Roar News - September 2021

ROAR

SEPTEMBER 2021

King’s Colleg ge London’s muiti award-winning tabloid

Workers laying Astroturf in front of St Mary le Strand

SAY HELLO TO THE NEW STRAND CAMPUS! The time of dodging buses and taxis on your way across the road to Bush House is over - Strand is finally getting the pedestrianised campus space it deserves. Roar sat down with several of the initiative’s organisers to talk about what the next several years will look like for the original home of our university.

FULL STORY — PAGE 3

OUR GO-TO GUIDES FOR THE BEST SPOTS IN LONDON

PAGE 16 THE TYPES OF PEOPLE YOU WILL MEET AT FRESHERS’ PAGES 14-15

SHITIJ KAPUR: A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Excerpt on back cover, full version on our website

‘I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO LEAVE’ Ex-student failed by King’s sexual misconduct regulations for three years straight PAGES 6-7

EXCLUSIVE!

LEAKED FEC DOCUMENTS REVEAL KING’S FUTURE PLANS

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RUNNER-UP FOR BEST

THAT’S US, FINALLY BACK ON CAMPUS

PUBLICATION IN THE 2021 LONDON SPARC AWARDS

meet the editorial team Editor-In-Chief

president@roarnews.co.uk Marino Unger-Verna

Deputy Editor

editor@roarnews.co.uk Shuprima Guha

News Editors

news@roarnews.co.uk Asher Gibson Imogen Dixon Samuel Teale Chadwick

Comment Editors

comment@roarnews.co.uk Hanna Pham Sam Pennifold

Culture Editors

culture@roarnews.co.uk Ally Azizi Alex Blank

Features Editor

A note from the Editor-in-Chief

editor@roarnews.co.uk Ishaan Rahman

Here we are again: another year, another wave of fresh faces to get used to.

sport.roarnews@gmail.com Alfie Wilson

Not all of those faces belong to first years, though. Many are second years, on campus for the first time after a seemingly endless stretch of Teams seminars and repeat disappointments. Still others will return to their common rooms after more than eighteen months away. When they left back in the ancient days of March 2020, none of them knew when they would be returning. Some - those who graduated into a chaotic world from the unfortunate comfort of their own homes - never did.

Sport Editor

Print Design Team

Nicole Soh (lead) Maya Bajpai Thanaporn Prayoonrat Tara Gandhi

Social Media Lead Nikita Dahiya

Head of Finance Aman Patel

Head of Ads & Sales Aanchal Jain

clarifications and corrections Roar aims to have the highest editorial standards in the paper and on digital. You can help us by letting us know if we’ve made mistakes. You can email us at editor@roarnews.co.uk or write to us at Roar News, 7th Floor, South East Wing, Bush House, Strand, London, WC2R 1AE. We aim to correct errors, factual or otherwise, as soon as we can.

I won’t say we should all forget the past year and the hardships it brought to the King’s community. The effects of the pandemic -

particularly those to students’ mental health - will not disappear as soon as the doors of our universities, libraries, and clubs reopen.

What I will say is that 2021, in many ways, represents a fresh start for our university.

Campuses are reopening, and our termtime lives are transitioning back offline. Our campuses are changing, with the Strand newly pedestrianised and Guy’s Campus undergoing a change of scenery. Last but not least, we have a new President and Principal in Shitij Kapur, whose words grace the back of the issue you’re holding now; and whether you agree with those words or not, they represent a capacity for change we need after the past year.

Image taken by Noor Huda

past may linger, but the future presses on regardless. And despite the abnormal nature of the past year, that’s normal, and exactly how things should be. Even if the past may have brought hardship, the opportunities of the future are the only things that can heal those wounds. As you read the culmination of our dedicated team’s collective work, remember that our way forward is bright, and that our path down that road has already begun.

Many of the stories in this issue represent that inevitable dichotomy: the effects of the

Marino Unger-Verna

Editor-in-Chief

roar

IS ON THE PROWL! Did you know we recruit new writers year-round? If you didn’t, now’s a perfect time to join us in our mission to provide News Fit for King’s!

Whether you’re just starting out or have been writing for years, consider joining our multi-award-winning team.

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NEWS inks

r spot for d A perfect ds with frien

THE NEW STRAND

Marino Unger-Verna Editor-in-Chief The Strand - an iconic street which lends its name to King's College London's oldest campus - is undergoing radical changes as it transitions from thoroughfare to our city's newest pedestrianised space.

Food Trucks Galore

What just a few months ago was one of the busiest streets in the capital now hosts food stands, Astroturf-covered green spaces, and a Vans-themed skate park. For many returning to King's after over a year away, the sight of this transformation is equal parts shocking and refreshing; and these are only the first steps of many.

The City of Westminster's "Strand Aldwych" project has been in the works since 2016, but is a vision for the area's future that almost no King's students were aware of until the road was shut and construction began in late August 2021. Scheduled for approximate completion in 2025, the project will involve numerous iterations, curating a space suitable for all its visitors - including thousands of King's students who will have a brand new campus space to enjoy. To learn more, Roar sat down with Alison Duffy, Director of Culture and Programming for Aldwych Strand. From the start, she how the project has to potential to fundamentally alter students' on-campus experience: "The vision is very much around a cultural and learning space, and it's a space which really brings the university to life within the public space and breaks down the walls of the university. But even before any of that happens, I think what will happen is it's just going to be transformational for students, like completely change their experience of the campus. [...] This will really unite the two sides of the Strand, so bringing the Strand building together with Bush House and providing some wonderful spaces that students can just simply use and be in and relax and have lunch and not have to worry about dashing across the road and, you know, buses and trucks and things thundering past.

"But also in health terms, just air quality, environment, biodiversity, all of those things. So the Sustainability Team at Kings, which is very much made up of students, is working as part of the project and really influencing elements of the design.

There are lots of ideas around a community garden and how that could be developed over the next

‘A TRANQUIL OASIS IN THE MIDDLE OF LONDON’ year to be somewhere on the Strand campus."

While the Aldwych semi-circle around Bush House is due for full pedestrianisation by late 2022, the road snaking around St Mary le Strand will exist as a so-called "meanwhile space" until at least three years later. This decision was taken to allow the Strand's pedestrians to influence the space's final configuration as much as possible; an element of the project which, according to Ms Duffy, students will be integral in: "I see it as an opportunity for students to, you know, play a part in developing content for the space. I really believe in having an interesting pop-up learning/research space. [...] King's will look at some sort of, you know, internal way of communication, because obviously it's so big, you know, we want to have all of those conversations."

As Ms Duffy told Roar, the first stage of this

Images taken by Daisy Cooil

involves a King's-led research project called Renaissance Skin, headed up by Professor Evelyn Welch. Student societies such as Dance Soc, Running Amock, and the KCL Brass Band have also been invited to perform in the space on September 21 and 22, bringing the atmosphere of campus out onto the streets.

beside St Mary le Strand, and could serve to champion anyone from King's students to local shop workers who hold up the community; and lastly, Something and Son, an artistic collective specialising in "curated structures" which aims to create a Speakers' Corner-esque venue for the area.

These performances form only the tip of the iceberg for Strand Aldwych's future plans. A blank canvas requires artists, and four have been brought on to help design this new space: Nick Ryan, a sound artist who seeks to "install a playable sound piece within the space that would be embedded in the ground", allowing creatives and passersby alike to interact with physical sound; Emma Smith, whose work will explore the Strand's history back to "prehistoric times"; Matthew Rosier, whose three-dimensional projections of notable figures around the Strand will adorn the plinths

The Aldwych Strand project is a gargantuan undertaking, but one which Ms Duffy sees as synergistic with the goals of our university: "I think that connection between research, learning a public space is really key to it."

From scientifically beneficial endeavours such as the installation of air/noise/particular pollution monitors, to smaller things like the project's commitment to accessibility, Strand Aldwych promises to be a space designed with holistic betterment in mind - not just of the street we walk every day, but of those who walk it too.

4 Helena Kudiabor Staff Writer With the reintroduction of in-person university activities, students will have the opportunity to get involved with one of King’s many student groups and activities. From societies discussing fine wine to rock music, there’s something for everyone. If you are interested in using your free time to volunteer and help others less fortunate, then Make a Smile might be the group for you.

Make a Smile is a non-profit organisation which helps to support and uplift children dealing with illnesses or disabilities. Their goal is to help these children enjoy their childhood as much as possible, and fun is always the number-one priority for everyone. It aims to achieve this by engaging the children in play therapy, reading them stories and even visiting children in hospitals dressed as their favourite characters. While Make a Smile is an independent organisation, there are chapters at universities all over the country.

MAKE A SMILE

To find out a little more about the organisation, Roar spoke to Soamopriya Som, President of the Chapter here at King’s. Som decided to join the organisation due to her fond memories of meeting her favourite Disney characters at Disneyland as a child, and was keen to play a part in helping spread that joy to other children. She began as a Training Officer in part of Make a Smile’s Cardiff chapter, and found the experience “incredibly rewarding and enjoyable”. After graduating from Cardiff University, Som pursued her Masters at King’s and saw it as the perfect opportunity to bring the organisation here.

Som thoroughly enjoyed the wide range of events she got to experience while at Cardiff. She has visited schools and children centres dressed as Princess Jasmine; attended Halloween dance parties dressed up as a witch; and organised and took part in fundraisers like PJ socials and bake offs. She was also keen to improve representation among the organisation, and successfully executed a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Colour) photoshoot.

Although she describes working with the organisation as “one big favourite experience”, some of her most memorable moments include working alongside reindeers and seeing a shy toddler spellbound by his favourite princess. With planned events including visits to London hospitals, character visits to discos and a variety of costume and non-costume activities, there are numerous opportunities to get involved.

If you would like to make a meaningful difference

VOLUNTEER GET INVOLVED RELIVE YOUR CHILDHOOD Pictured: Soamopriya Som to the lives of children across London, but would prefer to get involved behind the scenes, there are also options for you. Make a Smile is keen to ensure that every event is free for both children and volunteers, but this means they rely on independent funding. As such, there are many opportunities to organise fundraising events like bake sales, charity matches and movie nights. Volunteering with Make a Smile comes with plenty of flexibility, as you can volunteer at a time when best suits you.

There are also plenty of ways to get involved virtually. In the past, volunteers have created pre-recorded storytimes, BSL “singalongs” and even virtual visits and events. During these events, you’ll

foi requests shed light on kcl investments into israel

dress up and provide children with the invaluable opportunity to video-call their favourite character.

In addition, you may even get the chance to work with volunteers based abroad. The Covid-19 pandemic has enabled the organisation to strengthen their training portal, so you will receive high-quality training on subjects like BSL and can still improve, even if you are unable to or don’t feel comfortable attending in-person events.

If you’d like to get involved at the committee level, the Make a Smile committee has 11 positions: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Training Officer, Wellbeing Officer, Recruitment Officer, Events Manager and Wardrobe Manager.

Marino Unger-Verna Editor-in-Chief

Imogen Dixon News Editor

An investigation conducted by Roar has revealed that figures quoted by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s University Complicity Database are partially outdated and inaccurate.

King’s College London (KCL) has been listed on the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) University Complicity Database as having allegedly invested £3,980,019 in Israeli-complicit companies, based on information retrieved through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.

The King’s Chapter is no longer seeking a Fundraising and Social Media Officer, but new opportunities may also pop up throughout the year.

LE

If you’d like to spend your days reliving your childhood and making a difference to children’s lives, you can sign up on Make a Smile’s official website, makeasmile.org.uk, to be added to the database and access online resources. You can also stay updated by joining the Make a Smile KCL Facebook group or @makeasmilekings on Instagram.

According to a response from the PSC, the Database comprises figures sourced from FOI requests made in 2019. Of the £238,164,038 of investments made by the College that year, £57,321,492 were linked to the BlackRock Developed World Ex Tobacco Index Fund, considered by the group to be one of the most “complicit” funds King’s invests with. This figure is the largest segment of investments made

by King’s through any fund in 2019.

As the data PSC gathered is from 2019, Roar sent FOI requests for an updated report. According to this new data, KCL no longer trades with the BlackRock Developed World Ex Tobacco Index Fund subset, having instead transitioned to BlackRock’s Developed World Fossil Fuel Screened Fund subset. King’s investment in the latter fund between 2020-21 was £17,671,143, an almost £40,000,000 decrease from the College’s prior Ex Tobacco Index in-

vestments. This initial figure, paired with the transition in investment, indicates that the College is no longer investing as much into Israeli-complicit companies as previously.

Whilst Roar was unable to determine which specific companies the Developed World Fossil Fuel Screened Fund deals with, the majority of King’s “complicit” investments have been cut significantly when compared to the original 2019 figures.

The PSC website also listed a number of companies that King’s has investments in, in addition to how they are complicit in the Israeli-Palestine conflict. When asked about the extent of these investments, the College declined Roar’s request, stating: “Disclosure of the information in question would be likely to weaken the position of the University and its fund managers in an increasing competitive sector by reveal-

5 e t City, th Urbanes t ek. a e w m r o ro 465 pe £ ts s A Studio o c f which largest o

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BECOMES KCL’S MOST EXPENSIVE RESIDENCE TO DATE Marino Unger-Verna Editor-in-Chief

accommodation features 1/2 Twin rooms divided by retractable doors - a room type atypical for King’s Residences - alongside non-Ensuite, Ensuite, and Studio rooms. King’s students will be housed in flats exclusive to the university, with other flats in the building occupied by students renting from Urbanest directly.

Hosting its first residents in the 2021/22 academic year, Urbanest City - Vine Street is the most expensive student accommodation offered by King’s College London (KCL) to date. It joins Moonraker Point as one of the two most expensive student halls Moonraker Point, a residence run in partnership with Unite Students, was previously the most exin the country.

Located between Aldgate and Tower Hill, Urbanest City promises a “premium residential experience” in an “executive grade residence” just over a mile from KCL’s Guy’s Campus. The

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D E K A E

pensive accommodation offered by the university. While Urbanest City’s 1/2 Twin and non-Ensuite rooms are less expensive than Moonraker’s base offering, ranging from £230-£290 per week, Urbanest’s Ensuite room matches the price of an Ensuite at Moonraker, costing residents £335 a week. Despite the identical price, Ensuite rooms at Urbanest City are approximately one square metre larger than their Moonraker Point counterparts.

