September 2016
LATITUDE
lookout
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editorial Hi everyone! My name is Hanne (unless you’re Scandinavian it’s probably best if you pretend it’s Hannah…) and I’ll be your editor-in-chief this academic year. Last year was a good one for the magazine, but we’re determined to make this one even better. We want a bigger team of writers, articles on a wider range of topics, and even more fun during the creative process. Hanne Marie Nord Editor-in-Chief
Whether you’re a fresher or coming back for your last year here at Greenwich, I’m sure you’re both excited and a little nervous for what’s in store for you the coming weeks and months. A lot of the articles in this issue hold advice on how to handle the university life, as we all know it can be difficult (but also very exciting) to start, or continue, your time here as a student. As cliché as it sounds (it’s mentioned more than once in the next couple pages) I’d like to remind you to really make the most of your time at university! If you’d like to get involved in our lovely little magazine, we have plenty of spaces for not only creative writers and budding music journalists, but for any student who’d like to try their hand at writing something. Come say hi at our Meet & Greet, the 23rd of September, 5pm in Bar Latitude! If you miss it, there’s always another time to catch up with us. Nh413@greenwich.ac.uk for any questions!
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contents 4. MEET THE TEAM 5. WELCOME BACK TO GREENWICH 6. YOUR SU NEWS 8. SPORTS CLUBS & SOCIETIES 10. ONE FOR THE 3RD YEARS 10. ADVICE FROM A MATURE STUDENT 11. LONDON THROUGH MY INTERNATIONAL EYES 12. ABNORMAL 13. THOUGHT PILLS 14. NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS 15. SUMMER IN LONDON DIARY 15. HOW SPORTS AT UNIVERSITY HELPED ME 16. ANXIETY DIARIES 17. MUSIC REVIEWS 18. COUNTRY MUSIC 19. THE POLITICS OF THEATRE 20. TV REVIEWS 21. WRITER’S SHOWCASE 23. WHAT THE FAQ?
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meet the team MEET & CONTACT THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE LATITUDE LOOKOUT EDITOR IN-CHIEF
MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
CREATIVE SUBMISSIONS EDITOR
Hanne Marie Nord
Diana Lupica
Shakela Begum
This is your Music & Entertainment editor speaking, a third year Media and Communications student, full-time dreamer and part-time taker of sneaky dog pictures. I’m juggling a journalist aspiration along with a calling for activism and a need to start reading eight books at the same time. Might as well mention that I take my movies and TV series pretty seriously (my unlimited Cineworld membership and all eleven devoured seasons of Supernatural can easily prove my point). If you enjoy listening to music, watching films and TV shows or you simply have opinions, then you’re exactly what we’re looking for. So gather round for free gigs, interview passes and cinema tickets, kids. Hit me up!
Hey! I’m Shakela, Latitude’s Creative Subs editor. I am a third year Creative Writing student, flowing with ideas and stories, as well as having skills in editing. Here at Latitude we welcome anyone’s creative work, be it a great short story or poem. You don’t have to be a literature student to enjoy writing – we accept any students story and poetry submissions! My piece of advice to new students is to not be afraid to try something different and step out of your comfort zone. Pushing myself a little more certainly helped with boosting my confidence and having a good time with all of my new friends!
ASSISTANT EDITOR
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
Samia Djilli
Harriet Ruth Jachec
Greta Bielkova
Hi all, my name is Samia and I’m the assistant editor for Latitude this year. I’m in my final year of my Creative Writing degree and have a keen interest in anything to do with film, theatre, and of course writing. I’d love to see more articles in Latitude that revolve around art and performance, and I’d love to get a wide variation of perspectives included. Come and write for us and share your interests, everybody is welcome!
Hello! I’m Harriet, this year’s Associate Editor for Lookout. I’m a third year Literature student so I’ve got a lot of experience in creating and editing content. We love to see fresh and exciting pieces of work from our fellow students at Greenwich. Don’t worry if you aren’t an English student or Creative Writer – no matter your field or interests, your writing is totally welcome here at Latitude Lookout! My one piece of advice to any fresher reading this is to be yourself (cliché as it sounds, but it’s so tiresome putting on a mask and acting differently). I found like-minded people who were also as overly dramatic and as loud as me in first year!
Hello amigos, I’m Greta and I am the new Social Media editor. This year I am so excited about literally everything because it’s my last year of Media and Communications (insert all of the sad faces here)! I will also organise some socials for you people so I can’t wait to meet everybody. I hope that this year we can make this magazine our most successful yet, but also get to know each other and have fun in the process. Writing is a dear friend of mine and I am sure we will be able to work around topics we can all enjoy reading. I absolutely love to write, mainly about travel, gigs, sport and every day light-hearted articles because I’m a big goofball. If you like any of the above, come say hi! My advice to you? Take your time to enjoy everything because it’ll go really fast.
Hi again! I started writing for Latitude Lookout last year, and wrote feature articles for the printed issues, as well as gig reviews and music interviews for the website. Working with the magazine has already given me great experiences and many new friendships, and I hope the next year will offer up more of that for both you and me. Taking the step up to the Editor-in-chief position is going to be a challenge, next to finishing my degree in Creative Writing, but I’m looking forward to it, and hope you want to help me out by writing some amazing articles, or by reading, and spreading the word. My advice for Freshers? Don’t limit yourself, neither in friendships nor interests. Meet new people, and try new things!
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Welcome (back) to Greenwich! BY BECKIE CLARKSTONE
If you’re a complete newbie, excited to delve into the university life for the first time, hello and welcome. If you’re entering your second year, ready to dive deeper into subjects; or you’re jumping into your final year, with thoughts divided between ‘when should I study’ and ‘it would be nice to have a garden in my new place’ – welcome back! This academic year will be great, and maybe slightly stressful, but we can all power through. From the work anxiety and food faux pas I’ve lived through from my first year, I feel I (and my immune system) can handle just about anything. September is an interesting month: dreaded by some, or for those like me, could have come already in July. Starting or returning to campus life is a bittersweet time of realisation about how different it is from being at home, but once that thought has swiftly passed, the new ‘I love university’-mentality settles quickly, and makes a home for itself in your brain. As a returning student, here are a few pointers I have picked up along the way, to try and help you through this initial stage of university.
First, about food, health, and wellbeing: No, unfortunately, your brain does not happily and efficiently run on takeaway food, alcohol, and late nights. Throughout your degree you’re going to have to eat your greens. Since you’re here to LEARN (sometimes easy to forget, like when you’re in Soho and can’t even remember your name, or how to walk), you need general health to be able to cope with the brain load that you are going to use, and to be able to haul books around that weigh more than you do.
Along with a decent diet, there is the obvious ‘exercise often’-mantra, but maybe equally, or even more important, is your mental health! Remember that it’s not expected of anyone to deal with mental problems in solitude. Our university offers counselling to get you through the rough patches. Don’t be worried about emailing them to see what they can help you with, whether your struggle has to do with ‘minor’ issues of stress and anxiety, all the way to eating disorders or depression.
Next up – domestic chores: Not only do you need to study to earn your degree, find friends, and create a sturdy support network. You also need to run a household (well, it sure does feel like it sometimes). Squeezing in doing laundry, washing dishes, hoovering and cleaning into your week can seem daunting, but by making a rough plan you can ensure plenty of time for everything. Also, you totally have permission to forget all chores on the occasional Saturday, and especially during exam periods. Everyone needs a day off every now and then.
Now, let’s talk about friends:
learned one thing since starting here, it is to not fret about friends. One piece of advice that I go back to over and over, is from the wise and wonderful Dr. Seuss and his ‘Oh the Places You’ll Go’: “Out there things can happen, and frequently do, to people as brainy and footsy as you. And when things start to happen, don’t worry, don’t stew. Just go right along, you’ll start happening too”. From this I understand that there’s no need to worry about making friends – or even general life worries – because the less you think, and the more you learn to go along with it, everything will just happen, and turn out in ways you could never have imagined.
