at university tend to be the primary shoppers in their families. often brings - means that students, and especially As primary caregivers, they tend to buy for their incoming first-years, are ripe for self-care and family members, and so when bombarded with wellness marketing. However, these are not often messages to ‘treat yourself ’ too, it’s often effective, well-intentioned; despite the fact that the current particularly in the beauty and fashion industries. student mental-health crisis is raging on our university campuses, none of these so-called self care Likewise, when discussing students and selfand wellness measures tackle the root causes of care, wellness companies and self-care advertisthe reasons why so many students are struggling ing focus on methods on how to improve your at university. Packaging up a sheet face mask in mood that involve purchasing products or paybright colours, or selling boxes of tea with ingre- ing for specific treatments, rather than helping dients alleging to de-stress the drinker, fail to ad- to dismantle the stigma of emotional exhausdress the student housing crisis, with sharp rent tion and the reasons behind it. Self-care often increases in halls of residences and the cuts in becomes more about self-improvement, and this maintenance grants, leaving many with financial is especially prevalent in the age of social media worries that can often taint the experience of so- and the pressure to carve out a personal brand cial university culture. Universities themselves are for yourself; essentially, to commodify yourself. guilty of these practices too, bringing in puppies for students to play with for twenty minutes on Despite the slowed down pace of life experienced campus in the name of mental health awareness by many during strict lockdown, since restricwhilst their counselling waitlists continue to grow, tions have eased the desire to return to the norleaving many students to seek help elsewhere. mal rush has been insatiable across all sectors and has been driven by a more sinister capitalist These wellness measures are often inherently gen- economic agenda. Even though the world is still dered as well. They often follow sexist tropes that in the grips of the Covid-19 pandemic, and a sec-

ond wave looks incredibly likely for many countries, politicians like the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have been pushing for a return to work and socialising like before, meaning that wellness companies and the self-care industry have once again gone into overdrive. Except this time, rather than encouraging consumers to take time to relax and de-stress from the onslaught of Covid-19 death counts all over its news coverage by using a new bath bomb or hair mask, these same businesses are now using this as an opportunity to shame people for taking time for themselves.

The self-care industry is a chameleon, changing its colours to fit the newest trends whilst also masking this with a front of tenderness wrapped in the shape of lotion sets and weight loss shakes.

Mental health and wellbeing are nowhere near on their agenda; although participating in certain activities in the name of self-care can be helpful, the companies pedalling this agenda aren’t doing it out of their desire to create a better, more caring society. 2020 has been a year like none other in recent history, and a sense of loss has been shared by many. Whilst it does seem like mental health and personal wellbeing are being prioritised in cultural discourse, a commodification of them is still a very real problem and needs to be prevented.

Q em i s t ry : Pu t t i n g Pe r s o nal it y B e f o re A p p e ar anc e Ally Azyan

Cu lt ure E dit o r

Editor Ally Azizi interviews Co- really important to what makes you either attracted C ulture Founder of Qemistry, a London-based or unattracted to someone. It’s really hard to get your

across on existing dating apps because start-up, Emma Clark on the brand-new personality it’s just a photograph and a bit of text – it doesn’t dating app that’s more than just photos. actually give you a flavour of what someone’s like this data point to determine their match’s intel- E: We are self-funded, which means small budget Fresh off its launch date on 6 September, I had the opportunity to conduct an interview with Emma to talk about Qemistry and what sets it apart from other well-known dating apps such as Tinder, Hinge, Bumble etc.

Emma initially trained to be a lawyer and eventually moved to finance. She has worked for Majedie Asset Management and prior to that an asset management events company. She has an undergraduate degree in International Relations, CFA level I, a Graduate Diploma in Law and the Legal Practice Course.

Sachin Karia is the other Co-Founder of Qemistry and the creative genius of the team. He is an experienced tech entrepreneur and software developer. In the past 5 years, he has had several roles at technology based startups (such as Rentoo, Get Cooked, and more recently Xcademy), helping them to build, launch and grow their products.

Roar: Why did you decide to pursue Qemistry?

Emma: Because online dating is broken. In real life, personality plays a huge role in how attractive you find someone and how much fun you have with that person. It’s so hard to get your personality across, or get someone’s vibe from existing dating app profiles.

Before the coronavirus, my Co-Founder and I used to run a tech start-up which was doing in-gym PT sessions whereby it connected you with a personal trainer, yoga instructor etc., in the area and the business relied on gyms being open. We really just got going in February, but by March all the gyms closed. We chose to pivot away from this business and started building the Qemistry app during lockdown.

R: For our readers, what is Qemistry and its aims?

How does it differentiate from apps like Tinder?

E: Qemistry is a brand-new type of dating app. Our whole thesis is based on the fact that personality is

at all. It’s hard to be funny when someone’s not saying the joke because it’s just a piece of text. We are trying to help people put themselves across more fully and accurately by having video-only profiles.

ligence. The video nature of the app replaces the need for all those data points, you can see how someone speaks for example, their energy levels, their articulation, and it should allow users to see beyond the ‘stats’ of a person. As a result, In the 1980s, people used to record themselves we’ve been able to remove job titles from the app on VHS tapes and post them to potential dates. and actually find people better quality matches.

It usually contained cringy and cheesy things, but Qemistry is nothing like that. Here, they R: I read in your preview that there’s a feature called could upload TikToks, Instagram Reels - content ‘Student Mode’ – how does that work? you would share with your friends which show your goofy, down-to-earth side. We interviewed E: Student mode shows you other students from about 3,000 users in the making of this and al- your university, regardless of your current physimost everyone wanted someone who was funny. cal location. Use your university email address when registering, or if you don’t have one yet, conR: Could you explain a little bit about the on- tact team@qemistry.co. The people who are using line dating algorithm? videos are you – students, young people, you’re the ones who make really good content. When E: Existing dating apps allow users to set very experimenting with our practice version, the prospecific preferences (height, religion, race etc.). files between those in their 30s and 20s were really When you only have a photograph to go on, peo- different. The latter had really fun and honest prople decide if they like each other purely based files which made everything enjoyable, that’s why on looks. This often leads to the most outwardly it’s suited for this age group. One of the reasons desirable 10% of users getting all the action, and we developed this is because of the coronavirus, everyone else struggling to match. That is what everyone is everywhere. What student mode does makes Qemistry different – it gives everybody a is that it shows only people from your university chance to use their full personality to land them- for any period of time you want, whether it’s a day selves a date, similar to how one would when or a week. It’s easy to toggle between the Student in a bar. While appearance is a key part of the Mode and the ‘normal’ mode. Currently, we’re equation, personality is also just as important. testing a University of London feature which alWe anticipate Qemistry fixing these problems. lows students to explore beyond their universities.

(laughs). We built almost everything in-house but now we’re scaling up to a bigger budget.

R: What difficulties did you face while developing the app?

E: So many. Firstly, this concept hasn’t been done properly before. It was tried about 10 to 15 years ago, but people weren’t ready for video yet; we’ve got to convince people that this is a good thing to do. Normally, users would have a set of photos to use on various dating apps, so for them to create a few of their own or choose from some would pose as a challenge. The other challenge is, of course, the beginning, and convincing the very first group of people to go on it, and to stay on it until more people join.

R: What are your long-term plans for the app?

E: We hope to expand to the rest of the UK and eventually, the rest of the world. We’ll see!

R: What was the best part about creating the app?

E: The moment we started using the beta testing version with a group of our friends and realised what a huge leap forward in online dating Qemistry would mark.

R: What advice would you give to students who hope to create their own start-ups?

R: What are the benefits of using videos R: That sounds really interesting! Regarding securirather than just photos?

E: You have such a big personal network at unity, how are you going about this issue? versity, you meet new people every day, you E: It improves the safety of meeting up with a E: Initially, we built in a feature where you could see have so many resources at your disposal, it’s match as you have much more information about someone’s precise location, but we’ve completely one of the best points in your life to explore them. It gives a better chance of more fun dates removed that because it’s safer that way. The video ideas and start a business. There are cheap because your knowledge of your date goes beyond feature obviously helps because it helps you deter- ways to explore almost every business idea, the impression you get from a few photos. Hope- mine how a person acts in daily life. It’s also hard to check out the Lean Startup series for advice. fully, it would also eliminate general implicit bias catfish as it would be really hard to find five videos of that people have on existing dating apps. One of someone else from their other existing social media. Qemistry is now available on the App Store and the things we discovered in our interviews with Google Play. people was that people have a preference for R: And what was the budget for this like? people with impressive job titles. They’re using

Culture 17

T he S e pt em b e r I s s ue s Camilla Alcini Staf f Wr ite r

writer Camilla Alcini on how Vogue’s R oar September 2020 Issue will be different from

role and should not only be spreading awareness. We need to look at it in the way we look at ourselves in the mirror. What do we see? Does everyone feel represented in this mirror of our society? For too long the answer has been a clear “no”. White, skinny, perfect dolls wore elite clothing, making fashion distanced and not inclusive of different races, ethnicities, body shapes and sizes.

previous years amidst issues of sustainability and racism.

September is considered the most important fashion momentum of the year. Not only for the trends and creations shown at fashion weeks, but mainly for the relevance that collections have as manifestos of the brands. It’s not news that fashion has become more and more involved in political and social themes. How could it not be, when by nature it reflects society and captures the zeitgeist?

But this September feels different. A pandemic that stopped both production and diffusion, along with extremely reduced consumption burdens the industry and consumers. For this reason, besides Vogue’s September Issue (the most awaited publication of the fashion year!), what we are likely to see this month is how the industry decides to deal with a series of issues that cannot be ignored any longer.

First of all, the urge of sustainability. Fashion is said to be second to oil in pollution, and this fact even though hidden behind the trendy colours and shapes, is not hard to be believed. According to expert Alden Wicker on Racked, agriculture (cotton, flax, hemp), animal agriculture (leather, fur, wool, cashmere), petroleum (polyester and other synthetics), forestry (rayon), mining (metal and stones), construction (retail stores), shipping and manufacturing all contribute to create an industry that is in fact unsustainable for our planet. Simply put, when you buy a t-shirt that costs $4.99, it’s likely that something in its supply chain would make you uncomfortable if revealed.