Urbanest City overtakes Moonraker Point when it comes to Studio prices. Though a

Marino Unger-Verna Editor-in-Chief

When queried on the nature of the university’s relationship with Technion Israel Institute of Technology, KCL redirected Roar to an article posted on the College website which argues its collaborations with the university “support our core education and research aims and reflect our core value of academic freedom. Through our relationships, we can pool expertise to create high impact research on global issues and create opportunities for academics and students to study and work in different environments.” The university’s relationship with Technion is ongoing, and concerns research into ageing. According to reports by the Guardian, Technion has strong ties with Israeli military and arms manufacturers.

Despite Urbanest City’s higher cost, the residence offers newer, more up-to-date facilities than its rival in Southwark. Rooms come equipped with underfloor heating and “luxury shower rooms”, with brand-new communal and study spaces. King’s residents will receive complementary peak-time memberships to the gym facilities at Strand Campus, as well as access to free bicycles for travel across London. In contrast, Moonraker Point has been recently criticised for its dated rooms and unaddressed maintenance issues. Weekly ensuite prices at the latter residence have increased by at least £6 since early 2020, when rooms were available from £329.

A Tab list of the most expensive university halls across the UK, compiled in 2020, placed Moonraker Point in first place. Provided the prices of residences offered by other universities have remained constant, Urbanest City surpasses Moonraker Point as the most costly university-associated student hall in the country.

The King’s Residences team has faced repeated scrutiny in recent years following scandals and student complaints. A fire safety concern identified in late 2019 at Champion Hill caused King’s to move 500-600 residents to a hotel in Paddington, providing them with a daily £15 food stipend due to an absence of cooking facilities. At the time, Roar estimated this operation to cost the university an approximate total of £1.5m. An update to the King’s Residences portal in May 2020, described as “extremely user-friendly”, double-booked numerous students’ rooms and forced others to continually refresh the site, competing over available options.

FEC DOCUMENTS REVEAL KING’S FUTURE PLANS

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ing commercially sensitive information of potential usefulness to other investors.”

23-square-metre studio at Moonraker Point will run its tenant £415 per week, the 21-square-metre studio offered at Urbanest City comes in at £465 per week; a record-breaker for King’s Accommodations. The Urbanest website indicates that each room type is more expensive for nonKing’s students to rent, with Studio rooms starting at £459 weekly.

A set of leaked Faculty Education Committee (FEC) documents from a Faculty of Arts and Humanities meeting in May 2021 have revealed several of King’s College London’s (KCL) plans for upcoming years, up until 2029.

The documents contain information relating to degree programmes and module grading frameworks across the entire faculty. The plans outlined therein have yet to be publicly confirmed by the university.

A headline of KCL’s “Vision 2029” plan is the establishment of a new entity referred to as “King’s Education”. A merger of prior educational bodies and KCL’s new online education infrastructure, the branch will also include a director of “King’s Online”, suggesting a willingness to retain aspects of virtual learning brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Educational subsets of the Faculty may also be reorganised as well. The Modern Language Centre

(MLC), which recently separated from the Faculty umbrella, is “not operating well enough on its own”, and currently exists in the “worst of both worlds” according to our source, who requested anonymity. A proposed solution to this issue, currently under examination, would be the merger of language departments into one centralised unit.

These aspects of Vision 2029 culminate in a subplan called “Curriculum 2029”, designed as a way for KCL to “include service-led learning with an emphasis on experience”. The university’s “Flexible Undergraduate Curriculum”, scheduled for introduction in 2024/25, will allow the majority of students to take a maximum of 105 credits outside of their home departments, rendering joint honours programmes (AKA “with” programmes) redundant. Introductory 15-credit modules are also planned to be introduced to participating students in order to bridge inter-departmental gaps.

The documents also mention changes to marking schemes across the university, in an effort to create a standardised scheme for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. The committee recommends departments shift their focus to-

ward formative assessments, with the method of delivery for those assessments - and their summative counterparts - being re-evaluated. The Faculty reports concerns that the 24-hour assessments utilised during the pandemic remove the trackable skill of “working efficiently under pressure”, as well as make students feel they have to work longer than the recommended assessment period.

In an effort to address this, according to the documents, the Faculty is considering the adoption of a no-proctoring policy, with formats such as coursework, essays, practice exams, or presentations replacing more typical assessments. These will allow markers to utilise a “less granular marking scheme” to supplement the current 1-100% format. A recommendation has also been made to reduce the length of dissertations to 8,000 words from the current 10,000.

Where exams are still held, the College is piloting use of end-to-end exam suites such as WISEflow or BetterExaminations, neither of which feature proctoring but can include facial recognition software. These online exams could be held in traditional exam venues as a form of in-person digital assessment.

6 reported by asher gibson A* is the second student to report being given inaccurate information regarding the university’s responsibility to the police, which resulted in her investigation being unnecessarily delayed.

A shared how she was told by other students that her alleged attacker, S*, could continue to access her accommodation through friends after the report was filed, that she did not feel well informed about the status of her investigation and was told that it could not be reopened despite to her knowledge - not being heard by a committee, contrary to King’s G31 student complaints policy.

Furthermore, she found herself placed under threat of punishment from her No Contact Agreement, finding its wording to be “insulting” and “borderline incriminating” against her.

20% of respondents to a 2019 King’s Tab survey said that they suffered sexual harassment in King’s-owned halls of residents.

In comparison, according to a Freedom of Information Act request and HESA data, out of the 32,270 students enrolled at the university in 2017/18, only 4 instances of rape or sexual assault were formally reported to the university that year. Of these, 3 reached a Stage Two formal investigation and only 1 resulted in a suspension or expulsion.

A has completed her degree elsewhere and is living outside of the UK happily with a long-term partner but says that she “lost a great deal of academic opportunities, and potentially even a solid career, to make no mention of the personal trauma and psychological fallout of going through months of sexual abuse”.

While she hopes to leave her experiences “firmly in the past”, she says she hopes to see King’s reform its policies and “earnestly commit to seeing it through”.

King’s told Roar that, to this end, they recently established an oversight committee partnered with KCLSU, which “draws on expertise within and beyond the HE sector and recently recommended the university adopts a report and support system” to support survivors of sexual assault and harassment.

“At King’s we are committed to providing and promoting a positive, respectful, and inclusive environment, free from all forms of discrimination and harassment for all members of our communities…We always encourage anyone who has any concerns to report it, and to access support”, its statement said. * “A” and “S” are pseudonyms to protect these individuals’ identities.

Staff conduct First reporting the abuse in October 2017, A said she was initially discouraged from filing an official report by a member of King’s staff who “reminded” them of the “the potential negative consequences for my attacker…”

This delayed her in putting a report forward until the abuse worsened a month later. A said staff at this point were “very helpful” and called the police on her behalf.

Accommodation security At this time, staff reportedly arranged for A to move rooms within the same halls of residence as S, informing her that, as he had been arrested, he would “no longer be able to access the building.”

However, she discovered later through housemates that, while S’s ID card had been suspended, he was still able to access the flat through friends.

A was reportedly told S would be treated “as a threat to the student community” and would likely be either expelled or suspended during the course of the police investigation.

She also said she was promised a choice of new accommodation reduced to the same rates as her halls at the time.

I HAD NO CHOIC BUT TO LEAVE

Ex-student failed by King’s sexual miscondu regulations for 3 years s

No Contact Agreement

The university reportedly offered to put a No Contact Agreement in place between A and S, which she accepted because she “presumed [it] was to protect me”.

However, it reportedly barred her from making any further allegations against him, “as though I was somehow the perpetrator of a crime against him, rather than the other way around.”

No Contact Agreements mandate that the student who requested it “do not contact” the other student “either directly or indirectly” before mentioning the accused party at all. After this, they explain that this rule “extends to [the accused party] as well (i.e. [they are] not permitted to contact you directly or indirectly)”.

These documents finish with, “should you breach the aforementioned conditions the university will consider these under the G27[.44] Misconduct Regulations”. No Contact Agreements do not appear to explicitly differentiate between who breaks them, exposing both parties to equal punitive action.

Roar made a Freedom of Information Act request to try and uncover how many students who have requested a No Contact Agreement have been punished under them. However, because “Student Conduct and Appeals do not explicitly record [this] information…” and to fulfil the request manually would extend beyond the university’s legal obligations, it was rejected.

Investigation delays A told us that communications with the university “broke down” over the Christmas period, that she returned to find she would be staying in the same flat, and that S had not been suspended at all.

The G27.26 misconduct policy states that any investigation of misconduct that constitutes a criminal offence “may be delayed until … the police and/or courts have completed their investigations and proceedings.” As a result, A was expected to live within “close quarters” to S for 1218 months.

However, as a representative from the Metropolitan police told Roar in refer-

An ex-student has shared how her three-and-a-half-year struggle with King’s misconduct regulatio

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7

a In run in urvey s of Roar S old hall ’s A , 0 ing202 rwhelm e v March o or e r at safe” ce we h n e w e id s m e o r s nts either “ sponde e s r a w d e e f t ly ra nly a to en”, with o non-residents e f a s y r “ve y for ion. was eas it g in permiss y t a u s o h it ter w sure ot mea n id d hose wever, vey, ho dents w r u t u s s r is o Th s f hose f acces d but w e t a iv t ease o c mpore dea them te cards a r e t is g e r friends guests. rarily as

King’s issued this full statement shortly after:

“It would not be appr opriate to comment on the details of any individu al case.

At King’s we are com mitted to providing an d promoting a positive, respectful and inclus ive environment, free from all forms of discrimin ation and harassment for al l members of our com munities.

In addition to agreeing a new Community Ch arter, we recently establ ished an oversight co mmittee focussed on im proving the policies, pr ocedures and culture for preventing and addres sing harassment and sexu al misconduct.

Working in partnersh ip with KCLSU, the gr oup draws on expertise w ithin and beyond the HE sector and recently re commended the univ ersity adopts a report and su pport system to ensu re we continue to support ou r students and staff.

We always encourage an yone who has any co nc erns to report it, and to ac cess support.”

Making Change While A was reportedly asked to meet with administrators to discuss improvements to the G27 policy, she declined the invitation because she “found the idea of returning to many of the same sites where I was assaulted was too harrowing a prospect”.

uct straight Financial Disadvantage

In spite of this, A waited for the police investigation to finish. She says the case concluded when “the police dropped the case instead of putting it to the CPS. I’ve been told they do this when there’s not enough evidence to bring a case forward.”

After this, she said heard no follow-up from the university regarding the internal investigation.

At this point, A decided “it would be impossible for me to continue at KCL.” Describing herself as “financially destitute”, she told Roar she could not afford private mental healthcare and found that the NHS waiting lists at the time were one year-long.

To make matters worse, upon permanently moving home, A said that the university began to demand repayment for the January instalment of her student loan, as she had technically been overpaid for the term they could no longer attend.

This cost the last of her savings, leaving

her to “battle against PTSD and OCD in full time employment in order to remain financially afloat”.

W

ence to another investigation, that this policy is unnecessary. Because King’s internal and police investigations are separate, there is no reason why investigations cannot proceed at the same time as far as the police are concerned.

More recently, after another student who was reportedly assaulted by S got in touch with her, A was told that S had hired a legal representative “who I believe wrote to the university and managed to overrule their decisions”.

“I feel that the difference in our …financial circumstances worked in his favour” she told us, explaining that legal representation was inaccessible to her.

“This factor ought to have been considered by KCL at the time.”

Case Closed?

Roar contacted Professor Welch for comment. While refusing to disclose the specific information she gave to A, explaining that “we would never comment publicly on a specific case”, she put us in contact with the King’s Corporate Communications office to “provide … information about our overall approach and the work that we are currently undertaking around such matters”.

A’s family reportedly tried to “hush up” the assault, leaving her unable to challenge the university’s decision as she “could damage its reputation”.

While A told us that she received financial compensation, she was told that that reopening the investigation “was not KCL policy”.

“This was very hard to deal with, as it meant that I had no support or encouragement to stand up for my place at Kings”, she said.

However, according to the G31 Student Complaints Regulation, while the university says a complaint “should” be made no later than 3 months after a student becomes aware of an incident, complaints made after this deadline can be accepted “at the discretion of the Head of Student Conduct & Appeals (or nominee)”.

A contacted Professor Evelyn Welch, Provost for Arts & Sciences, to ask for her student debt to be wiped and for the investigation to be reopened.

ons after reporting sexual abuse left her with “no choice” but to give up her place at the university.

COMMENT N HOW CAN CAMPUS BE ‘OPEN’ JUST NOT FOR TEACHING? Noah Eastwood Staff Writer

Noah Eastwood on the pain of universities choosing to not return to full in person teaching.

Universities are making few promises. In line with the general attitude towards reopening adopted by higher education, administrators at King’s are taking incredibly conservative steps to return to normal. As term restarts this September, “blended” learning, where courses are delivered both online and in-person, remains the College’s official approach to the year ahead despite restrictions long since having lifted.

Many of us will be finishing up a summer of festival-going and travelling, having at last enjoyed the kind of social freedom forbad for the past nineteen-or-so months. While much of the country has eagerly moved on from Covid compromises, universities are stuck in the past. Online learning was meant to be a temporary meas-

ure but now has become a permanent feature of going to university. Higher education is no different to any other sector effected by the pandemic, yet university leaders continue to act as though they have a right to an excess of caution.

The reluctance to dump online learning will be acutely felt by students as they are given their timetables for the forthcoming semester. Many will see lectures replaced with pre-recorded presentations and notice how some seminars are still being held online. Ask your peers how their schedules are looking and don’t be surprised some have bagged an extra hour or two of in-person teaching. Afterall, it’s pot-luck. Delivery methods vary between faculty, department, and even by module. The fact is that the College has no bottom line on this other than insisting “campus is open”. Students deserve a fair and equal distribution of traditional teaching. Without any good reason to use university facilities then they are basically useless and accommodation in London is a pointless expense.