Lastly, let me remind you to make the most of it: For me, as a returning second year student, one thing I’m very excited to do again is to explore London. Home to me is essentially fields, farmland and countryside, so London is an incredibly opportunistic second home – and I wouldn’t choose anywhere else. Another exciting point is the sport opportunities that the Students Union offers. One of my new term resolutions is to join a crazy new sport, a team one if possible. Exploring new places, learning new sports, meeting new people, along with learning new things about something you’re interested in, is all part of what university really is about: new experiences, and the independence and personal growth it comes with. All this gives me self-belief that after finishing my degree, I will have a solid foundation and the confidence to go out into the big, scary world, and make a success out of it, even though I right now only have faint ideas of what career I want in the future. I know I’ll be ready for it, and so will you.
My main worry for when I moved to university was that I wouldn’t be able to make friends, but if I’ve
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your su news #HelloGreenwich
I wouldn’t have the skills I have now or met some of my best friends without it and so I am reaching out to you to get involved now and make your life, university experience and future prospects easier, more equal, less stressful and more importantly worthwhile. The SU is more than just bars and nightlife whilst you are at University, we are a charity that hopes to empower you to have life changing experiences that shape your future and the world around you and we do this through various different services. We are a student led organisation which means myself and the officer team have been students just like you. We are elected by students every year to represent your views within the University, across the local community and even on a national level through our work with NUS. This is the best time of year to get involved with your SU as it is the time we showcase our services and the other students involved best. With huge Freshers Fairs on Greenwich and Avery Hill campuses you are able to access various opportunities; from the chance to meet different sports teams and societies, to being able to have a chat with one of our 15 elected officers or speak to hundreds of volunteers to see where you could find something to get involved in!
#HelloGreenwich, the next chapter of your life starts here. Whether you are a new student or continuing your degree with us, it is a new year and a chance for a new start. Over the next few weeks you will be fed a huge amount of information, see lots of new faces and most likely try a lot of new things. Your Students’ Union will hopefully be one of them! The Students’ Union wants to reach out to every student and make the most of their time at Greenwich and what better time for you to get involved than right at the beginning?
For those of you who are returning to Greenwich and may have had no interest in the SU in the past, it is never too late to get involved, I didn’t get involved in the Union till my second year when I became student staff and since then I have never looked back! As many of your parents may have said to you before, you can’t knock it till you’ve tried it. So try it! Anyway that’s enough from me, do pick up a Latitude Lookout each time they come out! There will be a bit on all your elected officers and our campaigns, so you can keep up to date with what’s on and even more opportunities at Greenwich. Have a great Freshers and good luck! Scarlett Dempsey President 2015-16
You may be wondering what a Students’ Union is and what is it we exactly do? Well it would be bragging to say almost everything to enhance your student life outside of studying but it’s not that far from the truth! The Students’ Union was one of the best parts of my student experience and
Follow me on Twitter @PresGreenwich , find me on Facebook , and of course follow your Students’ Union @sugreenwich
your sabbatical officers Each year, students have the opportunity to vote for your four Full Time Sabbatical Officers. These Officers are students just like you, whom you elect to serve for a one year term. They represent you in all official ways and don’t forget – YOUR voice is what matters, so don’t wait for Elections to make yourself heard! www.suug.co.uk/studentvoice 6 SIX - WWW.SUUG.CO.UK/MEDIA
Scarlett Dempsey
Luke Ellis
Vivian van Lent
Louis Hale
President
VP Welfare
VP Education
VP Student Activities
president@gre.ac.uk
vp.welfare@gre.ac.uk
vp.education@gre.ac.uk
vp.activities@gre.ac.uk
@PresGreenwich SUUGPresident
@VPWGreenwich vpwgreenwich
@VPEGreenwich vivian.vpeducation
@VPSAGreenwich louis.vpactivities
Chill on the Hill
Your Hall Your Call
TEACHING EXCELLENCE FRAMEWORK This year the government announced a Higher Education bill that will lead to the biggest change in Higher Education in over a decade. This bill proposed the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). This is a framework that will see the government monitoring and assessing the quality of teaching within England’s Universities. The rating system of this framework is likely to be linked with a raise of tuition fees. Your Vice President Education Vivian believes that excellent teaching is a right for students, as is education, and there should not be a price tag on this! She has work hard to ensure that students are being treated as partners in this process by submitting a technical response to the government and lobbying local MPs to attend the second bill reading. She has also lobbied the University and successfully secured a student task group that will be used for direct student consultation for the final TEF submission in December. So if you want to have a saying about your education and get involved in this campaign contact Vivian at v.vanlent@gre.ac.uk.
Student Safety! With the safety of our students being prioritised by your Vice President Welfare Luke, I need a quiet word please. a campaign has been launched around the use of a Yellow Card. Your VP Welfare has set up an initiative in which you can show your yellow card in all SU outlets and have confidence that your matter will be addressed. Not only this, but a new nce to experie never have You shouldhas email been created (nightout@gre.ac.uk) in touching. sexual harassment or unwanted which you are encouraged to email should you face any problem at all – no problem is too big, or small.
able? Is someone making you feel uncomfort your consent? Is someone touching you without ? sexual or aggressive comments Is someone making unwanted
Show me to a steward, door person or a member of the bar staff.
contact: For further support on these issues ce@gre.ac.uk The SUUG advice team: suugadvi Rape crisis: 0808 802 9999 101 Police: litan Metropo The
TEAM GREENICH
Keep me in your purse or wallet
There are loads of developments already with Team Greenwich this year, Northern Trust are sponsoring us to provide new competitive playing kits for our fixtures and we are electing our new Team Greenwich Exec to represent everyone involved in sport at Greenwich. Why not have a chat directly to our clubs at the Freshers Fairs! You could call your VP Student Activities if you want to get more involved or find the staff team at the renewed Activities Helpdesk in Avery Hill.
Getting sick of The Dome being the only place you can go to relax on Avery Hill? This year your SU President, Scarlett, is going to be working with you to find out what you need in terms of social space on Avery Hill. We will be offering numerous opportunities for you to have your say on what you would like and nothing is out of limits! With new student hubs coming to Medway and Greenwich it’s time to start asking what’s next for Avery Hill.
#REPRESENTTHESTUDENTBODY
Students’ feedback is the key to improve and assure a good student experience! The University and your VP Education Vivian therefore find it so important to hear back from students. To improve this contact stream she spent most of her summer working with the Student Voice team and the University to create a new Programme Representative Booklet and Training Programme. All to ensure that the programme representatives get all the confidence and support they need to become a strong and successful representative that will deliver the best for their cohort! Do you want to know more about this opportunity? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with Vivian or the Student Voice team.
Free Periods are back!
Last year’s Campaign Of The Year is coming back to Greenwich for 16/17, our President and Womens Officer will be working with Boots to ensure Greenwich students have access to free sanitary products across campus throughout the year. The campaign grew out of standing in solidarity with the national campaign to remove tax from all sanitary products and was a huge success. No one should have to choose between dinner and hygiene and so if you need products pop into your SU toilets and pick some up!
Your VP Welfare,Luke, is seeking to put student voices back in the way that halls are run. With ongoing issues, low quality and rising prices, it is clear that the University needs to know what you want from halls. Therefore, with help from you, your Students’ Union will be producing a report to submit to the University detailing what you expect from Halls. After all, you pay to live there so why shouldn’t you have a say in how they should be run? Look out throughout the year for a survey, vlogs and multiple stalls for your chance to have a say in what you want!
Ever had a great idea for the SU or the University but don’t know where to go with it? This year we will be launching our Change One Thing online platform that will allow you to submit ideas and start making the change you want to see. If you can find just 30 students who are interested in the same idea, policy or campaign our sabbatical officers will have to take it up for you. We are hoping that this platform allows students to shape their Union, so if you have a thought, hold on to it and keep an eye out on our website!
Societies@ Greenwich
Societies@Greenwich have had a very strong start this year, with Five new societies set up within the past couple of weeks. There will also be a Societies@Greenwich Exec representing and working for everyone involved in our amazing student groups. Get in touch with your VP Student Activities, come and see our staff team in our new Activities Office at Greenwich or come see all our groups at the Freshers Fairs – there’s loads to get involved in so what are you waiting for? WWW.SUUG.CO.UK/MEDIA - SEVEN 7
WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO MAKE THE MOST OF UNI?
sports clubs & societies! BY BETH SEDDON President of the Events Society and Cheerleading team member
Coming to university is a super stressful experience, but joining a Club or Society can help you settle in, meet people, gain skills and have fun. There are nearly 100 groups to choose from, so you’ll be able to find something that suits you, whether it’s learning first aid with Greenwich Links, raising money for charity with RAG, debating the world around you with politics or watching the classics of animation with Disney.