The massive role fashion plays in raising awareness (see

Nonetheless, consumers rebelled. Brands that did not adapt to the need of being more diverse and inclusive succumbed (see the decline of Victoria’s Secret, whose models are famously known as “angels” almost starved to look like dolls in their annual show event). We did have had some good examples at least. Vogue’s September 2018 issue covered the iconic Beyoncé who was photographed by the 23 year old Tyler Mitchell, who became the first black photographer to shoot the cover in the magazine’s history. The rise of plus-sized models such as Ashley Graham contributed as well, giving many girls the representation they had long been looking for. Last but not least, Rihanna’s launch of 50 different shades of foundation and make up products by her company Fenty fit all shades of skin colours. These are only a few examples, but they proved that fashion can and should be better.

H&M’s latest sustainability campaign) will be crucial to balance all of this, but it will not be enough unless we see some concrete changes. For example, French brand Jacquemus already launched its new collection that you can pre-order when shopping, in order to avoid producing more than necessary. Motivated by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and the British Fashion Council (BFC), the historical Italian houses of Gucci and Armani announced to reduce their collections per year, cutting all pre-falls and cruises which started to feel too much. In an open letter to Women’s Wear Daily (WWD), the famous designer Giorgio Armani urges for a slowdown and a realignment with seasons in stores, by choosing timeless elegance and smaller We need this industry to work in the opposite way: to events if they are regular, rather than celebrations of spe- represent an inclusive society, which eventually will afcial occasions. Fashion should aim to do less, but better. fect and challenge the real one. These are just the main issues that the industry will face in the near future, and The other side of the 2020 coin that fashion must address it will have to do so very clearly for millennials to moniis diversity. The systemic racism, which has been ac- tor. In fact, the people who are really pushing the fashion cepted far too long in the US, created conditions for the world to change for the better are the youth, who dream Black Lives Matter movement to protest for change and of a zeitgeist that includes everyone, while doing so conput racism in the global spotlight. The protests escalated sciously and sustainably. during the pandemic, after the brutal and viral murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and many, many more taken lives. Fashion plays a crucial

I nt e r v ie w w it h Kat e S amue l s o n , Fo u n de r o f C H E A P SK A T E L o n do n : He l p i n g Yo u E n j oy L o n do n f o r L e s s He l e n Ku r s t e n - Ho l m e s Staf f Wr ite r

Samuelson is a freelance journalist and Kate the founder of CHEAPSKATE London, a

free weekly newsletter curating the capital’s best free events including film screenings, plays, gigs, talks, workshops and more.

At 26 years old, Kate came up with the concept of CHEAPSKATE London, and since launching the newsletter in May 2019 it has been featured in the Guardian, Time Out and the Evening Standard. CHEAPSKATE has grown to have over 4000 subscribers, with many finding it an invaluable resource that allows everyone to get the best out of London without breaking the bank. Kate Samuelson spoke to Roar about CHEAPSKATE London, her recent collaboration with Thrive LDN, and winning this year’s Print Futures Award and the Rising Star Award.

Roar: Can you tell me a bit about yourself?

Kate: I’m a freelance journalist, I write for places like Stylist, TIME Magazine, where I used to work as a reporter, and I also work for the charity ActionAid. Last year I set up CHEAPSKATE London with a friend as a freelance project. Then, when I had the opportunity to move into a different role at ActionAid and go parttime, I decided to put a lot more effort into the newsletter to try to make it more than just a side hustle.

K: CHEAPSKATE is a free weekly newsletter that lists free events happening in London for the upcoming week, so it’s perfect for students. Events include film screenings, plays, workshops, talks, live music, comedy, and then quirky one-off events as well. That was the format of CHEAPSKATE for about a year, and then lockdown happened… so we decided to pivot and just focus on virtual events. It was a fairly smooth transition, and we got some really nice feedback from subscribers who were saying “it helped them still feel like their weeks had a purpose.”

R: In June, during loneliness awareness week, you collaborated with Thrive LDN, an organisation that seeks to improve the mental health and wellbeing of Londoners. Why did you decide to take part?

K: It felt like a really natural synergy with CHEAPSKATE when we were promoting virtual events, because during lockdown these events were a really positive thing for a lot of people, parR: How did you come up with the concept of ticularly those who lived alone, because it enabled them to feel CHEAPSKATE London? part of a wider community. So, we suggested doing an Instagram takeover, miniK: This year is all about growth, getting the word K: I was living in London and not earning very much out there and getting more subscribers. Next year is going to money, but still wanting to make the most out of the be about bigger plans – but I don’t want to give too much away! amazing things that the city has to offer. But London is also extremely expensive, and I found myself R: What advice would you give to anyone aspiring to start searching for information about free events but not their own company? really finding that much. I spoke to my friend about it and she thought it was a great idea, and it went from K: I’d say, definitely do it, because why not? You’ve got nothing to there. The idea is to make London more accessible to lose. I think, be prepared to put lots of time into it, because what people. There are so many free events happening, but you put into it you get out of it - but there’s nothing more rewardit is really difficult to find one single source listing that ing than doing your own thing and working for yourself. information. Also, some existing sources often promote events that sell out really quickly, but the idea of CHEAPSKATE is that when the newsletter arrives on a Monday, every event is still available to attend.

R: Is it just the two of you running the entire compa- R: What would you say is your connection to the city? ny? Is it difficult?

Why did you decide to promote free events in London?

K: Yeah, and it is hard. There’s a lot to do, and also managing it with our other jobs can be time-consuming. But actually, because it’s our own thing and we really love it, it gives you that push to do it - so you don’t mind doing it on the weekend or in the evening, because you’re really passionate about it and what you put into it you get out of it.

have CHEAPSKATE Amsterdam, CHEAPSKATE Manchester; that would be the dream.

K: That’s a really good question! I’m a Londoner, I was born here and grew up here, went to school here – so I absolutely love the city. I love that it’s so enormous, it’s almost like you have constant FOMO in London because there’s going to be amazing things happening all the time, but it’s hard to find out what they are at times.

Hopefully, one day we’ll franchise, which is why it’s called R: Can you explain to our readers what CHEAP- CHEAPSKATE London and not just CHEAPSKATE, SKATE London is? because the idea is to achieve world domination! And

18 roarnews.co.uk

Wi l l T he C u r t ai n s o f L o n do n ’s We s t E n d R i s e A g ai n ?

Matthew S eaman Staf f Wr ite r

writer Matthew Seaman on how R oar the pandemic has affected theatres

One of which being the famously unconquerable ‘Windmill’, which soldiered through the and its capability of returning from its war. In the same way that social gatherings are wholly incompatible with a highly contagious mass closure. virus, large crowds were also incompatible with the sporadic bombings of the war. Ulti‘Missing Live Theatre’... three words that could mately, the industry had no choice but to cease. be seen plastered across the West End during the lockdown months. But what does that This article should have been filled with advice really mean? Why should we be missing live on how to embrace the city’s theatrical opportheatre? Why is live theatre still missing? I tunities as a first year KCL student. I wanted vividly remember the afternoon that Boris to tell you about the ‘Today Tix’ app, that alJohnson first advised us to ‘avoid theatres’. lows you to get cheap ‘lottery’ and ‘rush’ tickThis was followed by the immediate mass clo- ets at 10am on the day of the show you want sure of productions across the West End. Ac- to see. You would have read about ‘day seats’, tors already in costumes and makeup, stages and queuing to grab front row tickets at reset, audiences travelling into Leicester Square duced prices. I would have also mentioned the and beyond, ready for the 7.30pm start. Six Adelphi, the Savoy and the Vaudeville, all theamonths later, and the curtains are yet to rise. tres situated on the same road as our Strand campus. And I would have told you about the Despite the shock of this international industry perfectly timed Wednesday matinees, which grinding to a halt, this is actually not the first coincided with our timetable-free afternoons. time we’ve seen a closure of this scale. Theatre was jeopardised during the Blitz too. At You may arrive in London to begin your course, the start of the 1940s, twenty two playhouses and still be greeted by a ghost-town, instead of were offering a variety of entertainment in the familiar buzzing theatre-land. But whilst the London. However, within just a week of the surface may seem dormant, rest assured that bebombings, all but two had closed their doors. hind the scenes, it is quite the opposite. Many

individuals are brainstorming ways to safely raise the curtains of West End theatres again, as lockdown measures are eased. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber has been conducting trials with indoor performances to socially distanced audiences.

Similarly, producer Nica Burns is tirelessly exploring ways to bring back her productions, with a recent statement expressing her intention to re-open Everybody’s Talking About Jamie this November, a show which has managed to play safely in South Korea during the pandemic. Not only this, but we have also seen Zoom Q&As with West End actors, streamed concerts, and open-air and drive-in performances.

The bottom line is - there is hope. A new petition calls for chancellor Rishi Sunak and culture secretary Oliver Dowden to design a scheme, similar to the ‘Eat Out To Help Out’ initiative, to encourage us to get back to the theatre. With tens of thousand of signatures, and the government reportedly scheming, there seems to be some reason for optimism.

In these so-called ‘unprecedented times’, we must keep faith. Despite the effect that the Blitz had on the industry, it did bounce back. There were consequences, and many of the effects were

seen for years to come, but it did return. I like to view the Windmill’s persistence and refusal to shut as a sign of hope for the times we now live in. Their resilience, for me, is a parallel to the way the theatre-world is currently adopting new ways to entertain us. Whether that be virtually, or through the way in we are taking advantage of the open-air spaces in our city. Even Battersea’s Turbine Theatre made use of a jetty on the River Thames, to stage a concert version of ‘Hair’.