Clear and consistent standards on how education is to bedelivered are needed urgently. Without these, students will not be getting value for money. Home fees remain £9,250 a year and international fees can be far higher. In recent correspondence with Vice Principal and Interim Vice-President (Education) Adam Fagan, I put to him the fact that a bachelor’s degree from the Open University, where courses are taught fully online, costs just £6,336 a year. How can any university, I asked, justify charging more for what is effectively the same service? He failed to address this in his response. Selective silence here says a lot.

While universities labour the point about keeping everyone safe, there are almost certainly other factors at play. For King’s, on-site capacity has always been an issue as a central London campus where real estate prices are some of the highest in the world. Many students will remember feeling claustrophobic in S-1, 2, & 3 before Covid.

With the purchase of Bush House in 2015 and planned leases for the rest of the Aldwych Quarter by 2025, King’s has spent millions on expanding its footprint. The normalisation of online learning presents a unique financial opportunity.

Universities do not have to worry about capacity when they can have infinite fee-paying students all attending class virtually.

It should not surprise anyone that many universities are planning to massively expand their online programmes in the coming years. The work from home revolution caused by repeated lockdowns has given people greater freedom which they are reluctant to relinquish. Offices are not returning to normal as workers find they have more time on their hands and a wider choice of places to live without the commute. Some firms are embracing the change and saving costs by scrapping expensive office space. A similar, more one-sided phenomenon is occurring in higher education. Universities too are realising that there is a whole world of new opportunities and trends to exploit post-Covid. In an effort to keep the more expedient aspects of online learning going indefinitely, university leaders are quietly replacing traditional modes of education with blended learning without properly consulting students.

In a statement from The Russell Group published in August, blended learning is heralded as the “future” and digital modes of delivery are promised to “enhance” university education.

They have even gone as far as to reject the concept of lectures completely, promoting online interactive sessions instead. The way many top universities are now talking about online learning seems to have little to do with public health anymore. Perhaps higher education institutions are really just succumbing to post-pandemic opportunism, squeezing teaching a little harder and trying to get away with doing less for the same price.

It is regrettably the case nowadays that in high-

er education money talks and learning quality slides. Recently, leading universities were revealed to be charting flights for students from China to the UK in an effort to win back some £1.3 billion in at-risk fee payments. Moreover, after an unprecedented number of students won places at their first choice of university and enrolment was too high, medical students at Leeds and Manchester were offered £10,000 to defer their place. Clearly, institutions are willing to move mountains to get what they want. For students however, horizons have changed little since March 2020.

There are a few things that the government and Office for Students need to make clear to senior academics going forward. Online learning is not the same as in-person tuition, where students spend their week on campus physically within a learning environment. If places of higher education can provide this to students under the current national restrictions then they should do so. Forcing students to study remotely when there is no need and charging the full fee is clearly unreasonable, a point made by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson recently. More honesty is needed from universities so students know exactly what they are signing up for.

Our education is under attack. Even before the pandemic, students faced declining contact hours and abandonment from professors in favour of “group discussion” led by underpaid graduate teaching staff. Now the arm’s length is extending and universities are repackaging online learning, which will only keep students at a distance. All this is set against a rising cost of living, debt and a grotesquely competitive jobs market. Do not be fooled; blended learning is university-lite. Plans for higher education post-Covid seem to be more radical than anyone is realising. Everyone needs to be included in the conversation about the future of university education and students, especially those who began degrees before the pandemic, need to have the final say on major changes to their modes of study.

E C N A R U S N I L A N O I NAT STUDENTS ‘PAYING’ FOR

Samuel Pennifold Comment Editor Comment Editor Samuel Pennifold on the Conservatives manifesto breaking move to raise national insurance.

When the Conservatives voted to raise National Insurance they broke a manifesto promise that was key to gaining support from working-class votes in the last election, a perfect demonstration of the contempt that the Conservatives seem to hold for the electorate and those who need the support of the state the most.

Social care is the third rail of politics, a black hole in government budgets across the world, but some would argue the provision of social care is the most important, if not the only function of the state. If it were the fact that before the vote to raise national insurance there was no way social care in this country would be able to continue, some credit could be given to Boris Johnson for taking a bold and unpopular step - a mark of great statesmen, even. This, though, is far from the case.

Boris Johnson is a fraud, a clown masquerading as a statesman who, as we have seen time and time again through the Coronavirus pandemic, is prone to producing policy on the hoof often without consultation. That is exactly what this policy is and is exactly the reason why young MP Dehenna Davison, the first Conservative MP from Bishop Aukland near Durham, as well as other members of the Conservative party, decided to abstain from the vote as it was rushed through the house without time for consultation with constituents.

But the vote still passed with the vast majority the Conservatives maintain in the Commons. Even though there was not enough time for a full consultation with voters, there was more than enough time for the young and the enraged to speak out against the bill on social media. Journalists, celebrities and everyday people haven spoken out against this bill that disproportionately affects the young, especially university graduates, as well as those on low-income wages including nurses who have been the everyday heroes of the last two years.

UK graduates will now face a 50% tax rate between national income, student loan repayments and income tax on all pay above £30,000 a year.

This rate is higher than some millionaires pay and infinitely higher than retired boomers pay whilst they sit in their empty four-bedroom houses bemoaning the price rise in TV licenses and shaking their free bus passes angrily.

Such a tax rate takes the dream of homeownership for our generation even further out of reach as house prices have risen exponentially whilst the average wage of a graduate has only risen marginally and significantly below the rate of inflation.

This rise in National Insurance only compounds further such poverty enforcing policies as the recent reduction in universal credit.

This move by Boris Johnson is a move that only pleases a

small minority of homeowners, the retired and the old whilst stripping the young of their income. This rise is both politically unsustainable and ultimately it will fail to help the Conservatives maintain power as they claim to fix the hole in social care spending. The better model would be to produce a fairer and higher tax system that evens out the cost of supporting the state across everyone in a manner that is proportional to income. But whilst Johnson will break promises to those he does not care about, he dare not hurt his precious rich voters.

9

10 Hanna Pham Comem nt Editor

Comem nt editor Hanna Pham on the recent Plymotu h shooting spree and the rise of the incel o m ev em nt.

A young a m n, aligned with the incel o m ev em nt, ew nt on a shooting spree before killing himself.

No, this was not the Umpua q Comun m ity College shooter of 2015 who emphasized his lack of sexual relationships in his a m nifesto. It is also not the 2018 Toronto van attack in which the perpetrator proclaimed “e Incel Rebellion has already begun”, and during police, ueq stioning hc ronicled his mi sogynist incel ideology. Unfortunately, there is a new case of an incel shooting spree. In Augsu t 201, a J k c Davison, a self-proclaimed incel who frequently copm lained about his o m ther and o w em n in incel o f rusm ew nt on a urm derous rampage and killed ev people, including his own o m ther. e fact that the description of an incel on a shooting ram page can be applied to a nubm er of incidents, is a gross indi cation of how far-reaching this social o m ev em nt is.

Incel stands o f r involuntary celibate, an online platform originally created by a university student named Alana, to bring together people who ef lt lonely. Since then, the incel coun m ity has evolved into a copm licated ecosystem un derlined by hatred o f ro w em n, and in o m st extreme cases misogynist a m ssacres. Simply put, o m re needs to be done to cobm at misogynistic terrorist attacks. e threat is here, and has been present o f r a ev ry long time but with little action to show o f r it. ere is a lot of information and jargon regarding incels online, so let’s break down the basics. I sat down with Dr Meredith Pruden, a ef llow at the Institute o f r Research on Male Supremacism, to explore the Plymotu h shooting in the context of misogynist terrorist attacks and the incel o m ev em nt en a m sse.

“THE FACT THAT THE DESCRIPTION OF AN INCEL ON A SHOOTING R APPLIED TO A NUMBER OF INCIDENTS, IS A GROSS INDICATION FAR-REACHING THIS SOCIAL MOVEMENT IS.”

THE LATEST OF MISOGYNISTIC TERRORIST ATTACKS

A DOMESTIC TERRORIST THREAT In a report from the International Centre o f r Counter-Terrorism, terrorism studies have missed the a m rk with incels, treating them as a fringe phenomenon when they should ac tually be recognised as part of the “manosphere”, a collective o m ev em nt including incels, em n’s rights activists, etc that are intensely misogynistic in order to better understand the digital ecosystem that leads into misogynist shooting sprees.

And as o v calized by Dr Pruden, “when somebody is com mitting a m ss violence with the intent to scare people into submission with ideological aims and political o m tivation, that is terrorism. And I o w uld argue that misogynist a m s violence, denitely ua q lies.”

PLYMOUTH SHOOT

CODED LANGUAGE

BLACK PILLING

Coded language is phrases that are su ed to target specic people, groups, and things so that “the circsum tances of a phrase’s su e are blended into the phrases’ em aning”. A no torious exapm le of sucessful coded language can be seen in the rise of the online white nationalist o m ev em nt. In the biggest white nationalist ew b o f rum Stormfront, racial slurs and obscenities are not allowed. So instead, “they’ve a m de their own way of talking” and are then able to keep an active coun m ity.

Incels can fall on a spectrum of “pills” which correspond to their ideology. e idea of taking a “pill” was inspired by the Matrix, in which the a m in hc aracter Neo is oered a red or a blue pill. In the incel coun m ity, taking the red pill em ans to awaken to the “real ity” that em n are essentially oppressed.

Similarly, the incel coun m ity has its own coded language that has allowed it so to spread so viciously. e discourse centred around pills is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of incel coded language. Another aspect that abets the growth of the coun m ity is that their bases are in public o f rusm , available to anyone with an internet connection. ey are essentially “hiding in plain sight”.

Prior to the shooting, Davison lc aimed to have been identied as “black pilled”. According to Dr Pruden, black pilled is the “fatal istic and deterministic extension of the red pill.” When an incel identies as black pilled they have coem to the conclsu ion that “there is no hope, no way out of the incel identity”. As illustrated by the likes of Davison, Rodgers, Minassian those who identify as black pilled conduct the attacks.

Due to the copm lexity and largeness of the incel coun m ity, it is dicult to say, but “large enough to be concerning”. Above all, through Dr Pruden’s research, she tries to approach her analysis of incel networks with critical empathy. Not everyone in incel spaces is black pilled; the trick is to get to them before they are.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HE

ere is no easy answer to curbing the rise of incels and As aptly pointed misogynist violence, but there are emerging approaches a problem o f r a while that a m y help. For instance, perpetrators of a m ss killings, lc ear that governmen uno f rtunately, do gain traction and becoem idealised like lating social em dia Elliot Rodger who had acted as an inspiration o f r other discourse. “ere’s ple misogynist terrorist attacks and is oen referred to as the it is where they’re “Supreme Gentleman”. groups like the ins ey need to engage Furthermore, the no notoriety o m ev em nt has gained understand how the traction becasu e it calls o f ro m re responsible em dia cov erage of a m ss shootings. According to Dr Pruden, as of And while it is crit now, hucm of the coev rage in em dia of incels o f csu es on cels and to examine killers being autistic or em ntally ill and fails to identify as aforementioned i that there are structural copm onents to it at all namely sogynistic terrori misogyny. Not a lot of time is spent on victims and loved the lives of a m ny in ones. And while it a m y casu e a dent in cobm atting incels, erage needs to hc a it is by no em ans a one-x solution, “a better education of incels and instea system, not suj t in school but in a global society”. extent, “amplify a m ins be overwritten.

RAMPAGE CAN BE N OF HOW

TING

ERE?

out by Dr Pruden, “we’ve known this is hile and very little has been done.” It is ments have a huge part to play in regua platforms to prevent the rise of incel s plenty of people out there whose job in think tanks or academic like me, or stitute who are already doing this work age with these people in order to better hese groups work.”

ritical to understand the nature of inne the movement in order to stop it, d it’s crucial to hold in mind that mim is a very real threat that has claimed innocent people. Equally, media covange in order to avoid the idealisation ead make clear that incel attacks to an mainstream gender norms” that need to

11

CLASS WARS ON UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES

LSE Images taken by Daisy Cooil

Samuel Pennifold Comment Editor

Aman Patel

Head of Finance Aman Patel and Samuel Pennifold on the London School of Economics (LSE) Class War campaign and the danger it poses to free speech and debate on university campuses.

There is strength, meaning and power in the diversity of thought, and no more so is this true than on university campuses. King’s offers a broad range of societies that cater to the interests and thoughts of all students. This is what makes King’s such a great campus to study on. But our neighbours to the north in LSE have been stoking some controversy recently as it seems some students have forgotten that disagreement and difference can be a good thing.

This comes in the form of a student-run group calling themselves LSE Class War. This group is on a mission to flatten class hierarchies at LSE, rid it of its private school students and decolonise the university. Believers in this cause may see these aims as a means to create a more equal society, a fairer education system and help elevate the suffering of the impoverished; but we see it as nothing more than an assault on genuine diversity.

As politics on the national scale dissolves into tribal wars, the trickle-down effect of the death of bipartisanship can be seen most clearly on university campuses. There is less room for debate and the assessing of grey areas where the devil lies in the detail, instead, there is a right and a wrong answer based on assumptions that more often than not are faulty and lame.

One of the key pledges of the LSE Class War group is to dissolve the Hayek Society. The society is named after Friedrich Hayek, one of the titans of 20th-century economics who was a firm believer in conservative economic policy. The Nobel prize winner pioneered the principles of

the free market, defended classical liberalism and taught at LSE. The society of his namesake champions the values of “liberty”, “progress”, “capitalism” and “individualism” according to their website.

take place when one finds themselves in a diverse group of people who hold diverse opinions.

The LSE Class War group, though, seems unwilling to allow for diversity of thought on their campus with their opposition to the Hayek Society and free-market economics as fundamental evils. They may argue free-market capitalism is not the correct solution but to suggest banning the theory from LSE would be like banning the playing of football at Wembley.