As well as societies for all sorts of interests there are plenty of options for different groups whether you’re LGBT, Sikh, Vegan, or studying law. There are 16 sports clubs where you can compete at a national level or just join in to stay active. And you can do as much or as little as you like!
out wherever needed. I’ve enjoyed it so much, I’m now the president of the society and have loads of great plans for the year ahead to help new society members enjoy themselves as well as gain event experience!
I am also a member of the Cheerleading team. This has honestly been the best risk I have ever taken! I have never been a sporty person, and was so nervous to join a sports team, but every team has a range of different levels and is open to everyone with any ability! Cheerleading is such an amazing hobby to have alongside my degree, and the friends I have made and the experiences I have had through doing this are some of the best I could ever wish for! Being part of both a sports team and a society has definitely helped me settle into uni and make the most of both my degree and my experience. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone! Honestly, just get involved! The more you put in, the more you get out. 100%!
I joined the Events Society in my first year when I arrived at university. It transformed my uni experience as it’s where I met most of my closest friends who I have had so many great times with at our events and socials! It was great to have a chance to get to know second and third years who could give me advice on what to expect in the years ahead and who could help me
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societies Accounting Activist Society Adult Nursing African & Caribbean Society (ACS) Airsoft Alternative Investment Management Amnesty International Anime & Games Atheist & Secularist Avery Hill Christian Community BAME Unified Banking & Financial Institutions Bible Reading Bollywood Bright Futures Bulgarian Society CathSoc (Catholic Society) Chess Christian Union Climbing & Mountaineering Commercial Awareness CompSoc CoppaFeel Creative Film Creative Writing Criminology CSSA-Greenwich Dance Debating Disney Economics & Business Ethical Hackers Events Feminism GLAS (Landscape & Architecture) Greenwich International Greenwich LINKS Greenwich Sustainability Society Greenwich Vegans GUMSSoc Malaysian and Singoporean Hindu History
HRM & Psychology Islamic Jammin’ KPOP Latitude Lookout Latitude Radio Law LGBT+ Marekting MathSoc Mature Students Network Mauritian Mental Health Nursing Midwifery Model UN Mooting Multi-Lingual Café Nepalese Paramedic Science Performing Arts Photography Pluralism in Economics Pole Fitness Politics Pool PR Fraternity Psychedelic Psychology RAG (Raise & Give) Romanian Sikh Snowsports Social Work Society Tourism Trading and Investment Trips UNICEF on Campus UoG SubContinentSoc Vietnamese
sports clubs
American Football Archery Badminton (Men’s & Mixed) Basketball (Men’s & Mixed) Cheerleading Cricket Equestrian and Polo Hockey (Men’s, Women’s & Mixed) Lacrosse
Men’s Football Netball Rugby Union (Men’s & Women’s) Ultimate Frisbee Volleyball Women’s Football
Nominations Open: 1st September, 12noon
All University of Greenwich students on the three main campuses can stand and vote in the elections. This is your chance to get involved and make a difference.
Faculty Officer Do you want to make a change during your university experience? Are you outgoing and reliable with an interest in representation? Then why not run to be elected as a Faculty Officer for your Faculty. Be the voice of students within your Faculty, representing your peers’ opinions and interests, address issues that impact the quality of their experience at University and more.
Medway Officer If you live or exclusively study at our Medway campus we need you! Represent Medway students’ views and opinions throughout the whole of the Students’ Union’s work, provide the Medway student’s perspective on all matters concerning the Union and the University and ensure there is a regular forum/group where Medway Campus Students can meet as your SU’s Medway Officer.
NUS Rep Democratically debate motions and pass policy from students' unions across the UK, hold the current leadership to account for their work over the past year, discuss, amend and approve policy reports from each of the NUS' five 'Zones' and much more besides as Greenwich’s NUS Delegates.
Nominate yourself now at www.suug.co.uk/elections until the 4th October 2016, 3pm
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ONE FOR THE 3RD YEARS BY HANNE MARIE NORD Watching a bunch of our friends get their dissertation grades, and saying their last goodbyes to university before the summer, probably has us all a little panicked for when it’s our turn. One academic year left - it’s basically over already. Soon it’s our turn to smile with joy and drink ourselves silly in celebration. But, also, soon it’s our turn to slowly spiral into an existential crisis. We’ve seen our friends trying to get jobs that pay enough for them to stay in London, while others consider going home to their families for a while, or at least their hometowns, or even somewhere else entirely. I’m terrified because I’m already wondering the same, and because I have so many options. There’s a whole universe of choices out there, and how do we know what’s really what we
want, or what’s best for us? How do we know whether to continue studying, to try and find a graduate job, or to take a year to travel and work freelance, is the right choice? The possibilities are infinite, and all a little scary. For now, all I know is that we have to make this last year as undergrads count for even more than we did the previous years. The thought of all the hours we have to spend in the library, alongside part time jobs and other responsibilities, is daunting, but has to be done. And to be honest, I’m really looking forward to it. Let’s all make the next year a great one, see where it takes us, and cross our fingers we’ll know before the end of it what we want to do next.
ADVICE FROM A
mature student BY ANNE JAMES You young freshers must be sick of advice from people like me – at 54 I’m old enough to be mother, or even grandmother, to most of you. You’ve heard how important education is, how vital it is to get a good degree if you want to get on in the world, and how these next few years will change the course of your life. That’s true, but there’s more to it.
development. Most of you will have no children to care for, no mortgage to pay, no long-term partner to consider. When you’re not earning money, you can give yourself up to the contemplation of your subject. You will have time to read in depth about your area of study, a luxury that you are unlikely to appreciate and which you may never have again.
I don’t envy the young generation. The world of work is unpredictable, and here in the UK we find ourselves in a time of economic, social and political uncertainty. Under those circumstances young people are under intense pressure to do well, whatever that means. Have you been taught, I wonder, among the effort to gain A-levels or your national equivalent, how important education is for its own sake? I see lots of commentary in the media about degrees providing ‘value for money,’ but that is not only reflected in your marks. The ability to think and analyse gives you a chance to make sense of the world, and exposure to higher education will give you that capability - if you let it.
The things that make human beings happy haven’t changed; friendship, family, relationships. You’ve probably recently left your family home, your country perhaps, and feel alone as never before. What you have to remember is that it needn’t be lonely. I speak as a Londoner born and bred; whatever interests you, you’ll find something to feed it here. Spending the actual minutes and hours of your life doing something that you love is a large part of happiness.
What you have before you is a dedicated period of time that you can devote to your intellectual
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Lastly, please believe me when I tell you that the kind of human being you are, is ultimately more important than any piece of knowledge the university can give you. The way you care for yourself and treat others makes you what you are, not the grades you get.
London
THROUGH MY INTERNATIONAL EYES LONDON, LIKE ANY OTHER PLACE ON THIS PLANET WE CALL EARTH, HAS ITS MANY PERKS, BUT IT CAN ALSO BE PAINFULLY IRRITATING. FOR AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT, MOVING TO A DIFFERENT COUNTRY IS TRICKY. NOW, MULTIPLY THAT TRICKINESS BY ABOUT A THOUSAND WHEN YOU MOVE TO A PLACE LIKE LONDON.
Mariama Diallo, Germany: I had no idea what to expect of this weird, gigantic anomaly of a place. I had lived in other cities and had just got back from a long, super energising Vitamin-Dboosting trip through Latin America. Living day to day with pure moments full of life in a surreal lucid dream of freedom; alive, awake, and kind of unsophisticated. I came here on a whim, not knowing a huge amount about the city.