I cannot stress enough how much the theatre industry needs your support, following this lockdown. Please take any opportunity you can to enjoy the luxury of live theatre, whenever you are able to. There is hope, but the audiences are the real source of security. I just know we can come together to ensure this unique form of entertainment never dies out. Back to The Future: The Musical has already taken over the Adelphi Theatre, in advance of May 2021 previews, and Six: The Musical plans to move into the Lyric Theatre in November of this year, next door to Jamie. I really hope that new students get to experience London’s West End in a similar way to how I did. With some luck, we won’t have to be ‘missing live theatre’ for much longer.

S hake s p e are f o r Snow f lake s b y Ian B u r row s Alex Blank

Cu lt ure E dit or

Culture Editor Alex Blank reviews R oar Ian Burrows’s forthcoming book,

stage. On the one hand, it becomes a prop, while on the other it can also be a symbol, ‘a site for abstract analysis, comparison and discussion,’ and thus an alive and invaluable aspect of it. At the end, it is the audience’s choice how they want to treat the bodies they see, either in real life or on stage, but it seems as if every lens through which we look is a double-edged sword. Is that where slapstick’s allure lies in - in its equivocal nature?

Shakespeare for Snowflakes.

In 2016, Ian Burrows, a lecturer of English Literature in Cambridge University, has introduced trigger warnings in his course on slapsticks bodies and tragedy, which tackles such sensitive topics as sexual assault. The warnings generated plenty of backlash in the media, while portraying the students as separated from real life and unprepared for its hardships. In his upcoming book, Shakespeare for Snowflakes, Burrows argues against those critics, while at the same time reflecting upon the way bodies and human beings are treated as the line between comedy and violence becomes blurred.

Slapstick is a style of humour which revolves around exaggerated physicality and often uses violence in order to generate a comedic effect. Burrows’s book is half scholarly essay on the treatment of those bodies in theatre and reality alike, and half response to the simplistic and inhumane treatment of the ‘snowflake’ generation, with regard to the numerous articles against the course’s trigger warnings.

example used in the book), we cannot escape that. The mentions of YouTube comments under the video of Gove falling prove how uncomfortable we are with our embodiment; so uncomfortable, in fact, that we succumb to mockery and cruelty, as some commentators did, to At times, the book steers a bit too far towards possibly hide our own sense of discomfort and defense against multiple articles criticising the unease by treating the fallen body as an other, professor’s decision to ‘snowflake’ the course. not as someone/something akin to ourselves.

As a result, the numerous good points of the work may get lost along the way, as it becomes By othering the bodies, as Burrows states, we preoccupied with its own raison d’être. None- force them into an ‘aesthetic framework,’ which theless, there is a plethora of insightful ideas may become an act of oppression. The reality to be found in the book, making one reflect on is, we have no control over our bodies. Howthe nature of the way we control and/or dehu- ever, as we sit back and watch someone on stage manise each other through the use of (paro- lose control, our laughter at it gives us a sense dies of) violence and a focus on embodiment. of power; if not over our own bodies, then at least over someone else’s flesh. It is both alienBurrows situates violence and comedy together, ating - as the body on stage becomes othered, as they’re bound by the nature of slapstick. In and connecting - as the laughter reverberates all the ‘Falling’ chapter, he uses the - both real and over the room (and our bodies) when the audifictional - instances of falling and numerous re- ence laughs in unison. As weakness becomes actions to it. Falling is something that reminds comedy, the laughter over it becomes power. us of our own embodiment, as well as our subjection to gravity. Whether we’re an actor on No matter how amusing and escapist this may stage or Michael Gove (whose real-life fall is an sound in theory, treating certain bodies as alien

As one of Shakespeare’s most popular quotes goes: ‘All the world’s a stage/ And all the men and women merely players.’ In the ‘Thaw’ chapter, Burrows compares violent plays to rewind therapy, which forces trauma sufferers to look at what had happened to them from the perspective of an outside observer. Maybe that’s what slapstick can actually teach us: to help distance ourselves from our problems and traumas, even to a small extent? Maybe if we ‘dehumanise’ ourselves on our own terms first, we can disable others from doing so? If we become both the actors and the audience, even us and them become mirrors of can be dangerous. Our behaviours as an audience each other, after all. affect our behaviours as human beings, which Burrows consistently refers to by showing us re- Shakespeare for Snowflakes by Ian Burrows is al-life YouTube comments throughout the book. available to pre-order on John Hunt Publishing’s In the ‘No Two Alike’ chapter, he introduces the website by Zer0 Books. concept of interchangeable personhood, which is often depicted through using doubles, doppelgängers, mirrors of each other. He points out that if two characters are too alike, we don’t have to care about what happens to them as individuals.

Similarly, the snowflakes mentioned in the articles against trigger warnings also appear interchangeable, and are often considered privileged, infantile and weak. As a result, a student who walks out of the lecture theatre due to the personal nature of its content loses all individualism, and instead becomes nothing but a snowflake - a signifier that, when ascribed to a human being, deems one not unique but anonymous.

Besides considering bodies as alien, uncontrollable and dehumanising, the author swiftly introduces treating body as a text. Although it’s a minor part of the book, I believe it encapsulates the inherent paradox of othering a body on

Culture 19

Ho u s e Mu s eum s t o Vi s it W hen i n L o n do n

um s’ Muse n e k c i m sD - Charle Soanes’ Museu n - Sir Joh rd Terrace o ff - 18 Sta

Ally Azyan

Cu lt ure E dit o r

Editor Ally Azizi recommends some of her faC ulture vourite house museums to visit in London.

While I love visiting London’s famous galleries such as the National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain or The British Museum, I prefer to visit house museums. Being surrounded by the objects and furniture that were once used by families from the past gives history lovers a nuanced understanding of what happened centuries ago.

- Charles Dickens’ Museum

- Red H ous - Eltham e, Bexleyheath Palace

A fun fact: Soane’s mausoleum dome roof became the inspira- If you’re a fan of William Morris, the Red House would be perfect tion for the K2 telephone boxes that you see around London! for you. It was co-designed by him and Philip Webb, for Morris and his family. Initially, it was supposed to be their house for From 1 October 2020, they will be open from Thursday to Satur- the rest of his life; however, due to maintenance being too expenday, 11am – 4pm, last admission at 3.30pm. sive, the family decided to relocate to Bloomsbury five years later.

You can book your tickets in advance.

During his time there, many of his friends visited him, including 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3BP. Pre-Raphaelite painters Edward Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. It stayed as a residence until 2002 and was bought by the National Trust in 2003, which has been conserving it since.

- 18 Stafford Terrace The house is currently closed, but in the meantime you can visit their website, where they have further information about the house.

Red House Lane, Bexleyheath, London DA6 8JF.

- Eltham Palace

My volunteering time here was unfortunately cut short by the pandemic. Nonetheless, I enjoyed my duration there. I’m only a casual fan of Charles Dickens, having read a few of his works, but I chose to volunteer in his house simply because I loved his décor. Something that sets this museum apart is its disabled access, where a lift has been installed for those who might have trouble getting around the five floors; it makes the house much more accessible. Dickens lived on 48 Doughty Street for only three years, but they were some of his most productive, having published: The Pickwick Papers (1836), Oliver Twist (1838), Nicholas Nickleby (1838-9) and Barnaby Rudge (1840-1). He lived there with his wife, three of his eldest children and sisterin-law, Mary Hogarth (no, not related to William Hogarth).

Open from Friday to Sunday, 10am last admission at 4pm.

You can book tickets in advance.

48 - 49 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LX.

–

Once the home to Edward and Marion Sambourne, and more recently Antony ‘Tony’ Armstrong, this house is one of the very rare examples of the homes that were part of the Aesthetic movement.

Heavily decorated with William Morris’ wallpaper designs as well as foreign objects coming from the East, the house holds so much valuable history. There are so many objects that it can be hard to manoeuvre around the building, especially with a group. It also gives us a glimpse of how the typical Victorian-era household was like, particularly for women. In one of the rooms, there even remains a guide for housewives – personally, not my cup of tea.

Unfortunately, it is still closed due to the pandemic. You can keep yourself updated with their website.

Alternatively, you can download the app Smartify and search for 5pm, ‘Sambourne House’ which will talk to you through about selected objects and tell stories.

18 Stafford Terrace, London W8 7BH.

- Sir John Soanes’ Museum

- Red House, Bexleyheath

Out of all the house museums listed, this has to be my favourite. It was once home to Medieval monarchs where its great hall remains, built in the 15th century by Edward IV. In the 1930s, it was bought and renovated by millionaires Stephen and Virginia Courtauld, whose décor was inspired by the Art Deco movement. Besides the great hall, everything else was built during the Courtauld’s time there. The room that attracted me the most was the great hall. The fact that a room from the Medieval period was able to survive until now never fails to amaze me – you can almost feel and visualise the events and balls that took place.

If you’re a fan of ghost stories, it has been said that their butler’s spirit still roams the halls of the house, and if you’re lucky, he might just give you a tour of the palace!

Open daily from 11am – 5pm, last admission at 4pm Some rooms will be closed due to social distancing.

You can book your tickets in advance.

Court Yard, London SE9 5QE. I hope you will enjoy your time at King’s and London, even with the ongoing pandemic, as well as visit these house museums when you can. While socially distancing, of course.

If you’re waiting for a class to start at the Virginia Woolf Building, take a trip to 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields (just a left turn after Gregg’s), where Sir John Soane’s house remains. Sir John Soane was a neo-classical architect who travelled around the world collecting antique objects and what were then considered souvenirs of his trips. This house was built in 1808 and had undergone many renovations and expansions during Soane’s lifetime.

It is worth booking a tour here with their friendly guides, who make the visit enjoyable as they talk about some of Soane’s best pieces. If you decide you don’t want a tour, I recommend visiting the Seti sarcophagus – it is simply breathtaking.

20 roarnews.co.uk

T he L e g en d B e h i n d t he C la s s ic “ Mu lan ” S c a r l e t t Yu Staf f Wr ite r

writer Scarlett Yu on the R oar lease of the live adaptation and the legend behind it.

recent re- The Ballad of Mulan, the film features the tumbling of Mulan growth of an honoured warrior’s daughter as she un-

dergoes several trials and hardships along the way, all presented in the form of testing of her loyalty, bravery, and authenticity. Mulan has been highly acclaimed among the masses due to its exquisite portrayal of a woman showing quite a different side of traditional feminine roles, especially in China. Her choice of bravery to be voluntarily enlisted to the army and receive arduous training is, astonishingly, a total subversion of what women were conventionally expected to be in traditional China: vulnerable, quiet, and reserved.