The LSE Class War group instead see this society as nothing more than a forum for “free-market fundamentalist views which outwardly call for the oppression of working-class people”.

Owing to this, LSE Class War staunchly advocate that Hayek Society and other societies like it have “no place on Instead of a misguided attempt to ban campus”. the Hayek society, the movement’s members should debate and campaign Much of the modern criticism of Frie- peacefully against them. The econodrich Hayek’s work is rooted in its use mist John Maynard Keynes debated

by Margaret Thatcher and her extreme Friedrich Hayek in the economics economic policies. The debate now on equivalent of Godzilla vs King Kong.

Thatcher can mostly be called shut - Such debates are important, they are whilst many feel she was a necessary the very basis of learning and allow evil, her policies were evil none the us to navigate issues and come to conless and there is plenty of evidence to clusions about what is best. Disagreeshow that Thatcherism dramatically ing with the tenets of Hayek is fair – increased inequality in the UK threatening free speech by banning a . society is anything but.

But whilst the Thatcher take on Hayek may have produced inequality, it is Students are in a perfectly good posiwrong to state that free-market cap- tion to make up their own minds on italism “outwardly” calls for the “op- the Hayek Society. If it is indeed the pression of the working class”. One case that the society is not fit for the can argue that Thatcher called for this, university, let the memberships dry up but to argue that the academic theo- and the society fizzle away owing to ries of Hayek did so too simply misses the consensus of the majority, not the the point. This would be no different agenda of a small minority. to claiming that Karl Marx outwardly calls for totalitarian oppression owing The flagship goal of the LSE Class War to the actions of Josef Stalin. To sug- group, though, is the blocking of prigest as much demonstrates a failure to vate school students from LSE. LSE separate economic theory from public Class War’s advocation of a “private policy. school free LSE” is not a solution to inequality in education either. In fact, in Whilst rising inequality can be a neg- many ways, it mirrors the issues of Emative by-product of free-market cap- manuel Macron’s closure of the ENA, italism, the theory does not say such an elite university in France, which will issues are not to be addressed. In fact, have little effect since the elite will simmany modern conservatives support ple propagate whatever “meritocratic” policies such as universal basic income institution replaces it. If there is anyas a means to help support the poorest thing we have learnt in the last twenty in society and reduce overall govern- years is that a top-down approach does ment spending compared to other wel- not work in almost anything. fare systems.

Education must be thought of like We have learnt that and come to hold building a skyscraper from the bottom such views through healthy debate, up. Yes, the pointy bit at the top might through the processes of disagreement, be the most impressive but it is the through being wrong as well some- foundation that is the most important. times. But such processes can only Yes, a university education might be

the pointy end of a system that pushes us towards higher education but the bit that is important to the individual for whatever path they take is the foundation of a nursery, primary, secondary and college education.

Each year in this country, on average, private school students outperform state school students because they are offered a better foundation. But students in state schools don’t perform worse than private school students simply because private schools exist, they perform worse because the government has created a toxic and unmanageable state education system in this country that cannot possibly meet the demands placed upon it.

Getting rid of private schools would just add thousands of more students to an already strained system. Fixing education in this country looks like building new schools, paying teachers more so more of the best and brightest pursue the profession, rebuilding the national curriculum and changing the way we test students. What it does not look like is banning private school students from universities; to do so would be only cosmetic and be a disservice to universities.

LSE Class Wars have missed the key details that need to be considered, analysed and debated. These details include bottom-up approaches to equality of opportunity in university applications and the nuances of free-market capitalism. Many, including ourselves, top economists and politicians agree with some of the group’s concerns, but the difference is that this group seems to want to dismiss any debate around how to fix them. Instead, the group seem determined to fuel a class war that serves no one, lest the people who need help most in society.

Hayek’s staunch defence of civil liberty, freedoms and democratic rights is ironically being proven right by the calls of LSE Class War. King’s, for now, remains free of such a group that stands only to end free speech on campus and diversity. May that continue here, because true diversity includes people from all different creeds and backgrounds.

CULTURE WHY HOLLYWOOD CANNOT TELL STORIES ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE Amiya Johar Staff Writer Roar writer Amiya Johar on the stories Hollywood does and does not tell about climate change.

Blizzards born overnight, sudden earth-consuming darkness, and doomsday predictions of the end of the world - these have long been the archetypal portrayals of climate change in Hollywood.

Most mainstream cli-fi films, from "The Day After Tomorrow" to "2012", are decisively apocalyptic and offer a population already faced with existential threats a mode of doom-laden entertainment.

Why do we enjoy this? Is this genre a manifestation of our environmental anxieties? More pressingly, do these films prompt us to act upon them?

In Roland Emmerich’s "2012", a solar flare supposedly overheats the Earth’s core, triggering a barrage of natural disasters that nearly wipe out humankind. Meanwhile, Christopher Nolan’s "Interstellar" sees the planet becoming uninhabitable due to severe crop blights and dust bowls. While cinema sensationally portrays the consequences of climate change, it has always been reluctant to acknowledge human activity and mankind’s growing carbon footprint as the cause. In true Hollywood fashion, environmental disaster is portrayed as an insidious villain attacking quickly and calculatedly, like in the film "Geostorm".

These plots show that the protagonists must heroically survive climate change, but that they cannot influence it.

These dramatisations couldn’t be further from the truth; if depicted accurately, climate change would be a rather boring antagonist. It acts over millennia, without motivation, is indiscriminate, and has no mastermind manipulating it. Unlike in "Geostorm", there is no treacherous crew member waiting to sabotage planet Earth. Instead, every member of humankind, living and dead, shoulders part of the blame due to their action and inaction. Professor Ed Hawkins, an author of the 2021 IPCC report, recently weighed in on the assessment’s findings. He declared that "we cannot be any more certain; it is unequivocal and indisputable that humans are warming the planet". While scientists scramble to convince governments and global populations of the ecological consequences of human actions, Hollywood chooses to absolve us all of accountability.

Even more dismaying is cinema’s depiction of the resolution of climate change. "2012" sees survivors being safely evacuated onto climate-resistant arks, while the protagonists of "Interstellar" escape Earth aboard the high-tech Endurance spacecraft.

This portrayal of a techno-centric approach to climate change lulls us into a false sense of security. We begin to believe that we can continue ravaging planet Earth, while the elite 1% will swish their technological magic wands and fix it when doomsday hits. In reality, doomsday will never come - we are already living through the devastating consequences of climate change that creep steadily deeper into our lives. The wildfires that tore through Turkey and Greece, the floods that

drowned India, and the Hurricane Ida that devastated the United States, all within the span of a couple months in 2021, bear testament to this. Oh, and also the Covid-19 pandemic.

Cli-fi films are ultimately fictional, so counterarguments about creative liberty shouldn’t be dismissed. Moreover, telling stories about intellectually-heavy concepts can not only be challenging for filmmakers but also tedious for viewers. The problem lies in the fact that while many people may not be inclined to listen to scientists, they are interested in watching movies. With the proven popularity of cli-fi films, Hollywood has a sizeable platform to depict scientifically-accurate and socially-stimulating stories about climate change.

We need a middle ground between Al Gore’s "An Inconvenient Truth" and Bong Joon-hoo’s "Snowpiercer" - science and storytelling can meet halfway.

With newer generations being avid cultural consumers, the film industry has a responsibility larger than entertainment - to reflect and stimulate social conversation. Films have real-world impact and tangibly influence societal opinions. Whether it be about anti-racism, gender equality or environmentalism, meaningful cinematic storytelling can inspire action as well as inaction. Humanity has reached the precipice of irreversible environmental damage through its own fault; now is Hollywood’s chance to pick which side of cultural history it wants to be on.

ONCE AGA

EVERYBO TALKING ABOUT J

into fascism and out of fascism:

A REVIEW OF KAE TEMPEST’S PARADISE Maisie Allen Staff Writer Roar writer Maisie Allen reviews Kae Tempest’s “Paradise”.

Marketed as a ‘thrilling story of pride, glory and betrayal’, acclaimed spoken word artist and performer Kae Tempest turned their writing efforts this summer into retelling the Greek epic of Philoctetes at the National’s very own epic Olivier Theatre. From the very beginning, Tempest’s all-female chorus of stranded islanders provide a stark contrast to the male oriented Greek tragedy, acting as a community of sisters under the dark cloud of the now-stranded soldier Philoctetes, who had fallen from grace on Odysseus’ battlefield and was now paying the price through his own isolation.

Portrayed by the incredible Lesley Sharp, this new Philoctetes was given a Cockney style grit, a tough exterior that slowly seemed to melt away to show his vulner-

ability as the play went on. Left behind by Anastasia Hille’s Odysseus a decade beforehand, Philoctetes became something of a lone wolf, diametrically opposing the choral community which had been peppered with nods to female solidarity and their additional lamentation of the trope of ‘men at war’.

Ultimately, gendered performances are at the crux of Tempest’s retelling here, and one that feels starkly relevant for today’s world where images of war and violence leave the women behind and are forced to pick up the pieces of the consequent destruction.

This is never made more clear than one of the chorus begs Odysseus and the late Achilles’ son Neoptolemus to take her with them on a boat which is set to leave the island towards the end of the play.

The desperation of this young woman to escape the very confines of the island she has resided on for an unknown number of years forces the audience to navigate what it means to really be ‘stuck’ somewhere with no means of escape, and the references to needing documentation to leave hints subtly at the growing inflammatory rhetoric surrounding im-

migration and refugees in the United Kingdom.

There are elements of the retelling which seem to exaggerate the constructs of femininity and masculinity in the context of war, with Hille’s archetypal upper-class British sergeant refusal to admit his pain or injuries playing alongside Gloria Obianyo’s rigid Neoptolemus who is so desperate to live up to his late father’s glorified reputation he will sacrifice anything for his own individual goals. He reaches his eventual breaking point, emotionally collapsing under the pressure of war and military expectations, highlighting that if war does not break you physically, it will emotionally. The chorus laments this, claiming that the world is constantly moving in and out of states of fascism and violence, with the male desires for power at the centre of this, rooted in the patriarchal construction of masculinity. The toxicity of this is what brings the intensity to the play, using male rage as a tool in which to challenge societal expectations of gender roles, referring right back to the age-old categorisation of men and women being hunters and gatherers respectively.

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ody's Ta Ama lking Ab o zon Prim ut Jami e e Vid eo

13

AIN,

ODY’S G JAMIE!

Matthew Seaman Podcast Editor Podcast Editor Matthew Seaman on Amazon Original's project "Everybody's Talking About Jamie".

For those who frequented Roar's website throughout the pandemic, it would have been difficult to miss my incessant writing about "Everybody's Talking About Jamie". Tom MacRae, Dan Gillespie-Sells and Jonathan Butterell's Sheffield-born musical took the West End by storm in 2017, and has continued to grow since.

Just a stone’s throw away from our Strand Campus, at London's Apollo Theatre, three different faces have fronted the display on Shaftesbury Avenue since it opened. I have played a role in uniting the online fan community for the show for years now, through the ever-growing fan page, but as the production comes to a "pause" from 26th September, the movie takes centre stage.

This Amazon Original project has just landed on their streaming platform: Prime Video, and sees newcomers Max Harwood (Jamie) and Lauren Patel (Pritti) star alongside seasoned stars of film and TV: Richard E. Grant and Sarah Lancashire, as Jamie's drag mentor and mother. Director Butterell

manages to capture the essence of the stage show perfectly in his first feature film. With Gillespie-Sells and MacRae's original score remaining mostly in-tact (minus a couple of cut songs), the atmosphere and energy of Nimax Theatres' West End production are maintained.

The intimate experience of sitting in the front row has been replaced with studio-quality vocals, but that was always to be expected with a big-budget movie-musical.

"Everybody's Talking About Jamie" is the story of a 16 year old boy from a working-class background in Sheffield, who dreams of becoming a drag queen. With the support of his single mother (Sarah Lancashire), his best friend: Pritti (Lauren Patel), and a flamboyant Hugo/Loco Chanelle (Richard E. Grant), he decides to wear a dress to his school prom. It is an LGBTQ+ story, inspired by the true story of Jamie Campbell, but it is not about being gay, or even being a drag queen, for that matter. It is a story about truth, antagonism, and finding your feet.

The glitz and glam that is paired with a raw Northern heart, makes for the perfect blend on screen. Some characters support Jamie, others don't, but each and every one plays a role in his journey of stepping "out of the darkness" and "into the spotlight".

A particular highlight, for me, was the new track: "This Was Me". Written especially for the film, and replacing what was essentially a comedy number in the stage show, Gillespie-Sells and MacRae have crafted a song that clearly aims to be an anthem. Overlaying a montage of clips showing drag during the AIDS pandemic, this sequence is romantic and

Shreya Sharma

There are lessons to be learnt from Tempest’s retelling of Philoctetes, and whilst it manages to follow Sophocles’ original text to a reasonable degree, recent global events surrounding the climate crisis, the rise in populist politics, and nations torn apart by war bring the play’s narrative to the forefront of the viewer’s moral consciousness. The play advocates for a kinder world, one which chooses love and collectivism over rage and individualism, in a true politically charged Tempest manner.

Viewers would be forgiven for not noticing that Richard E. Grant doesn't actually sing the vocals, and they are instead performed by "Frankie Goes To Hollywood"'s Holly Johnson. It is a timeless track, and the use of original West End Jamie: John McCrea, as the young and elegant Loco Chanelle, makes this even more of a critical moment in the film.

Seeing the old and the new, McCrea and Harwood stood side by side, is a clever homage to the legacy of this story. The film achieves this in several ways, with the West End's Shobna Gulati and Bianca Del Rio both featuring.

Another moving moment was Lancashire's rendition of "He's My Boy", the mother's emotional outburst. Without giving too much away, the football scene that this song accompanies, makes for a painfully thrilling watch. My highlight of the film, without a doubt.

On 2 September, I was lucky enough to host an early screening at Ham Yard Hotel. Amazon were kind enough to fund this event, with the help of The Academy PR. My friend Grace and I welcomed 190 Jamie fans to this beautiful venue, to celebrate the story and its fan community.