Greta Bielkova, Slovakia: Clear your mind and tell me the first three words that come into your head when when I say ‘London’. What are they? Big? Intimidating? Messy, perhaps? I remember the first time I visited London very clearly. It was just spectacular. I was so excited about to make everything – the rush, the size, its capability me feel like an ant. I was also about 12 years old. Truthfully, London was like no other place I have ever visited before. From then on, I would always strive to do well, just so I could go to university here. A few years later, that determination paid off and I was proudly carrying a number of bags through Liverpool Street Station, just in time to start my first year at university. That’s exactly when the change from an excitable tourist to an irritable Londoner began. I used to love seeing the rush hour, seeing everybody move so fast and not be bothered by anything. Now I understand that everybody is actually bothered by everything, and I specifically plan my journeys to avoid going to battle with the United Nations at underground level.
I hate the fact that when I make unfortunate eye contact with a stranger, or God forbid, smile at somebody, I am a viewed as either 1: a weirdo, 2: a horrible flirt, or 3: a security threat. However, I love that London has the ability to make you feel like you’re not in London at all. If I get lost somewhere in Hampstead Heath or Richmond Park, I can never believe that such a huge green place can be located in one of the world’s biggest cities. I love how London can be so familiar and make you feel welcomed. With so many people from all over this planet choosing to come here, there is literally a street or a place somewhere around that is going to remind you of home. For me, I usually just need to visit a big food market or a nice flower garden. I never struggled with big cultural differences, even though everything differs. It just may be that it is easy for me to adapt to new places. The only thing I feel bad about is that I seem to take London for granted. I lost my excitement for the city. It’s easy to forget the beauty of this place if you live here. I hope to find it again soon. Although, complaining about London is actually exactly what makes you a Londoner. At the end of the day, everybody knows that on the inside, they really love it here.
Sometimes it felt as if London would destroy me, which she did not, but she really, really kicked me in the behind. Sometimes I was convinced that at least ninety nine percent of imaginable factors that I enjoy about life had abandoned me – too big and full to be relaxed, too expensive to be spontaneous. One overcast, rainy, windy day followed another, overshadowing my mood. Hail storms in May! While London digested my enthusiasm, her cold wet breath shouted in my face, listing all the things I thought I had learned in life and made them look completely ridiculous. One of the things that I am still learning to accept is that she’s got her own mind and soul, and that’s unchangeable. And that’s okay because I’ve got my own too. There is loads of stuff that I will probably always find frustrating and annoying, but I also know that we’re not meant to be forever, like some kind of long, deep, excessive love affair. Unhealthy maybe, but at least precious and irreplaceable. There have been some pretty rough times, but I never regret my decision to have come here. I am way too grateful for all the strength, growth, and love I’ve come to discover and develop. I think I love her a bit now. We have a very intense hate-love-relationship, London and I. It took me a while to learn how not to get lost, geographically, and even more with myself. London is packed with fun stuff, unbelievable people and crazy opportunities, sometimes so many of them that it’s not only exhausting but kind of scary. Once you’ve learned to focus and take everything step by step, she can be quite a babe, this London. I’m not sure that she’s my type though. I guess knowing where you don’t fit/ belong/want to be is a pretty good step into knowing where you do, and that can be good motivation. I have one more year here, and I think I’m getting the hang of her. WWW.SUUG.CO.UK/MEDIA - ELEVEN 11
Abnormal BY TOM MAYFIELD
A face that looks happy but is not. It hides its secrets and diverts the thoughts in a social environment. Through the smile - into the soul lies your true feelings - accessed by your eyes. Smiles create a façade but your eyes ring true. The eyes are a portal into the depths of your soul. Through eyes come truth. How are you feeling? Don’t look to the smile, look through the smile into the eyes and you will see truth. The person with the smile doesn’t want you to see, for whatever reason it’s not to their liking. To not see is to be ignorant. To see and not do is ignorant. To see and do is ignorant. If you don’t know the person with the screen smile you may not say, or you may. Who am I, or you, or they to say. Who knows anything truly? To judge is to be ignorant. To guess is to be ignorant. But what then? It leaves you at a stand still. A cross roads of ignorance. People are cynical and life is corrupt - in that, ignorance is bliss. A lifetime is absolute but our souls are not perceiving what happens when our physical self expires is to guess. A viscous cycle with this in mind pollutes my thoughts. To live in ignorance is easy. Or is it? You are stuck in a rotating void of repression where you are given the thought of being free. You are told what freedom is. So you live by it, leading
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the ‘simple life’, striving towards your checklist of life that you have been given by society. Some people, or the majority, live for a house, car, dog, family, a shed, a garden. Then you have it. Something to live for. Success. Society as a whole has declared that if you don’t have it, you’re out of the clique, frowned upon and looked down on. To live a different way to the way that we do would be ideal to some, but what is that way? And will it work for the majority? For we have the ability, but we do not have the want. Humans, though complex in emotions, are simple in needs. The reason we live in this fallacy is because we are content. Content with not knowing. Not knowing what life could be like. Because, after all, we are controlled. We are in a giant bubble of mass disarray without the ability to break out. The ‘intellects’ have put us in this bubble, surrounding us with screens, deluding our minds creating an adverse reality, popularizing consumerism and making us think of the little problems shrouding us from the bigger picture. Every day hundreds of millions of people wake up to the same rinse and repeat. Why?
Thought Pills
WHO YOU ARE VS WHO YOU WISH YOU ARE BY ROB HENDERSON
‘Don’t front’, is the advice that motivational speaker, entrepreneur and businessman Gary Vaynerchuk gives to his millions of YouTube subscribers and dedicated readers. Discovering ‘who you wish you are’ is probably the main reason you’ve enrolled at University: it’s that first vital step in becoming the person you hope you can be, who you believe you can be. Success is so close to us all, but for many it will always be untouchable, unreachable and most likely unachievable - unless you release the constraints that society often holds us by, and begin to consider what success really means to you. My intuition tells me that it’s all about truth. Be true to what you represent and who you really are, define yourself by your passions, your interests and channel this through your degree. You’ve arrived in a city of opportunity and it’s incredibly crucial to be aware of your macro environment here. Immerse yourself in University life, but consider the bigger picture London is calling.
Elon Musk, CEO and founding-partner of Tesla Motors stated in an interview that he believes we already live in a simulated reality. His logic suggests that taking into account the acceleration of technological advances, virtual reality must already have replaced actual reality. How is this relevant? Because no matter what you’re seeing, it’s most likely not reality. What most people want you to see is the good stuff. They don’t want you to see the flipside, but it’s the flipside that forms the grit and it forms who we are. In an age of social media façade, where we choose to fabricate Instagram feeds to show the world ‘who we are’ when truly, deep down it’s far from that. It’s refreshing to be real.
Life is about sacrifice, and the more you sacrifice now, the more likely you are to reap rewards in the near future. Show those around you the truth, be the person that you wish to be because believe it or not that is you. So it comes back to the ‘Don’t Front’. Don’t let anything affect your intuition, don’t let anyone, any group, or any expectations mould your personality, because eventually you’ll succeed in doing what you love. Being who you wish you are isn’t necessarily gaining outright success, but for many of you achieving success will be in the forefront of your mind over the next three years. Many people gauge success through the money they earn or the positions they obtain, but consider this: if you only have ten pounds in your pocket you’re more likely to give away or donate 10% because it’s only £1, if you’re fortunate to have £100,000 in your pocket you’re certainly more reluctant to give away that same 10%. Consider what’s important to you, and protect it.