Disney has recently made an announcement about the release of a live adaptation movie, which is based on the legend of “Hua Mulan” in Chinese mythology. The film was released on Disney’s massive joint platform, Disney+, on 4 September 2020, with an additional charge of $30 for premier viewing for subscribers. No clear information has been shared regarding the date in which subscribers could watch without charge, but Disney will be launching the movie in open theatres across countries where Disney+ isn’t available. There has been ongoing controversy over whether Mulan ever existed in real life, or was merely a ficThis live adaptation will be slightly different from the tional heroine from Chinese myths. Yet, despite the Disney animated version that most audiences are fa- uncertainty of her existence, Mulan is indeed one of miliar with. Mulan’s dragon sidekick, Mushu, has been the most legendary female figures in China folklore. removed from the movie due to cultural reasons along An honourable representation of feminine power with most of the songs that appeared in the cartoon. The and strength which has been long denied and confilmmakers made the decisions for a significant purpose, demned in the rigid roots of early Chinese society. as this new live version of Mulan will take a more realistic approach to the story and arouse emotional appeals. Now, as the live adaptation of a Chinese legend has been produced and released for the global audience, it’s What’s the first thing that comes to mind when think- important to refresh one’s memory of its primary stoing of the most well known Chinese folklore? The clas- ryline. Set in the Northern and Southern dynasties of sic romance, The Cowherd and the Weaving Girl, may China, the movie tells the story of an alarmed country be highlighted since it’s the origin of Chinese Valen- being on the verge of war due to the imminent dangers tine’s Day. Yet in terms of acknowledgment levels of a of a threatening enemy from the North. The Emperor wider audience, who couldn’t have recalled the anima- immediately issued a decree ordering one male from tion? Based on the legendary story of Chinese folklore every household to join the Imperial Army to defend

the Northern invaders. Being the eldest daughter of the family while having an ailing father, Mulan perceives the enlistment as a duty of hers to bring honour to the family. Thus, she disguises herself as a man and secretly joins the army to fight against the opposing Huns. As a result, the journey of Mulan’s road to being the legendary heroine begins with a series of intense training and thrilling adventures. The thorny process is meant to bring out her innate strength and uplift her hidden potential as a legendary fighter.

This is the legendary story known among the audiences worldwide. Mulan’s massive production was recorded with a $200 million budget, making it the most expensive Disney live action film ever produced. It was filmed in New Zealand and China, with a full Asian cast. Among them, Chinese-American actress Liu Yifei took on the role of Mulan, followed by a supporting group of respected martial-artist actors, such as Donnie Yen and Jet Li. Having gone through years of deliberate planning and repetitive delays in movie release, Mulan has finally been created, this version being an emotionally stronger portrayal of the development of the protagonist and the world around her. Those who have been waiting for this moment are yet to be once again overwhelmed by the legendary tale of Mulan.

A du l t Men c an b e F * * k b oy s , To o Dania Quadri Staf f Wr ite r

the antagonists F**kboys: of chick flicks, the reasons

D ale ! : F re s he r To t al ly Pre p are d f o r H i s Sp an i s h Mo du le A f t e r L i s t en i n g t o P it b u l l al l Sum me r Jo y c e H i d a Staf f Wr ite r

over, native speakers: Adam Thurston (20) M ove is ready to charm all the senoritas and, more

importantly, the profesora, in an introductory module, 4AASHS01 Spanish Language I, with all the Spanish he picked up from Mr 305 himself.

Mondays through Fridays at 9 a.m. Thurston strolls down Strand, or as he calls it, “KCL’s very own Calle Ocho,” toward Williams Hall. After climbing the stairs up to Floor “Dos,” Thurston greets his classmates with a jubilant “Dale!” before settling into his seat.

Not all of his classmates are impressed, though. Several students have complained that “Tu tiene la boca grande” is NOT an appropriate way to respond to the question “How was your summer?” and his professor is equally disquieted by his random outbursts of “Baila!” or even just “wooooOOOOOOOOOOOOO.” Determined not to waste his talents, Thurston is trying to take the module 5SSG2052: Environment, Society & Geography, where he’ll apply the lessons he learned in Pitbull’s environmentally conscious albums, Global Warming and Climate Change. King’s admin is less than obliging, but Thurston is undeterred. When asked to comment, he lifts his shirt to reveal a tattoo of the lyrics to Timber, and points to the phrase “I’m slicker than an oil spill / she says she won’t, but I bet she will.”

“I’m currently in talks with my advisor to try to get an IR minor based on the knowledge I gained from Pitbull’s 8th studio album, Globalization,” says Thurston, before thrusting his hips in a way that immediately gets him expelled from the University.

drunk girls cry (and laugh) in club toilets, the epitome of a hot mess, and the lad you thought was actually nice.

Unfortunately for heterosexual women, they appear to be the only men who exist in abundance. They’re eager to sweep you off your feet and onto their beds. Their greatest talent? Going incognito.

You can spot the bad boys when they’re speaking to your friends, but when your friends point out that James from Philosophy Bar is oozing toxic behaviours, they’re just being overprotective!

Freshers, you may be thinking: but we’ve left boyz in sixth-form, and entered the age of adult dating and mature men! I’m not sorry to burst your bubbles, but now that you’re at university, a more accurate description would be ‘enter the world of adult f**boys.’ Age is not a prerequisite to join F**kBoyClubTM. I can attest to this. My most recent encounter with a f**kboy involved a 30-year-old man whom I innocently considered a work-place friend. Long story short: when I admitted to having a crush on him, he helpfully clarified that all he wanted was ‘to get you drunk and bang you.’

The silver lining of encountering creeps, however, is that weeding f**kboys out of the flurry of men who hit on me is now a piece of cake. I’m also now

earning millions while studying - Kim K has recently contacted me for advice, now that she may re-enter the dating scene.

So, goddess-of-dating and conqueror-of-respectful-penises, you ask, if age is not a determinant, how do we spot a f**kboy before they spot us? Here are a few signs to look out for:

investigator uttered the word and the book burst into flames.)

5. He thinks being the Usain Bolt of the bedroom is a good thing. He thinks he’s so good he doesn’t check to see if his five-second thrusting did anything for you. Fact-check: you were fully dressed and halfway out the door. Not that he no1. His Tinder bio has a dog in it ticed. He was humping the air – because, you know, you swipe while you watched in horror. right on the dog pic and end up with an unsolicited dick pic. That 6. You find out he is hitting on is the wrong hairy beast to try your lab-partner, flatmate, profesand impress me with, Johnathon! sor and Mila the neighbour, too.

Yes, Nanna Mila, whose most re2. He creeps into your DMs like cent purchase was a new Zimmer Bloody Mary in your bathroom Frame to match her fancy denat 3AM, and magically disap- tures. At least his failed attempts pears the second you ask to meet. at wooing her give her something He has a knack for ghosting even to tell her husband of 60 years. she could never compete with.

7. He proudly proclaims that he 3. When you express ANY emo- is too big for condoms. Classic tion, he will say something he f**kboy recipe: self-aggrandisethinks you want to hear. Your ment seasoned with low self-esemotion doesn’t have to be at- teem, an excruciatingly average traction; it could be stress, bore- personality, and an ego somedom, or even grief. Damn, sure how even bigger than the imsucks about your Gran. At least aginary penis he thinks he has. you got to look at her one last time with those gorgeous eyes xx. So, you see, that leaves you with Raj, whom you enjoyed snogging 4. Your boredom may lead to the at Guy’s Bar but is now sendoccasional sext, and this is im- ing you red roses every day, Ali mediately telling of his inability with cut glass cheekbones and to reciprocate in bed. Interesting- a MAGA laptop sticker, and Jaly, according to F**kBoyBibleTM, cob who is cute, intelligent, a the path to a man’s heart is feminist, and very obviously gay. through his stomach; the path to a woman’s heart is by denying her To conclude with the wise words pleasure! (Note: Our data analyst of an aunty who glared disapreported that the word ‘clitoris’ is provingly at my flirting with the not mentioned even once in this cute cashier in Bilal’s Halal Meat comprehensive document. When Shop – books before boys, beta. researching for this article, a lead

Sport The Sport Team Alfie Wilson Sport Editor Akshat Chandel Staff Writer Bogdan Pietrosanu Staff Writer Louis Jacques Staff Writer Navneet Ramloll Staff Writer

Jonathan Liew, The Guardian

Sept 2020 Sport Editor

21

Alfie Wilson

No, Jo nat han L ie w, t h i s ha s n ’ t b e en a ‘ f ai le d s um me r ’ A l f i e Wi l s o n Sp or t E dit or

Liew’s piece for the GuardJ onathan ian on Tuesday, entitled ‘England re-

2015 being coupled with absolute pastings in the 2013-14 and 2017-18 series, consisttreat into safe and familiar embrace of ent test match victories has surely been the Broad and Anderson’, yet bated by his most prominent issue which England have to fix. By hook or by crook, Joe tweet attaching the article captioned needed Root has finally seemed to have done so.

‘England’s wasted summer’, ruffled many feathers on twitter amongst England fandom (to put it lightly).