In the post-film Q&A with writer Tom MacRae, he told me that "all of this is because of all of you". It is clear that the supporters are a big driving force for the project, and it's a group I'm proud to be a part of. By the time you are reading this, we will have experienced the World Premiere at London's Royal Festival Hall, and even interviewed some of the cast members, on behalf of the fans. The

journey is far from over, but this part of it unfortunately is. Amazon have been incredible in recognising the value of those who have been there since the start, and I am excited for the world to see this polished project in all its glory.

In November 2019, I came across an edition of Roar for the first time. When browsing the culture section, I spotted an article headlined: "Everybody's Talking About Jamie - but unfortunately, Jamie only". The writer mentioned his concerns that the characters around Jamie were too quick to be forgiven for their homophobia, and that Jamie's flamboyance was too stereotypical. And whilst I respect his opinion, it's important to remember that this is theatre, it's a story of acceptance, and it is intended to incite hope. Maybe, in the real world, Dean (the "bully") would never reconcile with Jamie, but the fact that he does is reason for optimism. Jamie gets his happily-ever-after, and if a story can help people to feel as though that is within reach, it has my seal of approval. Not to forget, Jamie's Dad never becomes the supportive character one may wish him to be.

This is a raw and real story, with a sprinkling of musical theatre magic. It was that article that inspired me to write for Roar, and so having my thoughts on "Jamie" in the print edition is somewhat of a full-circle moment for me. It might not be for everyone, but it certainly has impacted many.

"Everybody's Talking About Jamie" is available to stream now on Amazon Prime Video, and hopes to return to the West End in 2022, following its UK and international tours.

creative corner

SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE

Staff Writer

It is the choral lamentations, mostly sung in true Greek tragedy style by ESKA’s Aunty, the island’s resident elder, that steals the play from under Philoctetes’ feet, providing an emotional depth to the production that otherwise would have been lost in the selfishness of the primary characters. The melodic nature of Tempest’s writing brings a modern take on Aristotle’s understanding of Greek tragedy, as they combine the spoken word with such rhythm and harmony, the stage of the Olivier in itself feels more like a concert hall, watching an operatic melodrama unfold.

bittersweet.

Creative Corner is a space to share your creative writing at Roar! We hope you’ll enjoy the short stories we publish, all of which are written by current KCL students.

As a typical Indian student, I have always lived in my house and leaving the abode for the first time was an accomplishment itself. While packing anxiously, I found myself going through the ‘music diary’ I kept during my high school and undergraduate years. The last entry was dated in the latter months of 2019 with the song “Something Has to Change” by the Japanese House. In the past year of staying put in my house, I realised how devouring change had become such a grand part of my personality, and listening to the tune generated nostalgia for the time when I felt lost. When I heard the lead singer Amber Bain describe the monotony of life as a recurring factor, my feelings felt recognised; months of distress and anxiety were so calmly compressed within a simple song.

One may point out Japanese House to be akin to any other dream pop band, but I believe their music helped me meditatively. It has taken many spots in my heartfelt playlists for varying reasons, primarily at times when the angst of adulthood

was knocking dauntingly. Amber Bain repeatedly points out the sluggishness of normality in the band’s discography. In the song “Maybe You’re the Reason”, the lyric “Apathy is a funny feeling” almost feels as though Bain is pointing out reality oxymoronically. As I was obsessing over the same emotions and getting heartbroken by the same person repeatedly, the feeling itself became stale - apathy became the very thing I related to adulthood. The days merged into one and weeks turned into months. The lack of emotion overpowered my normality.

For the large bulk of college life, I did everything to escape even an ounce of listlessness in the philosophical grand nature of living, and Bain’s lyrics in “Maybe You’re the Reason” vividly touch upon the abstract meaning of life. It was only the past year when bleakness shed light upon my purpose in the grand universe. It led me to find the perfect course at King’s and walk the path of an academician. While I did conform to the idea of change, the dynamism has also brought uncertainty along with its polarising experiences. Yet, for some reason, the repeating chorus of “Something Has to Change” echoed in my head for months. Despite being a person who retracted from spirituality or belief itself, I felt as though that was a sign.

In the days of filling in my application for King’s, I would shy away from thinking about the possibil-

ities that moving to London would bring to me, in order to not jinx my fate. Sooner or later, I realised that it was my submission to the comfort of monotony settling me down for the sameness. It was holding me back by instilling fear. I realised that apathy can only help you stay alive for so long until you become a lifeless being; in reality, it brings you closer to madness.

Einstein once said that “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” and I believe I was leading myself on a similar path. But rediscovering the Japanese House discography, constructed so lovingly by Bain, felt as though it was made for someone like me going through early adulthood. Letting go of your past is an arduous task but, yet again, Bain writes that “how your past becomes your present if it’s always on your mind”. Perhaps, when I relive these emotions when my heart keeps breaking in the same place, I’ll come back to the ever true words of Amber Bain.

You can send your short stories, poetry or creative nonfiction to: culture.lifestyle.roarnews@gmail.com.

14

FOR THE

AUTISTIC KCL FRESHERS Alex Blank Culture Editor

Culture Editor Alex Blank on her experiences as a student on the autism spectrum.

This article is purely based on personal experience, so it may not apply to all (or any) other autistic individuals.

When I began my studies at King’s, I didn’t know about my autism. I stepped into the world of student life clueless, confused and frustrated with myself, but also in silent rebellion against the unspoken expectation to conform. There are a few things I’ve picked up over my two years here, most of them observations rather than clear-cut lessons. So, if you’re a student on the autism spectrum just starting out at King’s, this may, at the very least, amuse you.

I probably don’t need to elaborate upon the struggles to socialise of many autistic individuals, and I must admit that human interaction in university is just as, if not more, tricky. If you’re anything like me, you tend to go all in: ten minutes in, you will have subconsciously decided whether you’re going to go into full-on isolation or spill all of your secrets, both of which can scare people off.

When you go to a first society meeting, expect icebreaker questions whose logic you do not understand, as well as a constant sense of inadequacy because all you see are trees while everyone seems busy exploring the forest.

If, by any chance, you are lucky to have a seemingly life-changing conversation at an event of some sort, do not expect it will have an impact. After latching onto a group and having a very successful exchange at my department’s welcome tea event, I’d initially thought to myself: “Great, now that must be the start of a beautiful friendship,” but it has quickly withered away, and I was left confused and deluded, and feeling quite stupid, too. That being said, what decides upon a friendship is a mystery to me. Eventually, you might realise that maybe, just maybe, where students truly bond are at noisy and overstimulating parties, or at loud and overwhelming pubs. And if a group of people wants to go to a pub, you don’t want to sound rude by suggesting a different spot, so you might as well stay home while they begin the elusive process of “becoming friends”, one I still don’t understand.

During Freshers’ week, and afterwards, you will most certainly say something weird; you will misunderstand something; sensory overload will overwhelm you (this is London, after all); and it’s very likely that one of those days you will end up curled up in a bathroom stall or anxiously rushing back home faster than the wind. It’s fine if you don’t want to go to the typical Freshers’ events. I didn’t, and I’m still here, tumbling along. Do also keep in mind that if someone tells you, “Let’s do x sometime,” they don’t always mean it. Especially if alcohol is involved, assume that they might forget about it the next day, and if you bring it up to them - because you remember everything - they will look at you like you said something stupid.

What also might scare other students away is your passion (read: obsessiveness). This was my experience with writing for multiple student outlets in my first year and becoming a bit too fixated on it, which resulted in annoying editors and crossing lines, and basically making a mess of things. Not only did I not gain friends, but I ruined any potential for that dreadful thing they call “networking”. My solution? Well, I became an editor myself in one of these outlets, so now I’m hiding in plain sight, sheltered in faux-authority, though I realise this may not work for everyone.

Another annoying inevitability you might face is the non-stop sense of spontaneity. If you’re about to meet someone, they usually won’t bother to establish an end time so that you can be calm knowing how long it will last.

No, in the socialising sphere, people seem to have an intuitive sense around when things should end, and more often than not, their duration far exceeds your energy for the day. I haven’t yet had the guts to ask: “Can we set an end time?” because I have a feeling it will come off the wrong way.

Last, but not least: we’re all students here. As much as I dislike a neurotypical person telling a neurodivergent one: “I know exactly how you feel,” we are still all in this together. None of our experiences are the same, but sometimes it can prove comforting, knowing that everyone has something more nuanced up their sleeve than they’re letting on - and autistic people can easily spot it at times, even if many neurotypicals tend to think we’re clueless and can read nothing between the lines. Sometimes, we can use being perpetually overlooked to our advantage.

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15 Roar writer Abdus Shaik on the types of people you will come across in Freshe rs’ week.

OU WILL

A long time ago, people actually experienced Fre shers’ week in person! And bei ng the lucky students you are, you will get to experienc e it as well this year. Consi dering the fact that none of us are prepared to face society again and the combination of different people with stra nge habits and different backgr ounds again because we have all been locked up in our rooms with Netflix and Zoom calls for the last two yea rs, here is a reminder of some of the stock characters you will meet at freshers’ so you can be ready.

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favourites:

MY JOURNEY AT KING’S COLLEGE LONDON Siddhi Jain

...?: with them argument

Staff Writer

ht be the last

Roar writer Siddhi Jain reflects on her last two years of studying at King’s College London.

It is both daunting and exhilarating to study abroad. At first, you are weaving stories about the kind of life you will create for yourself there; then it smacks you like a ton of bricks. You will be forced to leave your comfort zone. You will experience a tinge of grief and anxiety in your body when you leave your home, no matter how independent and freedom-loving you are. And let me assure you: it is normal.

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In my first year, I was finding a way to keep it together: doing Chicken soup al l over the floor ? Blobs of oil on the daily duties, staying happen to see yo the stove? Rust g ur plate there to y pans and pots o, even though on top of assignments, friend! The mes in th yo e ur sy one! At this washbasin? And u don’t remem ber using it? H point, I recomm you establishing a social life, ere’s the food th end buying a m iefs’ best ini kitchen with among other things. It was your mini-fridg e. a little tricky for me to stay consistent with my course, Digital Culture, beMessy dude or food thief or ne cause it was entirely ither, everyone survival at uni is afraid of this depends on this pe new to me. Imagine rs pe on rson being happ will be by this (often they will person and alm y. More than ha double as the un learning about Hyperost all of them lf i-m of th um e sticky notes on ). Your will be death th the fridge in yo reats warning an texts, Visual Pleasure ur ki tc hen yone who dare s stain their kitc and Narrative Cinema, hen.

Social Media Protests, and so much more in If you loved th your first year! ese guys at scho ol, you’ll love th who will sit in em a lot more the front row at hat at uni! They’re every 9 AM with and probably di probably an in It was undoubtedly ina trench coat on dn’t brush your tion ternational stud , while you’ve go teeth! ent teresting, but its newt a hoody on w ith baggy jeans ness brought some uncertainty as well. This course requires a lot of Who will inevita research work, so bly also be the teachers’ pet be e poor sods who cause they prom wake up at 6 A ised their worri M to attend a le e paying throug ed mother that cture a 10 AM h the nose for, they wouldn’t m lecture. (Roar do but Lecture Cap iss a lecture. I pi es not condone ture is a gift, us ty the missing of e it!) lectures that yo u

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uld go on and on about the types of freshers you could meet but run out of time and space. Here’s to what will, hopefully, be an freshers’ week and year, even if a large chunk of it is online.

5 days old! It’s

writing essays was one of the most difficult tasks for me. My anxieties and concerns were uncontrollable because I had never written an essay before. Seeing my peers have at least a passing knowledge of it has also made me wonder if I was even eligible for this degree. Nevertheless, with each essay I wrote, I only became better.

Now comes the twist: just as I was getting accustomed to everything there, the circumstance of Covid-19 robbed me of my second-year experience. We were taught remotely, and truth be told, it was not something we wanted. It was exhausting to devote so many hours of my day sitting in front of the screen. It was difficult to communicate too, since gaining prompt responses from instructors via email was not easy. Even still, I believe it gave me an opportunity to work harder.

In my second year, I developed a sense of patience within, which drove me to become more disciplined and calm. The modules were the nicest part of it; there were a number of them which centred on new media that were vastly different from my first year. Despite juggling multiple things at once, I excelled in most of my assignments. So, I believe that the instructional pattern was well-maintained. Even remotely, the majority of us gained handson knowledge of programming and management techniques in the digital domain of organisations with ease.

I will begin my third-year of study in September. Fortunately, we will not be engaging in a remote learning experience. This time, when I return, I plan to do more exploring and less worrying. I strongly recall spending far too much time in previous years attempting so focus on my academics that I had forgotten about cultivating a vibrant social life for myself. Yes, I had a lot of fun, but not nearly as much as I could have had if I had just slowed down. So this time, when I go back, I will make the most out of my last year. After all, my college years will not come again!

16 Staff Writer Roar writer Caitlin Jackson on four hidden gems near Strand and Guy's Campus' for Freshers (and final-years) looking for new spots to grab a drink, snag a bite, and relax with friends.

When you first arrive at King’s, you suddenly realise just how big London is and the sheer amount of exciting places to be found there. Here are just a few of the best places to visit around our two largest campuses, Strand Campus and Guy’s Campus.

I’ve tried to avoid some of the more popular spots such as the Southbank Centre and Borough Market, but they’re still great places to go and visit during Fresher’s Week - check them out after you visit these lesser-known spots!

The Lord Nelson, Union Street

Tabard Street Food Market, Southwark

Lincoln's Inn Fields, Holborn When I first came to London as a student, I wanted to find quieter green areas to get away from the busy streets. The Lincoln's Inn Fields is one of those spaces, and can be found behind the KCL Virginia Woolf Building on the Kingsway. Alongside a set of tennis and netball courts, the park gives visitors a chance to take a breath in a relatively quiet area. In the spring, visitors can also watch the cherry blossom from one of the many seating areas. Alongside all of the noise and stress that comes from being a student, spaces such as this are a great place to come and relax.