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none of their business BY CECILIA CAMPANALE The definition of slut is ‘sexually active woman’. In the society we now live in, slut is often and mainly used as an insult to describe women and young girls who have multiple sexual partners without the involvement of an emotional commitment. In simple terms, you are singled out as a slut if you sleep around. Whilst men are respected, encouraged, and even admired when they get to have more sexual partners, women don’t receive the same treatment. A girl with strong confidence in her sexuality and sensuality has to worry about what people might think or say about her. The phenomenon of slut-shaming is unfortunately a recurrent element in our society. A girl can be slut-shamed for the way she dresses, her sexual activity, or even for her opinions and ideas. So girls are judged and insulted if they have multiple sexual partners, if they dress ‘too sexually’ for the society standard, if they openly admit they watch porn, if they are open about masturbation. But the question is why? The reason might be the fact that men, or even other women, are intimidated by a girl who is comfortable with her sexuality and is confident enough to fully embrace it. Today’s society has constructed a taboo around sex and sexual confidence, stopping women and young girls from feeling comfortable with their physical and emotional needs. The taboo itself has caused society to give an exaggerated importance to sexual reputation, as if something like that actually exists and matters. If someone’s reputation is ‘stained’, it impacts their life, defines their personality, and devalues their other qualities. At university in particular, female students are often slut-shamed because of their sexuality, and people tend to consider them easy and vulgar, forgetting and ignoring the fact that sexual activity does not define their person. Fresher’s Week is mainly known in all the British universities as a week of fun, that among other things includes alcohol, wild parties, and occasional drunk sex with strangers. Casual fresher sex might be something you are going to regret, but not because it is wrong to have sex with someone whose political views you know nothing about. It is apparently difficult to understand that girls have the possibility of
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not being emotionally attached to every single person they sleep with. It is hard to understand that a girl has the full control over her own body, and that it is her own personal business to decide what to do with it. On the other hand, it is fairly easy to look at a guy who sleeps with different girls and call him a lad, a player, someone cool to hang out with. Guys, in particular at university, don’t have to worry about being promiscuous, as society already expects them to be sexual beings. In addition to this, whilst living in university halls it is quite common to witness the infamous Walk of Shame. It might be funny to witness someone sneaking out of a flat with the same outfit they wore the night before, but there is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. However, our society shames girls for actively deciding to have fun without any emotional commitment, for fulfilling a physical desire and need, for willingly deciding what to do with their own bodies. Our society really is full of contradictions. Women are hyper sexualised everywhere, from the twerkchallenge to the keep-something-in-your-boob challenge. In movies, music videos, TV shows, and adverts, women are in fact represented as sexual objects in a misogynistic way, but the moment a girl decides to explore her sexuality in a healthy and respectful way and fully embrace it, she is immediately shamed and insulted. As men have physical desires and needs towards women or other men, women do too, but people seem to fail to see it. This societal double standard of not seeing the sexes equally is a deeply ingrained sexism. People might say that sexism is a mere construction of angry feminists trying to put up a fight because it’s fashionable nowadays, but that’s not the reality of the situation. Different sexes are objectively treated differently, and everyone needs to try their best to change it. It is hard to say how the stigma of being a sexually active girl at university can be fought, but here’s a piece of advice for every fresher girl: do your best in class, make friends, and have the time of your life – sexually active or not. People will judge you regardless, so don’t forget that whatever you do, it’s none of their business!
HOW SPORTS AT UNIVERSITY HELPED ME
SUMMER IN LONDON DIARY BY SHAKELA B.
Monday
The sun hits the city and the sky is cloudless. Everyone is in a good mood, except for the ones who hate the heat. I spend my day at Regents Park, not necessarily sunbathing, but exploring. After that, an ice cream is a must.
Tuesday
Lovely walk through the canal to Camden Lock. I make my way through the endless market stalls, catching whiffs of incense or noodles and sweet chilli chicken. There are so many items on display, like an endless museum. You can get lost here.
Wednesday
I meet my friend at Trafalgar Square. From there we walk in the direction of St. Paul’s Cathedral, chitchatting about life. We pass Somerset House on this walk, which brings back memories of ice skating there as a child. We also pass a barber shop in Fleet Street, in fact it’s “The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”! We notice London’s stunning architecture, and the way the old meets new in the city. It was a great day.
Thursday
Lazy day spent on Youtube and watching Breaking Bad (yes, I know I’m late). We all have those days, okay?
BY LOUIS HALE
What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of University? Exams, lectures, perhaps even your overdraft?! Well for me, I think of the awesome people I’ve met, the truly breathtaking things I’ve been able to try, and more specifically, how playing sport here has changed my life for the better. I’m privileged to be the VP Student Activities this year, and I get to see some of the great things that Team Greenwich and Societies@Greenwich get up to. Sport at the University has changed my life: from taking part, to becoming the President of the American Football team last year. It has all been transformative. I started as a partner college student at Bexley College and I ended up doing three years instead of two because I had to re-sit some modules. In my third and final year at Bexley, I had some spare time on my hands. I decided I’d use it to my advantage and try to get a head start on making some more friends at Greenwich. I’ve always enjoyed American Football but I’d only ever watched it up until that point. So I signed up and dove straight in. It was a turning point in my story. I feel so much better prepared for the world and for my degree. I know that success is on the cards for me however I choose to define it.
Saturday
If you look around you’ll find people that encourage you to give your best effort. Try something new. Develop yourself. You’ll find these kinds of people everywhere here at Greenwich. My advice to you is to find your vessel. Whether that’s one of our Union student groups, your classmates, or your hobby. They’re all pieces of the jigsaw that is your life. My pieces were all jumbled up, and joining a student group was the piece that lead me to the job I hold now and I consider myself truly blessed because of it.
Though summer was fun, I’m looking forward to winding down in autumn and bathing in all its colours.
This tale of learning, transformation, and growing as a person, is not exclusive to American Football. Nor is it exclusive to just sports teams. These things are a direct result of taking a step into the big unknown that is University. Sports was my way of navigating University, my job now is to help you find yours. I look forward to hearing from you.
Friday
With my cousins, we take to the park for a good game of rounders. I got out of the game early, but I kept the team motivated (screaming, jumping, running wild). We have a barbeque set up and food cooking. The only thing to ruin the day is the rain that follows.
Sunny day in Spitalfields. My friend and I find ourselves a part of a free art tour around the area. Some of the artists themselves are there too, to talk about their pieces of public art. It’s cool to stumble on London’s stories and art.
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Anxiety Diaries IF YOU HAVE EVER SUFFERED FROM ANXIETY, YOU’LL KNOW HOW EVERYTHING CAN BECOME A CHORE. I CAN BARELY EVEN WRITE THIS ARTICLE NOW. BUT I’M DOING IT – SOMETIMES YOU’LL DO ANYTHING TO DISTRACT YOURSELF FROM THE WEIRD ACHE YOU GET INSIDE. BY HARRIET JACHEC
Having a mental illness can make you very cynical about the help offered. It’s natural to have that mind-set after years of suffering without any real answers to your problems. Speaking from personal experience, it can be very challenging seeking help, as articulating the problem to others can become a hurdle. Mental illness is a complex concept – you can’t just hold up your anxiety in front of the doctor. It’s rare to get a straightforward answer to your problem, as mental illness is such an abstract notion. I think one of the hardest things for me has been dealing with other people’s expectations. It’s difficult explaining why I have to eat at certain times, or walk certain routes, to my friends or even my Mum. Some people just don’t understand, but I know they still love me.
There are times when the claw of anxiety can have such a grip on you, it’s hard to do even the most basic of tasks. There were days, particularly at school, where I couldn’t walk into the canteen with all those people there, so I would sneak my lunch into the library. I ended up hanging out there a lot more often than I thought I would. You tend to discover places of solitude. Your first panic attack makes you think that you are dying. I thought I was having a heart attack. There are real physical symptoms – dizziness, heart palpitations, chest pain. Some breathe through their panic attacks, but it can hit you suddenly like a tidal wave. I once had a panic attack in class, excused myself, and practically ran out of the door to the nurse’s office downstairs. I wept on the patient bed like a Disney princess. I wanted to run a marathon, my heart was pumping that hard.
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People can misunderstand anxiety. There are many who think that people who suffer from it are just seeking attention. In comparison to physical illnesses, mental illnesses are not taken as seriously, as society is not yet fully aware or educated on such matters. In my opinion, mental health issues should be more widely discussed in secondary school PSHE lessons, as this would have made my classmates and me more aware of the extent to which they can overtake your life. This could prevent narrowmindedness about the subject in the future. This ignorance is widespread over the internet, with trolls making fun of people who may be ‘triggered’ by sensitive material, such as rape, violence, and sexual harassment. For example, people with PTSD may not be able to simply ‘log off’ from those who harass them online, as the mental effects for what they have been through are long term.
Sometimes it does feel like the world is against you, but you can find others that will make you realise you are not suffering alone. It feels so good to be surrounded by like-minded people, and chances are you’ll find someone at University, where there are a multitude of students from different walks of life. And know as well, that the teachers are looking out for you. That surprised me – how the teachers truly care. I know that I went into lectures on my first day expecting people to think of you as completely independent, or even alone. But here, there is always someone to confide in. Straight away, you may doubt your ability to succeed. But with the right people surrounding you, and teachers making sure you do well without feeling too pressured, everything can turn out pretty okay.