This writer was one of, well, seemingly everyone, to take issue with the piece, both due to the more minor details of his piece but more importantly the totally unnecessary, overarching negative tone of a piece which one would hope would celebrate a summer of test cricket which seemed nigh on unimaginable in May. One of Liew’s first details he points out, halfheartedly praising, is that England have now won three straight series for the first time since beating India in 2011 and that they haven’t lost a home series since 2014, before swiftly re-focusing on the patchy form of England’s batsmen and an over-reliance on the ageing bowlers of Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad. Yet, the former point should be a cause for tremendous celebration, not scepticism that it was delivered by an ageing team. Despite winning the Cricket World Cup in 2019, in a decade where success has been inconsistent, for example with Ashes series won in 2013 and

Concerns about the poor form of new spinner Dom Bess, with just 3 wickets in 71 overs, and the fact that half of the top 6 batsmen, namely Rory Burns, Dom Sibley and Root , failed to pass 50 in any of England’s 4 innings vs Pakistan, Burns worst of all with a combined 20 (with an average of 5 this is hardly the form of a 1st man) are certainly valid. But what of the exceptional discovery of Zak Crawley, with his mammoth 267 in the 3rd test, almost totally overshadowing a marvellous innings of 152 for Jos Buttler, a player finally back in best form behind the stumps as well, encapsulated by a spectacular superman catch off Shaheen Afridi in the same test. For the former, aged at just 22 years, if an innings of 267 isn’t enough of a cause for excitement or a source of key discovery, then I don’t know what is. Couple this with a return to form for Ben Stokes and it could be an electric partnership.

certainly isn’t calling for him to be axed, but a criticism that ‘Austria’s batsmen [would be fine dealing with him never mind Australia’s]’ is a ludicrously harsh statement for a player aged 23 just going through a rough patch, where wet weather will have, by and large, butchered spinning conditions. Further, with Bess at age 23 and Leach at 29, isn’t Root doing exactly what Liew is calling for and ‘investing in the future’? More widely, his point seems to be that with Anderson and Broad taking the lion’s share of England’s wickets we have learnt little, yet what if we’ve learnt that Broad is still a phenomenal bowler and can offer this quality for years to come? Surely this is also a positive lesson learned and a reason for excitement?

I’m far from a cricket expert, so perhaps my gripe just comes from a more general problem among many English sports writers- an obsession with focusing on the future when surely winning in the present is surely the first thing that matters. Not just the winning in the present, but also enjoying the sport, which is what sport, in its most distilled essence, is there for. Crawley’s 267, Buttler’s return, Anderson’s 600 and vintage Stuart Broad provide just that. In a summer where it As for the bowlers, although a return for seemed there would be no cricket at all, suremore established spin bowler Jack Leach ly this point is more true than ever before? may be necessary, Bess didn’t just ‘proved his worth’ in South Africa but was totally If you continually focus on the future, you’ll unplayable at times in January (a fifer for never enjoy the fun and success of the prehim on the 3rd day of the 3rd test). Liew sent.

D av id B u r g h le y ; L o rd o f t he Hu rd le s , Pat ro n S ai nt o f t he A mat eu r Ke v a l Na t hw a n i Staf f Wr ite r

centuries, British Sport F or was dominated by a ‘cer-

tain type of Englishman’. The aristocratic amateur who personified, “an ethos that valued fair play and competing simply for the love of the sport”. This ideology was engrained into the English Upper Classes and was an education which began at Public School and culminated in the Universities. The privileged, and those who possessed aristocratic pedigree, dominated the sporting milleu with “full blooded hegemonic amateurism”. The upper classes were advantaged by their ability to afford time and money to compete and train, while people from more modest backgrounds simply couldn’t afford to give up paid work for an indulgence which simply didn’t pay.

However, this structure began to dismantle following the 1936 Olympic Games in Nazi Germany. It became painfully clear from these Games that Hitler was training his athletes as a form of propaganda and as vectors for Nazi ideology. Britain responded with a large scale state sponsored sporting initiative. The British Parliament passed the ‘Physical Training and Recreation Act 1937’ which prompted the ‘National Fitness

Campaign’. This was a concerted attempt to raise British athletes to the new standards expected of the team by the nation. This meant discarding the complacency and sometimes arrogance of the upper class sportsman and replacing it with better funded and better trained professionals.

throughout his career that, “taking part was more important than winning”. This principal tenet of amateurism was a central feature of Burghley’s character. It embodied not only the ideal of sportsmanship but also a sense of authority, prominent among the British establishment.

By the 1950s, journalists began to criticise vigorously the constraints that Amateur rules placed on the ability of Britain’s athletes to flourish. These criticisms were justified by the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki where the Equestrian team were the only British team to win a Gold medal. The total tally of British medals reached only 11.

Nevertheless, Burghley’s career was impressive on all fronts, as a national sporting icon. His most famous accomplishment is probably the completion of the race around Trinity Great Court, Cambridge, before the clock rang 12 times. A feat which is yet to be defeated even today. At 19 he represented Britain in the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, in 1928 he represented Britain in Amsterdam winning Gold in the 400 metres, and in 1932 he won Silver in the 4x400m relay in Los Angeles.

His return from Amsterdam was greeted by the nation with great rejoicing. Burghley went on to claim with characteristic charm, and only slightly facetiously;

As the 1960s and 1970s progressed, it became clear that the amateur sportsman would have to become a dying breed in the face of greater social mobilisation and sporting professionalisation.

Otherwise, Britain would struggle to achieve any serious success in Athletics while she remained committed to Amateur principles. “What a reception! I would rather have faced a hundred chamAmongst all of this monumental pions than a crowd like that.” change stood Lord Burghley, the ‘elder statesman of British Athlet- In 1931 he was elected to Parliaics’, and the inspiration for the ur- ment for the seat of Peterborough bane, clean cut, aristocrat, Lord and is perhaps the only sitting Andrew Lindsay played by Nigel MP to be granted a leave of abHavers in Chariots of Fire. The sence to compete in the Olymconsummate amateur aristocrat, pics, which he did in 1932. Sport Lord Burghley’s credo remained and a powerful sense of pub-

lic service were the two central This manifested itself in his supcharacteristics of Burghley’s life. port for the Soviet Union to host its first Olympic Games in MosAfter leaving active competi- cow in 1980. It was a decision tion he served on the boards of for which he was criticised by the governing bodies of several then Prime Minister Margaret athletics institutions. Like Lord Thatcher who wanted to mainSebastian Coe today, he was the tain sanctions following the Somost influential person in Brit- viet Invasion of Afghanistan. ish Sports administration promoting the plight of the amateur By 1976, Burghley, who had by in all of his labours. His roles now inherited his title as Marincluded the Presidency of the quess of Exeter, had given up all Amateur Athletics Association of his official roles and went into (AAA) and the International a well earned retirement. He did, Amateur Athletics Federation however, remain a member of the (IAAF), as well as Chairman International Olympic Commitof the Organising Committee tee till the day he died. By the end for the 1948 Olympic Games of his life, amateurism had died in London. At the 1948 Open- with him, to be replaced with ing ceremony he proclaimed arrant professionalism. It never with Churchillian bombast, crossed the minds of Burghley or the other establishment members “The hour has struck. A vision- of sports governing bodies that a ary dream has become a glori- serious injustice had been comous reality. […] The clarion call mitted to athletes from modest went forth to all the athletes backgrounds who had to suborof the world. Here today as- dinate to the aristocratic amateur. sembled in this vast [Wemb- Nevertheless, Burghley’s legacy ley] Arena are assembled 6000 as a champion for the amateur as competitors. Here is proof of an ideal and as an accomplished the inherent strength and vital- athlete himself is assured. Not ity of the Olympic Movement.” least through his immortalisation in Chariots of Fire. Today, while He also took on typical establish- it is unlikely that the amateur will ment duties by becoming Gov- ever regain hegemony over the ernor and Commander in Chief professional in sport, the princiof Bermuda from 1943-1945 and ple of playing a sport simply for Lord Rector of the University of the love of the game is one which St Andrews 1950-1952. These never can die as long as there are appointments are emblematic of people to play it.

Burghley’s astute political sense.

22 roarnews.co.uk

T h iem ’s w i n s ig nal s a ne w e r a i n t en n i s A l f i e Wi l s o n Sp or t E ditor

there we have it. The paradox that tennis, the S o,young man’s game, had never had a male grand slam winner born in the 1990s, is over- the stranglehold of Federer, Djokovic and Nadal finally broken on Sunday 13th as Dominic Thiem came back from two sets down to beat Alexander Zverev at the Arthur Ashe stadium to be crowned US Open champion.

Of course, it helped that two of the ‘big three’ didn’t participate- Federer and Nadal withdrawing over a mixture of Covid and injury fears, perhaps wary of their stature as role models in the game after Djokovic’s disaster in testing positive for Covid-19 after hosting a tennis tour across Eastern Europe in June (in which the two finalists, Thiem and Zverev, also competed). As for Djokovic, he was the red hot favourite going into the tournament, where anything other than a Djokovic vs Thiem/Medvedev final seemed impossible, and was imperious form up until the fourth round, dropping just the one set to the mercurial Kyle Edmund in a tiebreak. Rules are rules, but his disqualification in the round of 16 to Pablo Carreño Busta for accidentally striking a line judge was harsh. However, this meant that the final eight smelt blood, and where, at least the short-term talk of the future of male grand slams, began to change.

further in the semi against Carreño Busta, who surprisingly knocked out Denis Shapovalov in the quarter, going through in 5 sets after a pitiful opening two sets. Such inconsistencies would strongly set the tone for the final. The other side of the draw would prove even more enlightening, however. Daniil Medvedev dispatched of compatriot Andrey Rublev far easier than expected, winning in straight sets. Admittedly two of these were on a tiebreak, but there was no period of the game where anything other than a comfortable win for Medvedev seemed plausible, stretching Rublev along the baseline with his aggressive crosscourt forehands. Thiem dispatched of Alex de Minaur in the other, meaning that the Medvedev Thiem semi felt like the real final. Having dropped one set between them before this stage (Thiem against Marin Čilić), an even game and potential five setter seemed likely, but Thiem won the points at the key moments to set up the final against Zverev.