Prufrock Coffee is a small cafe just a 10 minute walk away from the Maughan Library, and is a perfect spot for pick-me-ups during study breaks. Alongside their extensive coffee menu, they have food options ranging from French kougin-amann to waffles and vegan breakfast buns. Lots of students joke about how London is filled with coffee chains around every corner, but Prufrock Coffee emphasises how their business is more community focused. On their website, Prufrock’s says that they "strive to support local producers and small scale growers", with their coffee menu constantly changing in order to provide the best possible product.

Roar writer Allegra Campbell Boreham recommends book stores to visit whilst in London.

foyles @ charing c As my tried and true, Foyles on Charing Cross Road deserves a mention. I can always get lost in their various selections of new releases. I don’t know if it’s their curation of texts or just the aesthetically-pleasing central staircase, but this Foyles really romanticises the entire book-shopping experience.

s n a m s u o h

y, ing the journe If you are mak dra t ofi pr re not-fo is there is also th at th s an sm Hou ical bookshop . es e of fresh voic home to a rang

secondhand skoob The next on my list is every university student’s best friend. Skoob is second-hand bookshop dawned ceiling to floor in academic books. It is the one for finding texts on your reading list at budget-friendly prices, or for happening upon further reading for your favourite modules.

I spent a day- dawned with both Google Maps and a brewing sense of Imposter Syndrome- discovering the ‘best’ book shops in London. e ones that made me forget about my looming stack of un-read books at home have made this list; the ones that charge double retail for a still-in-print second hand book, have not.

A good bookshop makes you fall in love with a book before you read it. And shopping experiences like that make read ing for pleasure addictive- and a lot harder to drop once the university workload starts up again in the new term.

Piccad s e n o t s r e t a W the largest bookshop in I began my journey in illy Circus. This is an ide cad Europe, Waterstones in Pic ticu par ing eth looking for som al spot for anyone who is kboo a for t Bu s. ice many cho larly niche, as there are ards g energy’, I’d head to Hatch sin ow ‘br re mo h shop wit down the road.

Situite bookshop of them all.

I think this is my favour here ew som ical building, this is ated in a beautiful histor the and ter Pot p from Harry between Ollivander’s sho r alle sm is lf itse p sho the Though Notting Hill book shop. of n ctio Waterstones, its sele than the Piccadilly Circus that was notably larger – and es ogi hol modern poetry ant sold me.

judd book’s one of the best second -hand bookshops, second only to Skoob, with an eclectic mix of texts ranging from literature to academia all for very reasonable prices.

CHECK OUT THESE HIDDEN GEMS NEAR CAMPUS

at w e h t n o ord

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Prufrock Coffee, Leather Lane

THE BEST BOOKSHOPS IN LONDON

illy Circus

Open weekdays only, Tabard Street Food Market is a firm favourite of Guy’s Campus students across all faculties. With cuisines ranging from Greek to Filipino, you definitely won’t get bored here. Whether it’s to grab some lunch between lectures or just soak in some of the lively atmosphere, this market is a great space to take a quick break from university life.

we’ve got you covered

ross

Located near Guy’s Campus, The Lord Nelson is a great place to grab a drink and some food. They boast a truly massive menu with tonnes of vegetarian and vegan options. Even better, students get a great discount with 20% off food and select ciders and beers for £3.40 a pint. The atmosphere is super relaxed and the decor is something special. Where else could you find posters of Noel Edmonds plastered on the walls alongside movie prints and party streamers?

LOOKING FOR NEW SPOTS TO VISIT?

w

Caitlin Jackson

form okshop in the A gem of a bo ng – rfi su fel sh . After a day of was I – e of a canal boat siz er rg ted a far la as bo at th sI s le op tit and sh -picked d lots of cherry fin to d se ri rp su re. hadn’t seen befo

gay’s the word Gay’s the Word is an exceptionally warm coming independen and welt boasting a selectio n of fiction and non-fiction, all fro m LGBTQ+ author s.

FEATURES NEWS FLASH: OUR UNIVERSITY DAYS ARE FLASHING BEFORE OUR EYES

HOW KING’S STUDENTS FEEL ABOUT RETURNING TO CAMPUS

3rd year English student

“

“

“Imposter syndrome is going to be very real, I won’t feel like a thirdyear at all, I’ll feel more like a newbie”

“I’m a bit scared because there are going to be so many people coming in and out of campus and commuting as well.”

2nd year Political Economy student

A YEAR OF ISOLATION Haleema Ayyub Staff Writer

Roar writer Haleema Ayyub on King’s students’ attitudes towards the return to campus and how we can rebuild a sense of community With King’s announcing that there would be some on-campus teaching during the first term of 2021, many are filled with excitement after a challenging year of online, so-called “blended” learning. But the transition back to normality comes with a sense of dread as well.

Many students became comfortable with online learning: the commute to class consisted merely of powering up your computer and, what’s more, there was rarely an obligation to even turn on your webcam meaning many of us had the freedom of attending class in our pyjamas. “I’m a bit scared because there are

going to be so many people coming in and out of campus and commuting as well.” one 2nd year Political Economy student said.

When it comes to going back to campus, it not only means adjusting to face-to-face teaching but also getting used to socialising in real life, attending events, rushing to secure a seat in the Maughan, travelling during rush hour to get to the dreaded 9am classes and the list goes on. While this sense of routine has almost become romanticised by us as we’ve missed this sense of normalcy, it can also be incredibly daunting. A 3rd year English student worriedly said “Imposter syndrome is going to be very real, I won’t feel like a third-year at all, I’ll feel more like a newbie”. They hoped that there would be an adjustment period to help students transition from online to in-person teaching.

When discussing these experiences, it’s important to note that people had very different experiences during the last year and a half.

Opinions are split on whether it was helpful or harmful academically. However, there seemed to be general consensus that quarantine was damaged work ethic, as a 2nd year Biomedical Science student remarked “I hated online teaching because it was too hard to motivate myself when I was alone”.

It’s the uncertainty that the pandemic came with that made it the hardest for students.

Having been promised “blended learning” last summer but then being in lockdown for much of the 2020-2021 academic year, students were placed in a very difficult situation. As the future of the pandemic remains in flux, students are asking one key question - will the supposed “best years of our life” vanish again?

Most students going into their second and third year whose experience has been mostly void of contact, may enter feeling still feeling like Freshers. After an incredibly isolating period where many students felt stuck in

their homes or student accommodation, this idea that we are all in the same boat may be important for fostering a sense of community. “I’m looking forward to being able to be back on campus and connect with friends” one student said. Another commented “It’s a bit overwhelming but it will make me feel more like a person”.

The hope is that we’ll all be more motivated as a result of on-campus learning and romanticise university life, as if we were the main character in a coming-of-age movie with a coffee in one hand and books in the other. The most important thing is to make sure that the sense of loneliness that is so common among student communities, especially in a busy city like London, will be alleviated by a tighter-knit supportive community at King’s. At the end of the day, people need people and it is important to be there for each other this year and to take every opportunity we can before our university days flash before our eyes.

NEWS FLASH: WE REALLY MISS THE SENSE OF NORMALITY... SO MUCH!

18

MEND A BROKEN UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE OW TO GET INVOLVED 0 0

1

H S ’ E R E H

KEEP IT REAL KCL

After a year of so-called “blended learning”, Keep It Real KCL (KIRK) wants the university to return to pre-pandemic teaching, which is in line with government safety guidelines. What has been normal for the past year of lockdowns, rising cases and deaths should not be forever as the pandemic begins to subside.

There is a real fear that universities will become online institutions. Recently, the University of Manchester announced that it would be permanently moving its lectures online and its possible that other well-regarded universities may follow.

KIRK strongly protests against this measure, claiming that it would have a detrimental effect on student wellbeing, sense of community and on the overall educational experience: “It started when KCL sent out a message to all students stating that they would not be able to confirm a full return to in-person teaching for the coming semester, against clear government guidance.

“We have been campaigning from our living rooms all summer, talking to members from the NUS, UCAS and all of the top UK universities trying to found out the best way of reversing what we see as a fundamental, and wholly negative, change to university life” , explains Joseph Wiltshire, the campaign organiser.

When asked about what’s next, the KIRK’s plan is clear: “When we get the funding that we need, then the plan is student awareness. Most students that I have spoken to about this have not even known it was happening. As soon as they find out, however, they become as passionate as we are in a flash. I haven’t found a student educated on the issue who hasn’t been in total agreement that it is wrong”.

Eventually we want to work with other student unions across the country.

This is such a national problem, and one that effects everyone in the same way, so I feel like it deserves a national campaign that involves all student unions”.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OR GET INVOLVED IN KIRK, VISIT THEIR INSTAGRAM PAGE, @KEEPITREALKCL

KCL COMPLAINTS KCL complaints, aka Complaints College London, was born in April this year but its Instagram feed already features 74 posts. Each features a query or complaint that a student has and is organised by course, ranging from Politics to Medicine.

Most are exposing the shortcomings of their course, incompetence of university lecturers and admin. However, a special section is dedicated to protests regarding student-staff behaviour. In fact, there was even one complaint of harassment back in May. All the complaints are reduced to 9 points of their campaign, which include a feedback threshold, a feedback deadline and an assignment freeze window during the holidays.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OR GET INVOLVED WITH KCL COMPLAINTS ,VISIT THEIR INSTAGRAM PAGE, @KCL_COMPLAINTS

!

Roar writer Camilla Alcini on how King’s students are taking action as the university fails to deliver an adequate academic and social experience Even though we are finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel, the pandemic has had a profound impact on students worldwide for the last year. King’s College London was, of course, no exception.

With teaching being moved almost entirely online and a great part of student life disrupted, people started getting angry. At the government, institutions and, eventually, the university. The patience to bear with the continuous adjustments during these unprecedented times has an expiration date. And as a consequence, protests started to pop up as anger and discontent grew.

Here are some of King’s active advocacy groups you want to know about:

KCL SCRAP THE FEES “Refund. Review. Rethink” is the motto of the KCL Scrap the Fees (KCL STF) movement. Similarly to kcl_tfr (see below), KCL STF aims to put their students before profit and reduce tuition fees. There is a special focus on the treatment received by people who failed to pay the fees on time this past year and got suspended.

Roar reported on the Scrap the Fees movement back in March after the university was noncommittal about returning to in-person teaching as per government guidance. Students were also furious when King’s Vice President Evelyn Welch’s responded to students’ complaints by saying “you’re still getting your degree”.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OR GET INVOLVED WITH KCL SCRAP THE FEES, VISIT THEIR INSTAGRAM PAGE @KCLSCRAPTHEFEES

KCL FOR TUITION FEE REDUCTION

£

Why should we pay £9,250 a year for a glorified version of Open University? This simple question sums up KCL For Tuition Fee Reduction’s core argument.

But there is more to its protests. The debate around fees was in the eye of the storm back in 2017, when tuition fees were increased by £250. It had since died down but the pandemic’s shift to online learning put it back on in the spotlight as many people started wondering what exactly they were paying for. Online lectures, seminars, workshops along with a locked down campus made the academic experience lacklustre. Moreover, there was zero chance of enjoying the best part of uni: socialising with your peers.

“I started it on the 6th of July after I saw an email from Kings that everyone received telling us how much our tuition fees would be, and it really upset me when I saw that it would remain the same for UK students and increase a bit for international students. I knew that this couldn’t be justified. Therefore I began to look for active campaigns and couldn’t find many. So I started my own and then I asked a few people to join me”, tells Abdus Shaik, founder of this campaign.

With the help of Anushka and Sudi, Abdus reached out to KCLSU for some help: “We have also tried contacting the president and vice presidents of the KCLSU via Instagram. None of the vice presidents got back to us despite promising a tuition fee refund in their campaigns even though they saw our messages. But we will email all of them again and wait for their response. We hope that they will appreciate our effort and support us”.

The plan of KCL TFR is clear: “When university starts in September, our plan is to bring the campaign offline with peaceful protests and hold talks and meetings. Our idea is that we represent the students. Our committee is made of 20k+ students and we are just the glue that pulls all of us together, unites us against the injustice that’s being done to us”.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OR GET INVOLVED WITH KCL FOR TUITION FEE REDUCTION, VISIT THEIR INSTAGRAM PAGE, @KCL_TFR

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19

THE BLENDED LEARNING SCAM

IS KING’S USING COVID-19 AS AN EXCUSE TO STUDENTS?

O F F P I R

Sharpe’s response to my email

Ishaan Rahman Features Editor

Features Editor Ishaan Rahman on King’s religious obsession with online teaching, how it harms students and why it may be here to stay.

King’s College London can be forgiven for the lacklustre student experience last year. The Coronavirus pandemic raged on, the government imposed new lockdowns and too many students were away from campus to have in-person teaching. A year later, however, there’s a feeling of optimism in the air as vaccination rates soar and daily cases of Covid-19 decline across the United Kingdom.

Challenges do still remain ahead; the government is battling with anti-vaxxers who are risking another wave of infections and the threat of the Delta variant remains high. One only needs to look as far as Florida and Texas, two American states both with incompetent, anti-science Republican governors, to see how the virus can get the better of us when masks and vaccines are not encouraged.

All of that being said, the message from even the most cautious public health experts is clear: now is the time to reopen society with certain precautions. Here in the UK, schools reopened in March and were followed by restaurants, the entertainment industry and retail. The government has also said business owners can now mandate that their employees return to in-office work. Professor Chris Whitty, England’s Chief Medical Officer, has said that maintaining restrictions beyond the summer would be mostly

futile as they will only delay, not prevent, another wave of infections. The story is similar across the pond in the United States, where lead public health expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, supports reopening schools.

That brings us to universities and the world of higher education, where the story of reopening is more mixed. Admittedly, large lectures packed with hundreds of students may not be feasible for years to come. Even ignoring the risk of Covid-19, pre-recorded, online lectures offer many other benefits: everyone can hear the lecturer, you can rewind and pause. But smallgroup tutorials, workshops and labs are fundamental to most degree programmes and can return to in-person teaching with minimal risk. In fact, these will actually be less risky than school classrooms as the latter will have unvaccinated under-18s.