Death of an icon
For more help and information, check out the following: The SU’s webpage, Mental Health and Wellbeing: http://www.suug.co.uk/ welfare/health/mentalhealth/ Counselling from the University of Greenwich: http://www2.gre.ac.uk/ study/support/counselling Useful contacts for the duration of your studies with UoG: http://www. suug.co.uk/welfare/usefulinfo/ And for counselling outside of Uni, Greenwich Time to Talk has some lovely people who may be able to help you out with depression, anxiety, or just to have someone to talk to and advise action plans for your day-to-day student experience: http://oxleas.nhs. uk/services/service/greenwich-timeto-talk/ Greenwich Time to Talk phone number: 020 3260 1100 MIND.org: http://www.mind.org.uk
music
Max Jury HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ALBUMS COMING SOON BY JANEK SCHERCH
EXPECT THIS AUTUMN TO BE FILLED TO THE BRIM WITH GREAT MUSIC. TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB, BON IVER AND EVEN GREEN DAY ARE COMING OUT WITH NEW STUFF. SO GET PUMPED. BY DIANA LUPICA
Bon Iver, 22, A Million - Out September 30 The American indie folk band is finally coming out with new music, four years after the release of their self titled sophomore album. The long awaited follow up is to be as soothing and mental as you imagined if we judge by the two songs released in August, titled “22 (OVER S∞∞N)” and “10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⚄ ⚄”. Creative titles aside, the upcoming full-length album is described in a statement to the press as “a collection of sacred moments, love’s torment and salvation, contexts of intense memories, signs that you can pin meaning onto or disregard as coincidence.” Excited yet? I know I am.
The Mowgli’s, Where’d Your Weekend Go – Out September 30 The alternative rock feel-good band is back at it at the end of this month with more merry tunes. They seem to be playing it safe with Where’d Your Weekend Go and I’m not even mad about it. We get a taste of it with Spacin Out, which made its way onto Youtube, making days brighter and smiles bigger.
or 2002. Overlooking the trivial lyrics that make no sense, we’re definitely throwing it back to the old days with a Billie Joe Armstrong who seems unchanged: “Revolution Radio is a movement for lost souls to come together... dance together... sing together... and most of all, find each other. That’s what the spirit of Green Day has been about since day one.”
The Naked and Famous, Simple Forms – Out October 14 Two Door Cinema Club, Gameshow – Out October 14
Green Day, Revolution Radio – Out October 7 Punk lovers, rejoice. Green Day’s first album in four years is on the way. After listening to the first single - Bang Bang - I’m a bit unsure as to whether it’s 2016
the pop that’s going on now in a melodic or structural sense. The two biggest influences for me were Prince and Bowie - both total pioneers who straddled that line between out-there pop and avant garde craziness.” October can’t come soon enough.
Yes, it’s happening. The Irish indie trio are releasing their third album and the excitement levels are high. Are We Ready? (Wreck) is our first peek at the album and to be fair, no, we’re probably not ready for what is to come. The sound we know and love is making a helluva comeback and it’s better than ever. Singer Alex Trimble says of the new album’s sound: “We’re not embracing
They’ve had their rough patches and bumpy rides, but New Zealand indie electronic band used heartache and loss to fuel their third upcoming studio album. Simple Forms came alive amidst the break up of vocalist Alisa Xayalith and guitarist/vocalist Thom Powers, which had the five piece band at risk of splitting. Higher, the lead single from the album, tells a story of fragility and pain, but keeps the band’s signature upbeat sound.
The sun is setting with an air of melancholy as you’re walking down the empty highway, lighting your last cigarette and pondering the pleasure and despair of being in love again. Max Jury’s self-titled debut album would be the perfect soundtrack for this scene. It expresses a nostalgia that recalls mellow country music and 1970s Americana, bringing back “the golden age to be lost in love”. The 23-year-old from Iowa, who has already toured with Rufus Wainwright and Lana Del Rey, is currently living in London and has unmistakably an interest in the great American song writing of a few decades ago. Adding the warm sound of his electric piano and his fondness for pretty girls, his fresh mix of country, classic rock and soul, juggled with a skill to tell stories á la Neil Young or Bob Dylan leaves us wondering if we are really listening to a young singer-songwriter in his twenties or an old soul sharing his wisdom about loss, love, depression and the beauty of life. Max Jury feels retro but fresh, intimate but powerful. His rich, smoky and delicate voice sings about heartache without being gloomy, and about affection without romanticising. Every song is an authentic love story, lulling us with a stripped back piano, dreamy electric guitars and powerful gospel-influenced background vocals. The unexpected highlight of the album is the slickly produced ‘Love That Grows Old’, in which Max is looking for the old fashioned “right one”, who is hard to come by in our times. “I want to feel something deep inside - I want to heal, don’t wanna have to hide” he tells us in the first verse, but later admits that one cannot find love without experiencing struggle. Max Jury’s debut closes with ‘Home’, a beautifully crafted poetical ballad with Lennon-like piano, and leaves us with no doubt that the album caters the honest and raw feeling that should be at the heart of all music making. Lifted by comforting strings and leaving us to linger with a certain kind of “Heimweh” to a love we lost long ago, and a feeling of sincerity that is hard to find in the landscape of popular music these days, the whole album is definitely a top insider tip for all you dreamers and romantics out there, to accompany you not only this autumn, but the seasons to come too.
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NEW WAVE OF
country music RAUNCHY GUITARS, COWBOY HATS AND BOOTS. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT A MAJORITY OF EUROPEANS THINK OF WHEN SOMEBODY TELLS THEM THEY LIKE COUNTRY MUSIC. AND, IF YOU TELL SOMEONE ABOUT YOUR CURRENT MUSIC CHOICE, THEY LOOK AT YOU WITH A RAISED EYEBROW. WELL, I’M HERE TO HELP. BY GRETA BIELKOVA Country music, perhaps the forgotten genre to most, has made a tremendous step towards reaching international audiences in the past few years. Not only by being influenced by pop, rock and urban music, but also by introducing these new and fresh U.S. artists to Europe, especially through the Country to Country Festival held in the O2 Arena every spring. Whatever your preferred music genre is, you can’t deny that the artists you like change over time. A drastic change has been introduced to the old country thanks to these artists: Kip Moore, Sam Hunt and Dierks Bentley. All three have brought rock, Southern attitude and story-like lyrics to the picture. And that is exactly my kind of jam.