The predictions of the final were quite consistent- Thiem, after losing three slam finals previous, winning one set more than the last each time, had the experience of the big game which Zverev, competing in his first final, didn’t. After all, Thiem had taken the king of hard-court tennis, Djokovic, to five sets in the Australian Open in February 2020 and could have and probably should have won. Moreover, Thiem’s confidence seemed to be through the roof, growing in strength as the tournament progressed, typified by his signature play of luring his opponent into setting him up for backhand which he would rip down the near line. Yet the opening two Alex Zverev struggled and battled against Borna Ćorić, sets didn’t follow this narrative- quite the opposite; Thiem eventually going on to win in 4 sets, before struggling completely froze and looked extremely tense, later admitting

to nerves swelling him up, given that this was his first slam final where he was favourite in. Conversely, Zverev stayed calm, allowing Thiem to make unforced errors and unnerving Thiem further through his typical aggression. Losing the first two sets in this manner, everyone was waiting for Thiem to finally snap into action, which he duly did in the third and fourth sets, putting Zverev’s mettle to the test in a tournament where it hadn’t been truly tested- yes he had dropped a few sets, but none of his opponents up until the final were ranked above 20th in the world. The final set was, disappointingly, a battle of the bottle-jobs, both men being broken twice and then breaking immediately back after a series of unforced error, the final ending in a suitable manner with Thiem winning a gruelling tie break from an unforced error.

It was such a disappointing way for such a monumental moment in men’s tennis to occur- without one being emphatic and without fans. But no man deserves it more than Thiemthe man who has ran the big three the closest over the course of the four-slam period. Although no-one is yet to truly challenge their stranglehold at Wimbledon, the signs point to the fact that this may have occurred this summer. Medvedev and Zverev have also now got slam finals under their belt, and there have now been four male grand slam finals in a row where it has gone to five sets, showing the gap is shortening.

The King of the Clay will return this autumn to retain his French Open crown, but Thiem will more than fancy his chances at Roland Garros. They will likely be on the same side of the draw, thus denying us of a fascination final. But in the 2018 and 2019 finals between these two opponents, Thiem has given Nadal a run for his money- and now the monkey is off his back after winning his maiden slam title and breaking their stranglehold, Thiem will be fearless in playing his own game.

And not just him- the other members of the new wave have now seen that the stranglehold can be broken, and in seeing so, men’s slam tennis has changed forever. 2020 will be remembered as the start of the new era.

St at e o f Sp o r t at K i n g ’s 2 0 2 0 / 2 1 : A l l yo u ne e d t o k now A l f i e Wi l s o n Sp o r t E dit o r

students gradually coming back to London at Intra-Mural leagues to have sport with-in a KCL bub- sessions of 45 minutes so that they can sanitise the surfaces.

W ith and King’s over the course of September, many, ble, to add more intra-university fixtures. Despite the absence of competitive fixtures until January in many instances, the HOP sports ground will be open for training bookings, with the New Malden sports ground already open. Teams shouldn’t need to unofficial friendlies in a local park. In addition, for KCL and GKT Football and Lacrosse teams, Wednesday and Saturday BUCS/LUSL fixtures should still be secure at The Griffin in Dulwich Thankfully, the situation is not as bad as feared when BUCS (Griff), as far as people high up are aware, such as fixture announced that there would be no competitive leagues coordinator Alex Cole, KCL have still not sold the facility until January. Furthermore, for the more casual active and is still under their ownership for the upcoming year. people at King’s, King’s Sport, their gyms and the BeActive programme all aim to be in more or less full swing by As for Sports Nights on Wednesdays at The Vault and Guy’s the end of September. Hopefully, this provides a compre- Bar, Guy’s Bar have announced that a loyalty system will be hensive outlook on the state of sport at King’s for the rest in place to allocate teams to seating to comply with social of 2020. Roar will provide more updates as they come in. distancing restrictions. This will work on purchasing a yearlong ticket, for the price of £10, and the number of memberSports Fixtures, Sports Nights and King’s Sport ships sold per club will correlate with the amount of seating they are given. It will be down to the club who attends each Certain fixtures will be going ahead before Christmas, week with the number of tables allocated. The Vault are yet to despite the announcement from BUCS that competitive make an announcement on the matter, but it is likely they’ll leagues wouldn’t start until January. BUCS have said they adopt a similar system. The Vault re-opens on the 14th Separe looking to deliver some in-person events towards the tember in its usual capacity, with social distancing measures. end of first term, which includes the possibility of friendly leagues in various sports such as football and rugby (though Regarding wider King’s Sport issues, campus and residence surely a friendly league wouldn’t be particularly friendly). gyms are gradually re-opening. As of the 17th of August, They have also looking at running friendly LUSL leagues Strand Gym has re-opened, with other gyms planned to refor weekend fixtures. Some BUCS clubs that also compete open on the 14th September in line with the academic year. in local leagues, although this is very rare if non-existent In August, they will run reduced opening hours from 08:00 – for KCL, will also look to start soon as well. Elsewhere, 20:00 on weekdays and closed at weekends. They expect to exnon-BUCS clubs are delivering activity to the normal aca- tend these opening times back to 07:00 – 22:00 in September demic time-frame – 28/09-16/12 and 11/01-31/03. Their but will review these based on gym usage throughout Term offer will consist of in person sessions where possible. 1. The number of people in the gym at any given time will King’s Sport will facilitate as many bookings as possible comply with social distancing measures. Members will be reto arrange inter-university friendlies and will also look quired to book their slot, any time from 3 days in advance, for

including myself, are wondering whether another casualty of the long-term effects of the Covid-19 pandemic will be the sporting life of students. It was certainly the facet of my time at university which dominated my first-year thinking, for better or for worse.

BeActive

BeActive are endeavouring to keep the 2020/21 as similar to last year (pre Covid) as possible. They have learnt from their popular free online timetable over the summer that peoples exercise habits have changed during Covid, and in addition to the general BeActive programme, Kings move (rewards app), performance sport and active wellness scheme they will also be adding an extensive online timetable that is available to the whole King’s community for free this year. So, hopefully there is something for everyone regardless of their exercise preferences or confidence around Covid restrictions.

Ballet Barre, Zumba and Pilates, their most popular gym class timetables, will likely be full again for the upcoming year. The BeActive programme with recreational sports such as netball and badminton will also likely stay extremely popular. The Yoga and Pilates will be done both in person and online, both with strong attendances. Though The Great King’s Run is yet to be confirmed, the addition of the virtual run this year had over 700 participants, showing both its adaptability and popularity. More of the same is expected this year.

Crucially, given that all students in halls of residence have a BeActive membership included, they will be ensuring those living in halls have great access to a range of activities both within their halls, across London and online. For the first part of term 1, to ensure there are great sessions available that are Covid compliant we will be utilising some of the great outdoor spaces at both halls of residences and campus courtyards, such as those at Stamford and Great Dover Street.

Utmost thanks to Zak Evans from King’s Sport, Ryan Hunt of BeActive, and fixture coordinator Alex Cole for their input, without whom this piece would not have been possible.

A me r ic a ’s Sp o r t s St ar s Sit O u t

S a m u e l Pe n n i f o l d Po d c a s t E dit o r

four years ago to the day Colin The NHL was the only major American be needed, every single player who has decid- coaches and governors. As well as agreeAlmost Kaepernick first sat during the national sports league to not immediately postpone ed to not play is fulfilling their patriotic duty. ing to convert all stadiums into voting staanthem in an NFL game, that sit became a fixtures in the wake of Jacob Blake’s shootkneel and that kneel became a movement. ing. Matt Duma, the first NHL player to kneel during the national anthem, called Days after Jacob Blake was heartlessly and it “sad and disheartening” to see the NHL ruthlessly shot seven times in the back by “last to the party on these topics” again. a police officer, NBA, WNBA, MLB, and MLS players are using Kaepernick as in- Kenny Smith, former NBA player, and curspiration to temporarily sit out entirely of rent TNT analyst was one of many journalgames. The Detroit Lions and Washington ists to gave emotional statements conveyFootball Team, formerly the Washington ing horror and disappointment. Though Redskins until only recently, of the NFL most telling of all, not surprise. He later have also suspended their teams training walked off the set during the live broadcamps with more teams suspected to fol- cast in solidarity with the NBA playlow. In the NBA this is particularly poignant ers and other sportsmen and women. timing as it comes in the middle of one of the most hotly contested playoffs in years. Four years ago when Kaepernick knelt during the anthem debate raged across American The message made is clear and power- sports media over the rightness or wrongness ful, especially in the NBA where the vast of his actions, with many asking if what he majority of players are black and the did was patriotic? Kaepernick ultimately lost vast majority of team owners are white, his job as the Quarterback of the SanFrancissports cannot continue whilst black peo- co 49ers and has never made it back into the ple are unlawfully shot by the police. league. Today though no such debate should

The NBA has now held talks among the remaining teams and decided to finish the season. Lebron James, arguably the greatest athlete ever let alone basketball player and the man who Laura Ingraham famously told to “shut up and dribble”, with the rest of the LA Lakers and the LA Clippers originally were the only two teams to not want to continue the season. Other players like Draymond Green, of the Golden State Warriors who are not in the playoffs, have said that to suspend the season would have taken away the platform of players to make a change and take a stance.

tions in the up coming General election and create advertising space in the remaining playoff games to promote civic engagement with local and national elections.

As the season comes to a close all the players and staff will continue to make such statements and support the fight for racial inequality. It is expected that other sports will follow. Whilst only a few games will have been lost in total now, it is clear the message and a precedent has been set.

Four years ago Colin Kaepernick ended his career by kneeling during the American National Anthem to protest police brutality. His actions were beyond brave and have inspired America sports men and women to take the stands they do today.

The NBA has so far allowed all of its players to add statements on social justice to their jerseys alongside their names for the playoffs, with many choosing statements such as “Equality” or “Say her name”, concerning the killing of Breonna Taylor. After One hopes his actions continue to empower the player strike the NBA has now agreed sportsmen and women into the future to deto set up a social justice collation of players, mand justice and end racial inequality.