Those facts made it extremely peculiar when, in late August, my timetable was released showing that all of workshops, labs and other smallgroup teaching would be online. This year, as a second year medical student, I have some clinical exposure (biweekly hospital and GP placements), which are in-person. However, for the remaining four days of the work week, students will remain glued to their computer screens.

I did some research to see if this was unusual. As mentioned, most universities are keeping large lectures online to reduce the risk of infection, which remains even among vaccinated people. However, most other London universities seemed to be moving all of their small-group teaching in-person. Other major London universities such as University College London, Imperial College London and the London School

From Professor Tim Lancaster on July 1st, 2021

of Economics have confirmed that their small group teaching will be in-person. In contrast, not one of my scheduled classes is on campus.

However, the University of Manchester announced that it would be permanently moving to online, “blended” learning. King’s communication on this issue has been woefully inadequate.

I raised this issue with the head of the the MBBS Stage 2 programme, Professor Claire Sharpe (see her reply above). She promptly responded to my email but failed to come up with any valid excuse for why small classes had been kept online. Professor Sharpe said that “students would have to travel to one of the campuses for one teaching session in a day which would prevent them from engaging with the other busy timetabled teaching” but forgets that King’s has actually mandated that all medical students stay near campus precisely so that they can commute for in-person teaching that they were promised earlier on.

Sharpe’s primary defence is that vaccinated people can still contract Covid-19 asymptotically, which is certainly true. However, it does not justify cancelling small-group teaching. In fact, the government’s public health guidance clearly says “[higher education] providers are, therefore, able to shape their courses without restrictions to face-to-face provision”. It also begs the simple question: if schools with unvaccinated students can return to in-person teaching in classrooms of around thirty people, why can’t we? Sharpe is yet to respond to this question.

Moreover, students are paying thousands of pounds for accommodation in central London for minimal time on campus. Not to mention,

for medical students, most hospital and GP placements aren’t even near Guy’s or Denmark Hill. If in-person teaching were more frequent, it would, at least, make these pricey student apartments much more worthwhile.

Even worse, King’s had not been clear throughout the summer that in-person teaching would be so minimal. Professor Tim Lancaster, last year’s Dean of Medical Education, said in an email in July that “smaller teaching groups and practical sessions will be held on campus along with the usual campus facilities and opportunities available to you”. King’s, again, lingered the promise of so-called “blended learning” and waited until students had rented expensive apartments and committed to another year of study to tell them that there teaching would be almost entirely online.

This is not only incompetent and irresponsible but it’s directly against the government’s guidelines, which says “providers should communicate clearly to their students on what they can expect from planned teaching and learning”.

Repeating the phrase “blended learning” is not clear in the slightest. King’s should also be explicit about it’s long-term plans for teaching: is the college going to follow other prestigious institutions out of the pandemic or will it become Open University version two?

The college’s refusal to return to in-person teaching, as universities and schools across the world are doing, flies in the face of all common sense and public health advice and is deeply harmful to students. Considering that tuition fees remain at £9,250, students should ask themselves whether these changes are for their benefit or the coffers of King’s College London.

20 Scarlett Yu Staff Writer

Roar writer Scarlett Yu on NATO’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, the history of the war and where the country is going next.

Spanning four different Presidencies, the War in Afghanistan is the longest in American history. During that time, the United States’ position on why it intervened in the country has changed and become convoluted, the public have lost confidence in the “War on Terror” and thousands of American troops had been killed.

In April of this year, US President Joe Biden was blunt in his assessment: America would not commit to nation-building and that he would do what his predecessors could not, withdraw all American forces. Biden mostly kept in line with a deal signed by former President Donald Trump last year. He said all American troops would return along with Afghan interpreters who had assisted them throughout the war.

Immediately after President Biden made his plans clear for a US withdrawal, the dark shadow of the Taliban quickly swept across Afghanistan overwhelming the government forces. Their rise back into power was an unexpectedly fierce move that caught NATO by surprise. Hopes of a smooth, comprehensive withdrawal quickly evaporated.

As the Taliban returned to power for the first time since 2001, chaos set in. People, desperate for refuge in the US or Britain, swarmed Kabul airport. Despite the generous refugee programme, the heartbreaking reality is that many Afghans could not make it out.

While Biden’s decision to end the 20-year war is backed by a sizeable majority of Americans, he was heavily criticised for his handling.

The events of the past few months raise many questions. What’s really happened in Afghanistan for the past two decades? What was the original goal of the NATO intervention? And, of course, what went wrong?

War comes to America While the motivation for America’s dual conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq has become convoluted, it began as unapologetically simple. On September 11th 2001, the World Trade Center in New York City was attacked. Two planes flew crashed into the Twin Towers on a horrifying day no one would forget; almost 3,000 people died.

President George W. Bush made an address that evening and declared that America was at war against terrorism. In the coming weeks, NATO forces united to invade Afghanistan and remove the Taliban regime from power. Intelligence had confirmed that the regime was providing refuge for Al-Qaeda terrorists who were responsible for 9/11.

The battle was quick. American forces quickly ousted the extremist regime. The Bush administration confidently declared victory and his approval ratings soared. But President Bush’s optimism proved rash as in the years following the victory the US failed to come up with a long-term strategy for peace and stability.

Yes we can?

By the mid-2000s, the War in Afghanistan had become deeply unpopular with the American electorate as casualties mounted and the end seemed even further out of sight. President Bush fell out of favour, contributing to his Republican Party’s crushing de-

THE END OF A NEVER-ENDING

WAR

A LOOK BACK AT AFGHANISTAN’S HISTORY AND WHERE IT WILL GO NEXT feat in several national elections. After receiving the clear backing of the American people, new President Barack Obama announced a major shift in the Afghanistan strategy from nation-building to a more refined approach that included training Afghans to govern their own country and continuing to fight terrorism.

Over the next few years, the US built up the Afghan Defence Forces, which only had 26,000 soldiers in 2006, with the introduction of advanced military equipment, logistics and western combat tactics. In addition, the country had held its first democratic elections in 2004 and granted new rights to women and minorities. Moreover, in 2011, American special forces successfully killed Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin-Laden.

However, the Obama approach had its shortcomings too. During the time when the Afghan army was slowly growing in numbers, some members of the Taliban took advantage of these time gaps to escape to neighbouring Pakistan for sanctuary. Richard Hass, President of the Council on Foreign Affairs, suggested, the US wasn’t active in understanding the foreign culture and history of the local community.

Afghanistan is plagued by “endemic corruption” and ethnic conflict. Western reforms simply could not overcome the cemented culture. As a result, the Afghan security forces proved inefficient and weak against Taliban fighters prompting President Obama to re-commit 30,000 new American troops to Afghanistan. While maintaining a significant troop presence denied Al-Qaeda a safe haven and likely prevented terrorist attacks in the west, it was not a financially-feasible longterm strategy for the US.

Where it went wrong Looking back at the last twenty years, it’s possible to analyse where America went wrong in its Afghanistan engagement. As Husain Haqqanni clearly pointed out, one of America’s failures in Afghanistan lies in the lack of

a coherent plan: “there was never a strategy, just a series of tactical moves.” The tactics went back and forth from fighting terrorism to democratisation to infrastructure upgrades and back again.

empires”. As a result, twenty years have passed, and Afghanistan is still plagued by “war, crime, and corruption” and the Taliban are as savage as ever.

Indeed, if the US sought a more focused plan and had a clearer motive of what they’re battling against, the war could’ve ended more efficiently. Fewer casualties would incur as a result and, perhaps, the extremist poison would have been driven out of Afghanistan for good. Of course, this task of defeating terrorists was not easy in the slightest. America was fighting in circles, against an extreme force invisible to the public eye, but prevalent everywhere in local areas and mountainous regions; there’s a reason Afghanistan has earned its nickname, “the graveyard of

Put simply, the US underestimated the Taliban fighters, as they had done before with the Vietnamese and North Koreans. While they were under-resourced, they waited in the shadows to rebuild their jihadist empire. The inherent complexity of America governing an unfamiliar, foreign society allowed the Taliban members to hide in plain site by disguising themselves as ordinary civilians. Therefore, even if a major group of the Taliban disintegrated at the hands of the US military, they’d still be able to reconstitute themselves somewhere else.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE “ISLAMIC EMIRATE” OF AFGHANISTAN? Now that that Taliban are back in power the question turns to how they will govern a country that is very much different from what it was 20 years ago. Will they revert to the ultra-conservative Islamic tradition found in Saudi Arabia?

What will be the fate of western reforms made under the now-defunct republic?

The extremist group claims to have changed and has tepidly endorsed some liberal reforms including women’s education and freedom of speech. However, according to civilians on the ground, the Taliban still prohibit any un-Islamic behaviour like music and videos and ban girls’ education. To showcase their unquestionable power, they punish criminals in shockingly violent ways and even perform bloodied executions in public.

Their brand of “brutal justice” may be welcome to some Afghans who feel that their country has been lawless for the last twenty years but their ruthlessness still incites horror for the majority who are not sympathetic to extremist views.

A local shopkeeper recounted his experience trapped under the shadow of Taliban reign in Kandahar and expressed despair for their return

to power, “if the Taliban come back, they will bring darkness.”

Darkness has surely arrived. Thus far, the United States and its allies have refused to recognise the new Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the successor to the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, as long as they violate basic human rights.

However, China, Russia and Iran, have already expressed warmth towards the new regime.

Another blank page is whether the Taliban will cooperate in allowing American and British citizens as well as green card holders still in Afghanistan to return to their country of origin. There has been some indication that the group would be open to doing so but that is still up in the air.

There are many unanswered questions. It remains to be seen what role a new Taliban-run Afghanistan will play on the world stage, if it will embrace liberal reforms and seek to shed its extremist image. In the meantime, though, the conclusion to this war is simple: America and its NATO allies have left the Afghan people as they found them, powerless, alone and at the mercy of a violent, extremist regime.

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SPORTS

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STATE OF KING'S SPORT

Alfie Wilson Sports Editor

Sports had been allowed to resume at a grassroots level in England, the outdoor gathering limit of 30 was still more or less justifiable and at the time it seemed absurd that outdoor activity would become a casualty of a nationwide lockdown yet again.

Alas, it was (of course it was, retrospectively). As chronicled in a piece by Roar last

Its resumption in mid-April did much to raise spirits among students- coupled with the Prime Minister's 'Freedom Day' plan (touch wood, still (extremely few) Covid restrictions are in place at the time of writing this piece), and sunny weather in late April and early May to match, it was a relatively cheerful way to end a poor year.

Perhaps most importantly, it served as a prelude for this academic year, where we live in a (perhaps vain) hope of an uninterrupted year of sporting action, both in the stadia to go and watch but also to play ourselves.

I myself have never been more excited to get back on to the football pitch. Demanded by my GKTFC superiors to download the BUCS Play App to have a look at fixtures in my new role as captain, it has whetted my appetite to an unprecedented level. Rough plans of squad formation and position targets for freshers have begun. Ideas for fresher trials have come in to my head. In turn so have ideas for training sessions.

hours before our game would start the next day, leading to stiffness and an all round sour attitude when running in a game.

The latter of which is a key point. Seemingly across the board, the training schedules for most sports clubs have resumed to the 2019/20 norm and most clubs have seized back their 'rightful' training slots. GKTFC will return to Monday training sessions- an absolute godsend when last year the Tuesday night training sessions fell just over 12

Overall, at time of writing we are at the start of Freshers Week and the start of a new year, and *touch wood* no Covid restrictions are in place. The first few weeks back should be a festival of sport, and let's hope King's does its bit to keep it that way.

There is further cause for optimism. Despite being like running on rocks in early May, the return of the much loved Griff for Lacrosse and Football makes fixture scheduling both easier, and, perhaps most significantly for a student, cheaper.

HOW ENGLAND CAN MOVE ON IN 2021 AFTER THE BITTERSWEET EUROS...

Alfie Wilson Sports Editor It's a complex situation for me.

I've travelled abroad following England, I've been to nearly all of England's home games since 2017 in the pre-Covid era, the month of the Euros was one of the best of my life, I'm the Sports Editor for a student paper, thus a deep, long, and emotional homage to the great summer of '21 must surely be on the cards.

Perhaps I will do it one day. But at the time of writing, not only have fellow Roar writers summed up the emotions of 'It's Coming Home' and everything it entails, countless other professionals have likely put it into better words than me.

So, I'll leave you to reminisce about the halcyon days with their tapestry unfolding in front of your eyes.

It's perhaps my job (hopefully not

as normal) to be the voice of doom, much like Gareth Southgate so often is in a marvellous way (most notably his post-match interview after the 2-0 win over Germany), to state that the current momentum from the Euros cannot be lost, and staleness must be thwarted from setting in in the three England camps to finish 2021.

At the time of writing, the September international break of 2022 World Cup Qualifiers is yet to unfold. In this break, England have their two crunch qualifiers away in Poland and Hungary, both critical. Two defeats in these games is unlikely, but possible. Hungary are on the wave of an outstanding Euros, with key players returning including Dominik Szoboszlai, and a full home crowd without England fans to roar on their side with their fervorous support seen at home soil in said Euros. Poland have slightly better quality than Hungary, including arguably the best centre forward in the world in Lewandowski, and Paolo Sousa has

shown glimpses of turning this Poland side into a tricky attacking outfit despite a disappointing Euros.

Two draws in these games, or even one draw and one defeat, would probably still be enough to set England up to top the group. Qualifying for the World Cup should never be taken for granted- see Italy in 2018 and France's two extremely close shaves in 2010 and 2014. Getting the results in this break is thus the first and foremost critical priority, with a home game against minnows Andorra wedged in between.

It is why Southgate has opted for much of the same squad from the Euros, with a few minor personnel changes, such as Trent Alexander-Arnold returning, Ben Chilwell being cut after a lack of game time so far this season with Chelsea and a maiden call up for Patrick Bamford.

Normally, the September international break is the start of a new cycle and new churn with national sides in

the aftermath of a major tournament, where at least one of the processes of renewal, tinkering or root-andbranch upheaval takes place. Yet Gareth, ever the conservative, has stuck with what he knows for this break.