Dierks Bentley
Kip Moore
This Georgia-born hunk is the ultimate singer-songwriter. He took off with a number of great hits from his first record, such as ‘Something About a Truck’ and ‘Hey Pretty Girl’. Kip has incredible stage awareness and focuses on the audience from the moment he steps out (with a bottle of whiskey), until the very last person leaves. Kip always stays behind and meets every single fan who wants to speak to him. Now, do tell me, how many artists like this do you know? Kip is the best storyteller there is in country music. He writes lyrics with an incredible ease and absolute purity. Whatever he writes, he writes from the heart and from his past, and he will somehow make the story fit your life too. His newest album, Wild Ones, has in Kip’s words, tripled his fan size, and definitely helped sell out his first UK tour! Kip’s third album is coming out in early 2017 and he plans to return to the UK next spring for another tour. Writer’s Favourite Songs: That Was Us, Heart’s Desire, Complicated, Crazy One More Time
Sam Hunt
This American football player who, luckily for me, became a songwriter and a singer as well, is a breath of fresh air. Hunt is possibly the furthest away from a conventional country singer as it can get. Much like Kip Moore, his style is that of telling a stories through songs. He produces feel-good music that is easy to sing along to, and always puts you in a good mood. Sam definitely mixes various genres and isn’t afraid to break the country conventions. That’s exactly why all of his singles from his debut album, Montevallo, were a success even outside of country charts! Writer’s Favourite Songs: Raised On It, Take Your Time, Break Up In A Small Town
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Good old Dierks. Compared to the previously mentioned artists, Dierks is like a granddad. Not so much by age, not yet, but because he’s been a big headliner since early 2000s. He’s earned a good few number 1 songs and is the backbone of the Nashville music scene. Dierks is also a familiar name across the UK, and did a number of fantastic shows for us last spring. For me, Dierks represents every single person who works hard and stays true to who they are. He has this familiar American voice that can be extremely calming, and especially his softer and slower songs, which helps after I’ve had a busy day and need to relax. Dierks isn’t successful because he looks for fame. Success follows him because he stays true to who he is and to the values he’s always had. And that is a real artist to me. Writer’s Favourite Songs: Somewhere On A Beach, Different For Girls, Home, Black
THE POLITICS OF theatre BY SAMIA DJILLI
In terms of mainstream theatre, the key prerogative appears to be family friendly shows that sell. As much as we may all love an annual trip to see Wicked, the core values of the actual shows being performed and the stories behind them seem to have sunken down somewhere in-between the bright lights and overpriced ice-creams. In turn, people approach their trips to the theatre as an opportunity to indulge rather than a chance to experience a story that in its own right may need to be told. London is famous for many things, but one thing that really slips over people’s heads is underground theatre. Basically, the shows that get put on in the dark corners of Kentish Town with 3 cast members and a dodgy set of stage lights. This low key art scene dedicates itself to the participation of new writers and dramatic/political storytelling. Due to the minimal set and lack of ostentatious costumes, these shows get to focus on the story they want to tell, and making sure that story has made you feel something by the end of the night. This essentially boils down to how relatable the story is. With these performances, you can be pretty sure that the audience is filled with people who take the richness of storytelling pretty seriously, which can make the whole experience daunting for the creators behind it. Those creators therefore try and perfect the telling of a political story, which still manages to be entertaining.
If you take a show like Joe Penhall’s ‘Blue/Orange,’ the play itself has stood the test of time, having been performed a number of times since it first premiered in 2000, and even had a film adaptation made of it in 2005. Yet if you were to ask the average theatregoer if they’ve heard of it, you can be pretty sure the answer will be ‘no.’ But why is that? The show covers themes of mental instability, racism, and issues with the working class - all of which are as prominent issues in our social system today, as they were 16 years ago. So why has it not been put on a west-end stage for the masses to enjoy? There are a number of variables you could boil it down to, but really it appears to be a matter of blissful ignorance. Maybe it simply is the fact that people would rather spend their Friday nights in a crowded bar, than crowding together in a venue to watch a political piece of theatre.
July - but why only for a few weeks? Of course funding is the main issue in terms of scheduling, but the funding then comes from tickets. The show itself got 5 star reviews, had sold out shows, was branded the female Wolf of Wall street, and managed to be elegant, hilarious, gritty, and intelligent, as well as coming with a large side of piano and a few dodgy, florescent lights. In terms of audience awareness, the show had posters throughout most tube stations in London, and was promoted widely through social media - so again we need to ask why people don’t want to see these shows. Is it because it’s a feminist play? Is it because it stars all women? Is the underlying substance of female writing still not digestible by a lot of people?
In reality, it boils down to politics vs entertainment. People don’t generally equate a good time with a life lesson, and this is really the main issue with not This is one of the biggest issues within the art scene, only theatre, but with any form of art that’s trying and as pretentious as that may sound, a lot of to say something. It seems to be why things are people’s everyday struggles could be understood branded to be niche: they can’t reach out to a larger a lot better if the everyday person was more willing group of people, as people refuse to have empathy to experience it. Things such as feminism, sexuality, with it. What this then results in is political writing and mental health could all have their stigmas being ignored and continuing to be repressed. I broken down, and elicit better understanding, if enjoy a musical as much as the next person, and people were more inclined to participate in the I would say this isn’t me trying to get whoever is underground theatre scene. reading this to out-source their entertainment, but it really is beneficial to everyone if more underground For instance, if you look at a show like Melissa theatre is enjoyed and consumed by people who Bubnic’s Boys will be Boys, the show had a very wouldn’t normally give it a second thought. short but sweet run at the Bush Theatre this past
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tv
WHAT’S THE FUSS ABOUT? FOUR TV SHOWS YOU NEED TO START WATCHING NOW BY DIANA LUPICA
Stranger Things Netflix Originals are killing it and that’s a fact. After the House of Cards and Orange is the New Black phenomenon, they are going hard at it with more and more brilliant shows. And brilliant doesn’t even cover the half of it. Stranger Things is the science-fiction scary drama that got everyone talking, whose eight-episode first season follows the adventures of some kids in a small Indiana town where strange things happen. Set in 1983, the show sees a harried Winona Ryder in the role of the mother who deals with her son’s disappearance, intertwining horror with humour in a way you have not seen before. Its sense of mystery resembles True Detective’s, with the creators Matt and Ross Duffer delivering a drama so gripping, that you’ll be left breathless looking at the final credits after a 24-hour binge.
BoJack Horseman
An enthusiastically metatextual take on Hollywood, BoJack Horseman is an animated comedy about loneliness and addiction, fame and depression. Featuring humans and animals alike, the show takes on adult themes - intellectually sophisticated concepts, bad language or worse behavior following BoJack, a washed-up sitcom star who is also a talking horse. The Netflix original is quirky, ridiculously clever and emotionally resonant, and with its third season released this summer, it dazzles me that not many people know about it. It has Will Arnett voicing the horse, Aaron Paul playing the ever-present housemate and there are also appearances from actors such as J.K. Simmons, Angela Bassett, Olivia Wilde, Stephen Colbert, and even Daniel Radcliffe as Daniel Radcliffe. Underneath the Hollywood satire, the ingenious wordplay and the amazingly biologically specific commentary on humanoid animals, we cannot help but fall in love with the characters. This has to be my favourite discovery of the year.
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11.22.63
Narcos
A new Stephen King adaptation with J.J. Abrams directing and James Franco in the lead? Oh, yes. Hulu’s sci-fi series focuses on a divorced English teacher who stumbles upon a time-travelling closet and emerges October 1960. 11/22/63 is, of course, the day of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, which the protagonist is trying to prevent. But the past doesn’t want to be changed, so our hero is indubitably struggling on his quest. A thrilling narrative, gorgeous visuals and an overall first-rate production, 11.22.63 is given beauty and credibility thanks to a deeply effective Franco and a great historical accuracy. Another plus is the flawless art direction, the period details – the clothing, cars, hair – paralleling Mad Men’s sophistication
Another Netflix classic - sorry not sorry. A gritty drama that will have you go from despair to enchantment in a span of five seconds, Narcos follows the rise and fall of Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, along with the Medellín drug cartel and the DEA agents hunting them. You’re invited to see the truth behind the fiction for yourself in this unnerving and addictive show taken to the extreme, with a brilliant Wagner Moura portraying the druglord responsible for almost 5000 deaths. Money, drugs, women and bloodshed – there’s no sugarcoating that, but the show is so much more; and with the actual archive footage added to the mix, it makes for a fantastic history lesson. Of course, we all know how this ends, but Narcos is most certainly worth the journey there. The second season was released September 2nd, so I suggest plunging headfirst into that.