Sport

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SP E C I A L PR E V I E W : T he Sp o r t s Te am ’s 2 0 2 0 / 2 1 L o n do n S e a s o n Pre v ie w A l f i e Wi l s o n Sp or t E ditor

Akshat Chandel Staf f Wr ite r

Na v n e e t R a m l o l l Staf f Wr it e r

we are, opening weekend, So,andhere the Sports Team thought we’d

to his ears. The goals and creativity will have CHAMPIONSHIP to diversify if Palace are to beat the drop, treat you with a bumper preview of but the tools are there for them to do it. Brentford

all of the London Clubs in the Foot- Prediction: 17th- survival, but it’ll go down ball League ahead of the new season. to the wire.

So sit back, enjoy, and get ready for merry-go-round, and hopefully fans Fulham will arrive at some stage.

PREMIER LEAGUE Arsenal Last season was mixed for the Gunners as they finished 8th – their lowest league position since 1995 – but knocked out Man City and Chelsea en route to their fourteenth FA Cup title. Manager Mikel Arteta will hope that the huge defensive problems will be resolved through the arrivals of Magalhaes from Lille and Saliba from Saint-Etienne, with Mari and Cedric’s loan moves also being made permanent. While pressure is on Pepe to try to further justify the £72m price tag and not get benched by the experienced Willian, Aubameyang is set to be Arsenal’s main man for the third season in a row and will look to add on to the 54 goals scored since joining in February 2018 – no player has scored more in the league since his arrival. Arteta will have to strengthen the midfield to get his team into the title race, notably by buying a strong and disciplined defensive midfielder. As it stands, Arsenal should be able to fight for the top four but without reinforcements, only 5th place seems likely.

Prediction: 4th- the quality Arteta has shown as a manager could sneak them in Chelsea Chelsea have had perhaps the most exciting transfer window of all time. The best player in the Eredivisie, England’s starting left-back, the Bundesliga’s hottest prospect, the captain of Brazil and arguably the most promising centre midfielder in the world have all come in over the summer spending spree. The signings of Ziyech, Havertz and Werner have bulked out the attack even more, adding to the quality already there, especially in young academy prospects Callum Hudson-Odoi and poacher Tammy Abraham. However, despite the rearguard additions of Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell, questions linger over manager Frank Lampard’s ability to turn quality defenders into a quality unit, having dabbled with a mixture of selections and formations to finally find solidity. Alas, this has not yet arrived, and Chelsea fans will be anxious to see if Lampard can finally create a long-term, cohesive solution. That said, the firepower in attacking areas should allow Chelsea to pummel sides they dominate, meaning they’ll improve on last season’s relatively disappointing point haul of 66.

Prediction: 3rd- Champions League qualification and comfortably so, but just short of a title challenge.

Crystal Palace

Bryan’s heroic brace from left-back in the Promotion play-offs got Fulham back to the promised land. They have in Mitrovic a very solid striker who scored 26 goals last season in the Championship and who has the experience of three Prem’ seasons spent with Newcastle. Areola’s signature on loan should also reassure Fulham fans on their ability to attract “big” names. Unfortunately, a very difficult season awaits now. The Cottagers lack a true number 10 to create chances for Parker’s boys and they would also benefit from buying a quality winger to provide Mitrovic with crosses. The defence also needs reinforcements if Fulham hopes to cope with some of the best forwards in the world. It will be hard to survive in the Premier League with their non-existent squad depth but with a bit of luck and hope on Mitrovic, there might be a chance.

Prediction: 20th- relegation; an unproven manager with an average squad will struggle.

Tottenham A late surge “thanks” to Covid-19 and Kane’s recovery meant that Spurs were able to get 6th, however Jose Mourinho still has much to worry about since losing Eriksen.

Spurs’ overreliance on Harry Kane was made obvious when the striker missed two months of football through injury, leading to the team only winning three out of nine games from January to March. A lot will be expected from Højbjerg’s purchase particularly in terms of ball recoveries and interceptions – an area absolutely vital to Mourinho’s style of play. His addition to the squad should complement an otherwise forward-thinking team with rapid wingers such as Son and Bergwijn. Højbjerg’s presence should also allow fellow midfielders Winks, Sissoko or Lo Celso to push forward more often and create chances for Kane. Overall, Tottenham seems to lack the quality to challenge for the top spots and looks set to compete for the Europa League places, but Mourinho is full of surprises.

LEAGUE ONE Charlton Athletic

No side in the EFL was a worse record in the playoffs than Brentford, and it only continued for them last season, bottling automatic promotion and then losing the playoff final in ironic fashion in extra time to West London rivals Fulham. Their squad has not been as decimated as expected, the only true notable exit being that of Ollie Watkins to Aston Villa for a rumoured £28 million. As ever though, the Bees have mitigated the potential for a hangover by swiftly replacing sold men, in this case bringing in League One’s best player last season in Ivan Toney to fill his shoes. Around him, other young talent will only continue to improve, with Shandon Baptiste and Halil Dervişoğlu poised to have breakout seasons. Their mean defence under Frank has remained the same, with all members of the back four staying, leading to further solidity. The Bees will be expected, and likely will, get it right this time.

Charlton’s ownership issues reached their nadir during 2020, with the club potentially facing administration. However, with the arrival of Thomas Sandgaard on the scene there does seem to be light at the end of the tunnel. Though 19/20 did ultimately end in disappointment there were signs of encouragement. Good form was shown early in the season, and Charlton showed good form early on. Lee Bowyer is loved by Charlton fans and, in my eyes, he has demonstrated both the tactical nous and man management of a manager well beyond his years.

Charlton have lost the likes of Lyle Taylor, Tom Lockyer and Naby Sarr. Nevertheless, they still have a squad which can thrive at League 1 level. Macauley Bonne and Conor Washington are capable of firing prolifically at this level. Charlton also have creativity in midfield springing from Jonny Williams and Erhun Oztumer. Charlton are lacking numbers in defence, a problem which they hope to mitigate by the end of the transfer winPrediction: 2nd, automatic promotion, dow. All in all, Charlton fans can expect a top leading to Brentford’s return to the top half finish, with a potential for the playoffs. flight for the first time in over 70 years.

Prediction: Sandgaard takeover- promotion, Millwall otherwise- god knows.

The appointment of Gary Rowett after the departure of Neil Harris inspired Millwall to an 8th place finish, exceeding virtually all expectations. With a squad largely intact going into the season and Rowett firmly committed to the club it is expected that the club will finish around the play off places and may have an outside chance of making the cut.

Millwall are built upon a solid and experienced defence with the likes of Jake Cooper and Murray Wallace. They also have a match winner in Jed Wallace whose dynamism and creativity on the wing coupled with his shooting ability make him a real threat.

AFC Wimbledon Two questions dominate the conversation over the Wombles for the upcoming season, 1- can they survive in League One against the odds again, and 2- when will they finally move into Plough Lane? As for the first, had the season continued, their poor turn of form may have been pounced upon by an up and coming Tranmere, so they must guard against complacency and stick to their hardworking style which has got them so far up the pyramid. They’ll need Joe Pigott to bang in the goals again but have made some very shrewd loan signings from the Championship such as Connal Trueman and Jaakko Oksanen.

The move to Plough Lane, planned for October, may galvanise them but without the fans there to thrive off it, it may be somewhat moot initially. Either way, they face a very difficult challenge to beat the drop and may rely on further shambolic finances at other League One clubs to bail them out.

Millwall’s greatest asset, however, is their manager Gary Rowett. His ability to adapt his team’s strengths to best exploit the opposition’s weaknesses will always keep Millwall in contention. This is demonstrated

by Millwall taking points from teams such as Brentford, Cardiff and Preston. Millwall can beat teams who finished below them last season and as long as they can keep getting results against the high-flying sides they’ll always be in contention. League Prediction: 21st, relegation

Prediction: 5th- after gradual improve- Prediction: 7th, just missing out on playoffs LEAGUE TWO ment under Mou, a focus on the Europa League may hinder league form.

QPR Leyton Orient West Ham Ah, here we are, Basket Case FC. West Ham are a shambles both on the pitch and off; Moyes’ ad hoc tactics are matched by an inconsistent transfer on the pitch which resembles a kid in a sweet shop. By and large, flash singings made in previous years of Felipe Anderson, Andriy Yarmolenko and Sébastien Haller have failed to deliver, and it is instead the more frugal, sensible signings that have kept them afloat in the Prem, such as Issa Diop but also January additions Tomáš Souček and Jarrod Bowen.

Moyes will have to come across a clear and consistent starting XI, with a clear identity, if he’s to steer the Hammers clear of a relegation battle. However, with a deep, messy squad, with mercurial temptations in many areas, coupled with the practical approach of Moyes, this seems an unlikely scenario, and a season of confusing tactics and selections seems probable again. This time round, it may cost them dearly.

There are three certainties in life- death, taxes and QPR ending up in the mid table mire. Last season, aspirations of playoffs quickly turned into relegation fears, turning into promotion hopes again before being dashed in dramatic fashion. The drama has continued over the summer- star man Ebere Eze being sold to fellow London club Crystal Palace has left Rangers looking nervously over their shoulder as they look to fill the newfound creative void. That said, there are players already there that could already take up the mantle, including Ilias Chair and tricky winger Bright Osayi-Samuel.

New number nine Lyndon Dykes is already off the mark for Scotland, and so Warburton will hope that he can continue this vein at Loftus Road. The signing of ball playing centre back Rob Dickie from Oxford will ease defensive concerns. However, the lack of consistent quality throughout the squad will lead to inconsistent performances, exacerbated by the streaky nature of Warburton.