And rightfully so- introducing revolution in this break would be reckless given the critical nature of the games in Budapest and Warsaw. There are still gamechangers in the squad (Jesse Lingard, Jack Grealish) if necessary, despite the omission of the in-form Mason Greenwood being somewhat bizarre.

By the time most people read this, the September break will have been and gone. It's perfectly possible the break went well and England have all but booked their ticket to Qatar with a continued spring in their step, and this message of caution be rendered moot.

Yet it's also possible, perhaps more likely, that the break flagged up

some worrying moments, even results, in the two trips, that must be solved to continue the positive energy.

The October and November international breaks offer kind fixtures for England, and thus opportunities' to rejuvenate the squad with new personnel, and break figures into the starting line-up for good, such as Jude Bellingham. Additionally, the St. George's Park talent factory still is producing the goods, and stars continued to be uncovered waiting to be blooded in. There will be flyers from 'nowhere' in the lower echelons of the Premier League who'll no doubt break in (see Ivan Toney).

Overall, the message is simple. Yes, qualify first and foremost with the Gareth-trademarked professionalism and conservatism, but don't let the wave dissipate and staleness to set in, leaving us to crumble at the big one in only 16 month's time...

is it coming home yet? is it coming home yet? is it coming home yet? is it...

is it coming home yet? is it coming home yet? is it coming...

At the start of the last academic year, as many flocked back to London in the vain hope of a semi-normal University life for the upcoming year ahead, Sport at King's was meant to be the one source of 'continued normal'.

year, the stop-start nature of King's Sport was one of the biggest blemishes on an allround rotten year for all university students.

22

KCL ALUMNI RETAIN

OLYMPIC BRONZE IN TOKYO

KCL, AGAIN, HAS A LOT TO BE PROUD OF Alfie Wilson Sports Editor Sports Editor Alfie Wilson on the achievements of King's College London (KCL) alumni at this year's Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Only 18 months ago, those who know at KCL that Dina Asher-Smith was one of our proud alumnae were thrilled with the prospect of a near perfect career trajectory - graduate at King’s, won gold in the 200m at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha before sealing an Olympic Gold Medal in 7 months’ time. I could think of worse careers.

Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. First, it was Covid that dashed her dreams for a year, despite this allowing Dina another year of development in her relatively young career to further push the more established competitors in the field, such as the indomitable Shelly-Ann FraserPryce (who pipped her to gold in the 100m at the 2019 World Champs).

As England emerged from its lockdown at the start of 2021, Asher-Smith began to rebuild the momentum that had been lost in the previous calendar year, boosting her illustrious CV with impressive performances in Gateshead (the British Athletics warm up event for competitors), pushing her as far as to say that she was in “the best shape of her life”.

However, a misdiagnosis of a ruptured hamstring seemed to dash all hope of even boarding the plane to Tokyo around two months before it was due to begin- before a second

opinion just weeks before flying out reclassified the injury as a tear - meaning the hamstring was still attached to an extent, and papering over the injury for the next few weeks was a realistic possibility.

And so, an incredible achievement was still on the cards. A KCL alumna not only had a serious chance of medalling in one of the strongest 100m fields in women’s history (featuring the three Jamaicans of Shericka Jackson, Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah, the latter two being two of the three fastest women in history, and World Championship silver medallist Marie-Josée Ta Lou) - but also in one of, if not the, biggest event in an individual Olympics. *Cliche Klaxon*, but events really don’t get much bigger than this.

However, an underestimation of the extent of the injury, coupled with a short training turnover time due to Covid restrictions in force in Japan, meant that Dina was far from in optimum shape going into the 100m heats before her signature event of the 200m. Even despite this and being in a very strong heat (alongside Thompson-Herah and Swiss finalist Ajla del Ponte), Asher-Smith was just four hundredths of a second off qualifying through to the semis.

A tearful Dina in her post-race trackside interview stole the hearts of the nation. By far her most endearing characteristics are her charm, positivity, optimism and all-round smiley nature, and to see her broken-hearted pulled at every Athletics fan’s heartstrings.

The disappointment was not only felt in just in Britain - for the active or even casual Ath-

letics fan, had a fully fit Dina been in the final, it would have made for an even stronger and exciting field in the first Olympics since 2004 and the pre-Bolt era where the Women’s field was much more intriguing than the men. Jamaica went on to complete an historic 1-2-3 for them with Thompson-Herah setting an Olympic Record time of 10.61 Perhaps unsurprisingly, Dina subsequently pulled out her strong suit, the 200m too, which seemed the ring the death knell for her Tokyo campaign.

However, her bond with her teammates is as strong as oak and pulling out of the 4x100m where the British team had a strong chance of any medal other than gold (Jamaica clearly a shoo-in for it after their individual performances) clearly was a bridge too far for her.

Of course, there was additional intrigue for KCL viewers in the 4x100m relay. After missing out on running in the 4x100m relay final in the 2019 World Champs whilst still in university (despite running a leg for the quartet in the heats), KCL Sociology alumna Imani-Lara Lansiquot was selected for the final quartet this time round after achieving a time of 11.09 seconds earlier in the year (making her the 4th fastest woman in British history).

Peckham born and bred, she too is another addition from the Greater London area, and another source of local pride for KCL. Being the university of half of the relay team in the one of the most prestigious Athletics event in the World is, quite simply, historic and humbling. Regardless of the outcome, we would have been very proud.

But with Dina’s heroism, the order was decided going into the finals after a National Record in the heats- Imani would be on the 2nd leg, picking up from the reliable Asha Philip, Dina on the 3rd leg on the bend to minimise injury risk, before 100m finalist Daryll Neita would be on the anchor. After nearly misjudging the first handover, Imani adjusted well to stay in the changeover lanes before it was too late, before accelerating well into the halfway mark. A vintage bend leg from Dina made the Brits neck-and-neck with the Americans before the final leg, where a sturdy run from Neita allowed Team GB to retain their bronze medal.

An absolutely joyous post-race interview followed, including some comments with a perfect degree of charming arrogance from Dina over her bend leg (as the 200m World Champion, she is indeed “one of the best bend runners in the world”). So too was it joyous to see them celebrating with their male counterparts- lifting them up after their mixture of dejection and elation after being pipped to the 100m relay gold by Italy by one hundredth of a second after leading (as well as with the new 1500m silver medallist Laura Muir).

Imani is still only 21. Dina is on the cusp of her prime, and already has a plethora of World Championship and Olympic medals to boot. The Jamaican team is aging. Remarkably, the best is still yet to come, not least in next year’s World Championships in Oregon.

KCL, again, has a lot to be proud of.

23 Alfie Wilson Sports Editor The favourites for Sports Personality of the Year have changed throughout the year at a rate not seen before. Marcus Rashford’s work throughout lockdown in challenging the government’s free school meal policy and campaign for racial justice place him standout at the start of this year. Raheem Sterling’s stellar performance on the pitch at the Euros was matched by similar actions in the campaign for racial justice. Then came the flood of Team GB Olympians making it another golden summer in a golden age for British Sport at the Summer Games. It seemed far-fetched that anything could topple this.

Step forward Emma Raducanu. US Open champion. As a qualifier. In her second ever grand slam. At 18 Years Old. Prize Money around £2.5 million.

The exceptional nature of the achievement, both in the literal and figurative sense of the word, is hard to to encapsulate in a paragraph of writing. So perhaps some statistics regarding herself and her achievement may help to set this into context.

First, she is the first British woman to win a grand slam since Virginia Wade in 1977. A wait of 44 years. Granted, this wasn’t at the same level of Andy Murray’s 2013 Wimbledon Victory ending a 77 year wait for a British Wimbledon champion (since Fred Perry in 1936), but still, a long enough wait for British tennis to endure after countless female stars haven’t quite achieved their possible potential.

Secondly, she’s 18 years old. In most other individual sports, this would perhaps be the most impressive aspect of the achievement, especially upon considering her relentlessness, composure and mental strength beyond her years. However, teenage grand slam champions aren’t new in women’s tennisIga Świątek was 19 upon winning the French Open just last year (she too didn’t drop a set in the entire tournament), Maria Sharapova probably the most famous example in winning Wimbledon at 17 years of age in 2004. Many more fill out the list too.

However, as alluded to in the previous paragraph, there are a multitude of standout factors in this US Open victory. She didn’t drop a set throughout the entire tournament- a cynic could perhaps put this down to an easy route or her catching fire at the right time to see her momentum carry herself through, but Raducanu faced sets in the tournament where the outcome was far from guaranteed- her first set against the in-form Belinda Bencic in the quarter final was on a knife edge (Bencic being one of the favourites for the tournament after her Olympic Gold last month and knocking out the ever reliable Świątek in the previous round). In the final, in

EMMA RADUCANU’S ACHIEVEMENT IS ONE OF THE MOST EXCEPTIONAL IN

BRITISH SPORTING HISTORY

the mid point of the first set, Leylah Fernandez looked to have the edge in dominating rallies and dragging Raducanu across the court, yet Raducanu stuck with her the whole way to break in the final game of set and to recover from a break down in the second set.

Another aspect are those she has knocked out on her quest to glory. Yes, admittedly it was probably a stroke of luck that Shelby Rogers’ victory over Ash Barty in the third round gave Raducanu a kinder fourth round draw, yet Raducanu wrenched Rogers’ form away from her in that fourth round match, going on to eviscerate her 6-2, 6-1. Maria Sakkari, who had a match point to reach the French Open final earlier this year, was too a favourite after a strong year and tournament (knocking out similarly consistent players in Karolína Plíšková and ex-US Open champion only 2 years ago, Bianca Andreescu, in previous rounds), was dispatched with similar ease 6-1, 6-4. Sara Sorribes Tormo has had a breakout year, yet was dispatched 6-0, 6-1 in round three.

roar

Most incredible of all, she was a qualifier for the main draw. Not only was she first qualifier to win the US Open in history, she was the first ever qualifier to reach the final, and the first ever qualifier to reach the semi-final. Her seeding will rise by over 150 places in the WTA Rankings to #23 in the world as a result of her victory. In fact, one of her closest sets in the tournament was in her second qualifier.

Aside from a match in which she had a panic attack, she has never lost a match, or even dropped a set, at a grand slam. As a player, according to Tumaini Carayol, she has never won a WTA Tour match (the decision to warm up for the tournament at smaller prep tournaments paying dividends), played a tour level three set match, or directly entered the main draw of a grand slam (she was a wildcard entry at Wimbledon earlier this year). She hasn’t even played a match on clay. You wouldn’t put it past her at Roland Garros next year.

So those are just a selection of some of the bonkers stats. On the court, her athleticism, stamina, relentless aggression and accuracy of her shots made her unplayable at this tournament. Try and hit through her, like Fernandez and Bencic, she’ll stick with you all the way and pick off your tired body at the end. Try to go toe-to-toe with her for quality, and she’ll wipe the floor with you, as Rogers and Sorribes Tormo found out.

She has the tools to be a legend of the sport. Well, after one of the greatest achievements in British sporting history, she already is.

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IN CONVERSATION WITH PRESIDENT AND PRINCIPAL SHITIJ KAPUR THE PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE,

AND WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE Roar Your arrival at King’s comes at a time of upset for students Roar: and staff alike. The Covid-19 pandemic, alongside related issues such as tuition fee protests and assessment mitigation procedures, have left many feeling unsupported and negative about their university experiences overall.

In a poll conducted earlier this year by Roar, 127 students told us they feel KCL administration is the aspect of King’s most in need of change. In your introductory video to King’s students, you spoke about how you plan to learn from students and staff in order to implement change. What have you learned thus far through these endeavours, and how do you plan to tackle these issues, whether you believe them to be real/actionable or the result of false perceptions?

Shitij Kapur: Kapur So first, look: it has been a privilege to have started.

It’s also been a privilege to speak to almost 500 staff and students over the last two months. I’ve had nearly 50 meetings in different formats, and of course I’ve also spoken to the formal representatives of the students, the KCLSU. This isn’t a false perception. The last 18 months have been unprecedented in almost everyone’s life. Even if someone is older, they’ve never really lived through anything like this. So these are really difficult and unprecedented times. I’ve heard from staff as well as students- and I’ve heard from both of them about it.

Particularly for students, I think they found the sudden transition to predominantly online education very abrupt. They found there was a certain clunkiness in the procedural dealings with the College. For staff, and with due appreciation for their difficulties, they were used to teaching in a certain way and over a period of two weeks had to overhaul it entirely, so it wasn’t easy for them.

Then, in the midst of all of this, I think what the students talked to me a lot about was about the stress and the mental health issues that [have been] brought up. So these aren’t false perceptions at all; they are real.

Some things will probably improve as we go towards a more normal- or at least, the previous mode of functioning, though things will probably never go back to the way they used to be. But at

least as we come back to campus and the usual campus supports kick in, some of this will probably get better by itself. But I think what this also highlighted are a few areas in particular I’m going to focus on. Given that now, people make much more use of our digital interface, our digital interface has to get much more nimbler [sic]. What students told me, and I found myself - because I mocked as a student myself for some time, trying to make my way across the digital estate - is [that] things are there but they are very hard to find; or if they’re there, they’re not organised in a way that’s easy for students. So look, there’s a big effort being put to remedy that. And the one example I would give you, which should give all of us hope, is the new Students Services Online (SSO) is organised in a much more intuitive and seamless fashion than it used to be organised. But SSO is just one interface, there are many other interfaces. So I think that’s an example where we will and we are improving things.

The other thing that students brought up is the issue of mental health. I’m a psychiatrist, I perhaps understand these things a little bit deeper, and look, it is complex. I think we’ve got to be very careful not to see the issues that students say about mental health in any way from a clinical perspective. This is in many ways a normal response to a very abnormal circumstance. So I think we need to support them, and we not only need the specialist services of psychiatrists and psychologists, but we, I think, need something in-between.

So that’s why we instituted this new service called Togetherall. Togetherall is somewhere between a specialist psychiatrist/psychologist- it’s a selfhelp but also mediated peer service. But within it, you can actually rise up to get specialist help if you need [it]. So in some sense you can curate the ...

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