WRITER’S
showcase Hey everyone! It’s great you can join us this autumn at Latitude. Before we knuckle down on those first assignments, why don’t we take some time to appreciate what this section has to offer? We have two amazing pieces of writing from two equally talented writers lined up for you – that’s something you don’t want to miss! The Writer’s Showcase is here to display all your talent and hard work, regardless of what course you are studying on. So if you’re itching to see your short story, poem or script published in the next issue, do not hesitate to email me at llcreativesubmissions@gmail.com. If I am unable to feature it in the magazine, then we can post it online! No biggie. Until then, keep writing. SHAKELA BEGUM
A Work in Progress BY SAMIA DJILLI It’s weird isn’t it, this world? We wander around disregarding everything that makes us uncomfortable. Like white people staring at others darker than them with dismay. It’s slightly ironic because they look at them like they’re staring straight at the sun, being blinded, but failing to realise that their paleness stings harsher then the brightest moon. We’re stuck in this ocean of hatred, and most of us have never been taught to swim. We just act like we can so we can fight against the drowning, with pure pretence flowing in and out of our overbearing lungs. We fight against the current with anger and get washed aback by sorrow. Yet it’s hard to see. I guess the salt got in our eyes. We stare, we absorb, and we reject like a stale sponge. I don’t understand it, because we’re all animals, with hearts full of muscle and brains full of fat, yet we don’t act it. A lion doesn’t judge another lion because its fur is a tone darker. It claws through the wild regardless - a hunter, savage, and pure. But we indulge in this thing called society. And most of us breathe in fear because of it. Women try to grow eyes in the back of their heads to protect their gentleness. Men look for places to grow power. And we all refuse to look at anything that doesn’t blend into the blandness. A disabled person isn’t valued as a sufficient life, an autistic person isn’t deemed safe, yet both live to live, not to ruin, unlike the rest of us. It’s strange and awkward, and beautiful in the most disgusting way. Definitions and branding is the only thing that defines us, you have to state you’re feminist just to not be sexist, but people are so scared of that word, like it’s staining them. They can’t even spit it out. They refuse to see the pain. The women who wander the streets of their cities with limbs that don’t feel like their own anymore. Hair that feels like it’s growing from a thousand miles away, and souls that feel like they’ve already buried themselves. Because the war is too big and too strong and refuses to end. Yet we don’t do anything. We ignore the mess, and live in this glass jungle, works in progress, with no progress at all.
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Twenty Pounds BY CECILIA CAMPANALE Claire woke up the morning of the third of November, feeling a completely different person. She got up from bed, had a look around the messy piles of clothes and papers around her, and went to the kitchen. The light from the small window filled the room. The round clock on the wall read 12.14pm. She opened a cupboard to make some coffee, hoping that some caffeine would help her post-crying headache. Her hand went to grab the coffee pot, when she realised she never actually liked coffee that much. So she grabbed the shiny silver Italian coffee machine, gave it a look, and threw it in the bin.
‘Fuck the coffee,’ she said.
She looked around searching for another hot drink to make, but she only had coffee. So Claire got dressed without taking a shower, because there was no one to impress anymore, grabbed her keys, put her Dr Martens on and headed to the café just around the corner from her house. On her walk, she stopped in front of a shop window. Her hair was un-brushed and frizzy, and her eyes surrounded by smudged eyeliner from the night before - the night she found out her now ex-fiancé had been shagging another woman for the past couple of weeks. An older, smarter, yet not more attractive woman. Claire found out when she walked in on them naked on her favourite writing desk. They weren’t writing. After the initial shock, he didn’t have the guts to say it was over, so she had to assume their relationship was history from his monotone voice and lame excuses. When she arrived at The Green Café, she sat down and ordered a coffee and a hot chocolate. A phone rang in the room, making Claire realise she still hadn’t checked hers. It was in the pocket of her jacket. She grabbed it, unlocked the screen, and stared at it. No good morning texts. No “How are you, Angel?”. Nothing of that kind. She thought it would have not been a nice day without a good morning wish. ‘Good morning, Claire!’ she said loudly. ‘Madame?’ said a man’s voice. The waiter put down the coffee and the hot chocolate on the table. ‘Madame? Are you waiting for someone?’
‘It’s Miss. And no. No. I’m on my own. Very much on my own.’
Claire dragged the hot chocolate towards her, and positioned the cup of coffee in front of the seat opposite to hers. She sugared her hot drink with five sachets, and this time there was no one there to tell her that it was wrong and unhealthy. She stirred her drink, licked the spoon, and put it next to the saucer. Claire closed her eyes, breathed in and out, and visualised the man in front of her. She visualised his long, brown hair, his old wonky glasses, his worn out wax jacket and his sense of carelessness. She visualised him and her stomach contracted for a second, her palms became sweaty, and her throat went dry.
‘You can’t define who I am,’ she said aloud.
Claire sipped on her hot chocolate and enjoyed the overly sweet drink running down her throat. She dried her hands on her blue jeans.
‘My life is not going to end because of you,’ she said, even louder.
She put her hands around the warm mug and breathed in and out, swallowing the chocolaty saliva. Claire never had closure with him. She never had her ‘I will always love you even if you’re a dick face’ moment, she never said goodbye properly to him. He admitted to his crime, as it was hard to deny, and then quickly retreated from their flat in Lewisham, like a polaroid in reverse.
‘I am free now, and you can’t control me anymore,’ she said, smiling.
She finished up her hot chocolate, and asked for the bill. The coffee in front of her remained untouched: a coffee that will never be drank by him or anyone. She was alright with it. She checked her wallet, but didn’t find any cash. Claire then remembered why. The night before, she left the flat to buy some groceries, just after 8pm. The supermarket was a good thirty minutes away walking, but she didn’t mind. Halfway there, she realised she didn’t have any money. He forgot to give her back the twenty pounds she lent him that same morning, so she had to go back to the flat and then caught him red-handed.
‘So, it’s £3.45,’ the waiter said, holding the bill in his hands.
‘I don’t have any money.’
‘Well…’
‘I had twenty pounds, but it is gone now,’ she said. She was smiling.
‘And where is that twenty pounds now, if I may ask?’
‘Oh, it’s gone. Gone forever. But you want to know something…Joe?’
The waiter nodded at Claire, pointing at the tag pinned on his waistcoat.
‘It was the best twenty pounds I’ve ever spent in my whole life.’
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WHAT THE
f.a.q
Is It OK to talk? All of us, at one time or another, have worries or concerns that keep us awake at night, precisely the sort of time that no-one’s around to talk to even if they’re willing. And all of sometimes put on a front: we act as if we’re confident and can cope, when we may be struggling inside. If you read everyone’s Facebook updates, you could get the impression that everyone’s having a great time apart from you, even if it’s not true. Sometimes it helps just to talk through your situation with someone who will listen without telling you what to do. There is a lot of support available through the University and through the Students’ Union Advice Service during weekdays, including holiday times, but not at 4am when you’re on your own and need emotional support.
For our new readers, the Advice Service deals with common issues for students. We can be a little flippant in this column, but if you need advice in person, we’ll listen and help you explore your choices without making judgments. Our advice is free, independent and confidential, and can make a difference. We’re used to dealing with a range of problems and questions: don’t feel you’re wasting anyone’s time if you want to talk through your situation with us. If you want to find out more, see the website: www.suug.co.uk/advice
registration once. For most students, you’ll only have to register online in future years. You’ve had a lot of information to deal with, from your academic studies, from registration, student finance, accommodation… the list goes on. If you are still going through Registration, it’s still ongoing throughout September: you aren’t too late. If you need help with registration, contact your campus Student Centre, or speak to us.
The first few weeks passed by in a blur. Too much Information (and that’s not counting what my flatmates told me about what they got up to). I feel none the wiser about what I’m supposed to be doing despite my induction! Can I have my induction again?
As a one-time only special deal, we are offering to meet with all new students for a short ‘checkup’, partly to make you confident that everything is happening that’s supposed to be happening, and also so that if there are any problems, we can help you deal with them before it gets too much. If you’ve missed one of us at Registration, it’s not too late to book an appointment with us. Just phone us, email us, or come to one of our drop-in advice sessions.
From experience, we’d be cautious about believing what your flatmates have got up to! Let’s just say that all of us can be prone to a little poetic exaggeration when we’re retelling our own stories…! If you’ve got through Registration, the good news is that you only need to undergo the face-to-face
During those late night times you can phone London Nightline, a confidential listening, support and information service for students, staffed by trained student volunteers. The Nightline service is open from 6pm to 8am every night during term time. Phone 0207 631 0101, or email listening@nightline.org. uk. For further information, see www.nightline.org.uk . Or for 24-hour support, call the Samaritans on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org).
10 September was World Suicide Awareness Day. Regrettably, suicide is the number one killer of both men and women under 25 – and it’s a preventable cause of death. If you or someone you know is feeling You won’t get a second induction, but we do have desperate for any reason, get support. You don’t have information for new students on our website, with links to be alone in dealing with what you may be going to further information. through. See https://www.suug.co.uk/welfare/newstudents/
We’d suggest making a note of the Student Services A-Z. It’s not easy to find information on the University Portal, but what you need is usually there somewhere! Save this link for reference: http://www2.gre.ac.uk/current-students/a-z
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