A dismal run of form under Roy Hodgson post-lockdown has left Palace fans sweating- the dismal results coupled with a cripplingly ageing squad and a lack of diverse creativity exacerbating this. However, there is light at the end of tunnel. A solid transfer window has renewed optimism, despite lingering questions over Hodgson’s longterm plans. Right back Nathan Ferguson has come to rejuvenate a defence lacking in pace and technique, both of which Ferguson offers in abundance. The key signPrediction: 20th, survival, but in the clusing however has undoubtedly been Ebere Eze, arguably the Championship’s hottest Prediction: 18th- relegation, with off- ter of sides in the relegation dogfight prospect whom Palace have picked up for a pitch matters creating an even more toxrelative snip at just over £20 million. He will ic atmosphere than normal. likely slot into the number 10 role in Hodgson’s 4-4-1-1 behind Jordan Ayew, a striker lacking in clinical finishing, so news of a consistent creator behind him will be music

Last season unfortunately became somewhat of a write-off for the Os, their optimism on the back of their promotion back to the EFL in 2019 shattered by the tragic and unexpected passing of manager Justin Edinburgh after the summer. Survival became the objective and was duly achieved, though not a particularly taxing task given how difficult it is to be relegated from League Two. An improvement may be expected this season, but it seems difficult to see drastic change, due to unknown entity in first-time manager Ross Embleton. That said, there are some players who belong at the top end of the division, notably Chilean goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux and exciting young winger Jordan Maguire-Drew, so will be banking on them to make the difference. These factors balancing each other out into a mid-table finish looks likely.

Prediction: 18th, avoid relegation fight but never push top half either.

For more footy talk from the Sports Team, be sure to listen to the weekly podcast the Kingsway Kickabout, on KCL Radio and on Soundcloud. Just search “Kingsway Kickabout”.

K i n g ’s St u dent S at i s f ac t io n : “ Mo s t ly en j oya b le b e f o re C ov id h it ” Alexia R adu Staf f Wr ite r

College London saw a 2.9% drop in student King’s satisfaction, according to the National Student Survey published last month.

The survey comprises responses by final year students and is published annually. Overall, student satisfaction decreased from 80.4% to 77.5% this year, bringing the reputable university 5.2% below the average score in the sector. But what might the reason behind this change be? We decided to investigate further and ask students across all years about their experiences, in the belief that student satisfaction can’t be described in numbers alone.

Overall experience On the bright side, first-year students tended to be happy with their experiences at King’s thus far. Many students enjoyed the diversity they were surrounded by, as well as the activities provided by the KCLSU. A first-year Classics student told us his experience was “mostly enjoyable before Covid hit”, and others agreed. Matilda, a History student, spoke to us about how she felt communication between the university’s administration team and students in regards to the Coronavirus was lacking, although she admits King’s was not entirely to blame.

In general, we observed that the management of the Coronavirus situation left students unhappy due to uncertainty and little notice about future plans. A third-year Philosophy student, who wished to remain anonymous, summed up the issue, explaining that there was a “lack of transparency and urgency in terms of providing key information via email” during the outbreak of the pandemic which made an already unprecedented experience more difficult than it needed to be.

Study Spaces and Admin

Teaching and Community

Apart from factors outside of the control of the university such as the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, the biggest concern amongst most students were study spaces and the institution’s administrative team. Most students we interviewed feel they don’t have enough study spaces, and that the university does not take this concern into consideration. Biomedicine students have constantly raised this issue and feel neglected.

One of them spoke to us about this issue, saying “the university is increasing the number of students it accepts without expanding the study space available.” The students generally admit this is making this overcrowding situation even more difficult. We still ought to find out how they are going to manage the overcrowding of students with the new restrictions placed by the pandemic.

Regarding the quality of teaching, however, we saw a very positive response. Students think that they benefit from highquality instruction, and they have a strong bond with their teachers. However, some were dissatisfied with the amount of strikes last year, which led to a “lack of teaching”. This is especially true for students who just finished their third year at King’s, as two-thirds of their time at university was disrupted by strikes.

In terms of admin, students were not satisfied with the way timetabling is organised, as well as with tuition fee refunds.

Another downside mentioned was the experience of King’s Residences, which had a rough year even before the Covid-19 pandemic. Matilda described King’s Residences as “very spread out and expensive in comparison to UCL/SOAS”, while another first-year History student also told us about her experience with the university accommodation system: “It was extremely stressful securing a room at King’s Residences for my second year.

We also asked students whether they felt a sense of community on campus. An undergraduate at Strand, who wished to remain anonymous, admitted that living in the centre of London can be estranging at times. Another student described Strand as “isolating and lonely”. The campus experience at King’s is not all negative, however. This is especially true for Guy’s campus, where students seemed to feel a greater sense of community as opposed to Strand. A Biomedicine student described Guy’s campus as “sociable and feels like a proper campus, lots of medic camaraderie. Lots of diversity”. This may be due to the different locations of the campuses, with Guy’s far more sheltered and enclosed than campuses such as Strand or Waterloo.

This testimony should not be discouraging for new students.

Life at King’s is unique, and each student’s experience will differ somewhat from that of their peers. However, there are a lot “The new accommodation system is very unfair and it is of things the university has to work on if it wishes to satisfy based on pure luck and a good internet speed. The university all its students. From building a greater sense of community should heavily revise their system, as it is extremely discourat Strand campus, to increasing study spaces at Guy’s, we’re aging not only for returning students, but also for new stulooking forward to seeing what actions the institution will dents at King’s. I spoke to a lot of upcoming first-year students take. We know making these changes can be challenging, but and securing a room caused them a lot of distress. KCL has to we also believe it is detrimental to listen to the students’ voices remember that King’s Residences is one of the new student’s in order to allow everyone to experience university fully! first interactions with the university. You don’t want to give prospective students a bad experience even before they start university.”

L i v e s o f t he I nc arc e r at e d C r it iq ue s o f an E x - C o c ai ne D e ale r L aura Maxwell Staf f Wr ite r

n the second interview of her new seIchanges ries, Roar writer Laura Maxwell exletters with a Texan prisoner to

*Since the 1970s, there has been increasing opposition to drug treatment in state prisons. Many have prioritised prison construction and maintenance over drug rehabilitation, despite statistics showing that inmates who are given consistent resources of rehabilitation *DWI stands for Driving While Intoxicat- are significantly less likely to re-offend. ed. Sentencing for DWI’s increase significantly if you have been caught more than R: Since the outbreak of Covid-19 how once. For example, in California, you can has your life in prison changed? serve up to 6 months in jail if caught driving under the influence initially. If caught DB: Since Covid-19 we’ve had no recagain, this sentence can increase up to be- reation, no visitation – both of which tween 1 to 4 years. According to the Pris- are very important. We’ve been conon Policy Initiative website, as of 2020, fined to our cells to social distance. there are 25,000 inmates currently serv- We also don’t know what will happen ing time in state prisons for DWI offences. if the virus comes in. Can’t see these people caring for us. So it’s scary, 1400 *As it stands, Texas currently holds some men praying no officer brings it in. of the harshest and strictest sentencing of all 50 states. If a convict is given a life R: How do you feel about yourself as a sentence, they are only eligible for pa- person and the crime you’ve been conrole once they have served the equivalent victed of? of 40 years in prison. Regarding illegal drugs, possession of 28 grams or more DB: I am sad that I was selfish and lazy. of a Group 3 substance, generally mean- I gave up on being positive to get fast ing any depressant drug that can be used money. I put a lifestyle in front of my abusively, is punishable by jail of up to 99 family, and it cost me my family. I just years as well as a fine of up to $10,000. thank God that I have another opportunity to go out and do right. I broke the R: Do you think there is room for im- law so I accept that I put myself here provement in the American jail system? and I shouldn’t have been selling drugs.

They are wrong and I accept I broke the law to get paid, but 30 years? [If] you rape or molest [someone] ... you get 4-5 years learn about his time behind bars during and go home. You destroy kids and get the Covid-19 pandemic and his broad- right out. So, they need to try and change er view of the American prison system. people’s way of thinking, so they stay out.

Since the publication of my first article, I have received several more letters from those serving time in prison across the United States.

Dominique Betancourt is a 37-yearold man serving up to 30 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for the possession and distribution of cocaine. Information providing further context has been italicised. __________________________ Roar: How would you describe your spare time in prison so far?

Dominique Betancourt: Very eye-opening. Very painful due to my leaving 2 small children out there. Very humbling.

I work in the kitchen for 5 hours a day then I come in and work out. After that… I shower and read. Same routine every day.

R: Do you think prisons should place more emphasis on punishment or rehabilitation?

DB: There is a great deal of room for improvement, I promise. All these prisDB: Prison rehabilitation is a joke. ons, all this money. It is coming back in.

You have 140,000 inmates and you Know if you have no money you get 5 don’t even have 10 units that offer green soups a week. A roll of toilet padrug treatment. You only have one for per and a razor. One toothpaste a month.

DWI*. So that makes 5,000 inmates A grown man, all this money. Drug getting treatment. Does that add up? treatment*, sex offender treatment, alcohol, anger management, schools, Texas is all about punishing you, not college, real job training. They have keeping you put and helping you change. this but it’s not in reach of a lot of us.

I have 30 years for ecstasy and cocaine*.

no money, no voice – so now people are rising up. I pray for equal rights and prison reform. I hope it’s not just talk.

Politics is a joke. It should be what’s right for the people, not Republican or Democrat. No one will stand up to Trump as he promotes hate and he’s the most powerful man in the world.

That’s sad because he could unify but he’s not focused on that…we have very little representation in America in regards to the things that go on in here and that includes people of all colours.

I feel on an overall level it’s them against us, and not necessarily black and white.

[But] why does [the] U.S.A have the largest incarcerated population in the world, when China and India have over a billion people? How do you justify that? [Or] that black people make up 35 per cent of those people despite being only 12 per cent of the population? Nobody wants to address that.

R: Where do you see yourself once you’ve served your time in prison?

DB: I have a lot of faith in myself. I believe this is only a chapter in the book of my life. I believe God has a plan for me and this isn’t it. I have a lot of confidence that I’m going to use R: To what extent do you think racism this to help people change their life. alters the prison experience, and have you noticed any difference since the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ killing of George Floyd?

On a personal note, I urge anyone interDB: The George Floyd incident was sad. ested in getting in contact with someTo see four human beings kill someone one serving time in an American prison in front of others and for no one to do to do so. In these unprecedented times anything. To me, the colour doesn’t mat- where visitation and recreational activity ter. It’s officers against us. He could have has been severely limited in American been any colour. The police don’t have jails, it is more important than ever to the right to kill. Blacks get that a lot – but reach out to the incarcerated.