The Badger Second Edition (5/10/20)

THE

BADGER

The new ‘Spirit of Sussex Award’

Everything you need to know about the new award scheme set up to encourage extracuricular involvement Joshua McLaughlin News Sub-Editor

News

& U.S. Election debate clash 3

Comment

What is the Sussex Award?

Spirit

BLM: Not a trend & The Social Dilemma 8

of

Features

Joshua Talbot

Lockdown’s take-aways & Pirate Soc 13

Arts

Celebrating Black & Venue patrons17

Travel & Culture 16-25 Railcard & A Welsh staycation 25

Continued on page 3...

Pirate Soc: 2020’s Best New Society Olly De Herrera Features Sub-Editor

Science & Tech

Interoception & COVID drugs and vaccines 29

Sports

Verity Warner-Moulding

Everton on the up &

20-21

Continued on page 13...

equality work 31

Editor-in-Chief Josh Talbot badger@sussexstudent.com Print Production Editor Ellie Doughty Online Production Editor Georgia-May Keetch Print Production Sub-Editor Gurpreet Raulia Online Production Sub-Editor Margaret Arabambi Marketing Managers Alex Norman Sarah Wong The News Team Oliver Mizzi Joshua McLaughlin Sam Kimbley Ewan Vellinga Grace Curtis badger-news@sussexstudent. com The Comment Team Issy Anthony Will Day Libby Mills Joel Renouf-Cooke badger-opinion@sussexstudent. com The Features Team Alana Harris Olly Williams Teddy Parkin Beth Pratt badgerfeatureseditor@gmail. com The Arts Team Jessica Hake Robyn Cowie badger-arts@sussexstudent.com The Books Team Jasmine Smith Eric Barrell thebadger.bookseditor@gmail. com The Music Team Alice Barradale Percy Walker-Smith thebadger.musiceditor@gmail. com The Film & Television Team Yazz James The Theatre Team Elijah Arief Harrison Fitzgerald thebadger-theatre@gmail.com The Artist Focus Team Luisa De La Concha Montes thebadger.street@gmail.com The Travel & Culture Team Hal Keelin Bryony Rule Katya Pristiyani badger.travelculture@gmail.com The Sports Team Charlie Batten Max Killham thebadger.sport@gmail.com The Science & Technology Team Isaac Hallé Eleanor Deane thebadger.science@gmail.com Events and Publicity Jess Dingle Grace Ochieng Proof Readers Yasmine Yaguer Jake Nordland

Editorial Josh Talbot Editor-in-Chief

Ellie Doughty Print Production Editor

The past few months have been crazy for the world at large and the team here at The Badger. Wherever you are reading from, thank you for supporting us through this unusual time and get in touch if we can help you to feel grounded in your studies, remote or in person, at Sussex.

In every edition we put out, we strive to be a platform for the entire student populous and personally, I would like to implore anyone who has a cause that they think needs more awareness, a society that they would like more people to join, or simply some thoughts that they would like to get out there to get in touch. We want to hear from you!

In this edition, and in the next edition coming out at the end of the month, we have a focus on Black History month and each of the sections is endeavouring to highlight Black narratives in their areas.

In Film they have focused on documenting Black history

Welcome back to the second edition of The Badger this term! Our team has been working very hard as usual to acclimatise to the new environment we operate under, and by our second edition it is safe to say that we are very pleased to be able to publish; if just online for now. Thank you for reading the Freshers edition, and engaging with the great stuff our writers put out - we hope you enjoy this week’s!

In light of the commitments we made as a team earlier on this year and again in the

a watch list of cinema that centres on Black stories and in Travel and Culture, we are taken on a tour of some of Brighton’s Black-owned eateries... I can’t recommend Burger Brother’s enough.

With the raised awareness of how other parties are feeling and the disparity, systemically between the way that people of different walks of life are treated has been truly harrowing and I think that that this sympathy is one key positive that we should take away and act upon, out of what has been quite a dark and depressing time for lots.

Not to keep going on about it, but if you do want to get involved with the paper, there’s never been a better time to reach out. Our Zoom writers’ meetings are more accessible than ever. We hold them every Friday at 12 and if that’s not convenient for you, you can just send us an emailbagder@sussex student.com.

Thanks again for your support!

recognise and explore Black History Month throughout our content this week. Inside make great recommendations for topical playlists, books and an interesting piece on BLM in Comment.

We also take a look at the life Sussex Fresher’s have been living recently, and some lessons learnt from lockdown. Of course in terms of News we have experienced - as we have throughout 2020

Follow The Badger online @thebadgersussex @thebadgersussex @thebadgerarts @thebadgersussex www.thebadgeronline.com Follow The Badger on Issuu Whilst The Badger waits for a safe time to venture out onto campus, the temporary home of the print form is in editons like this on Issuu.com! Follow us to get email updates on our fortnightly publications.

eventful occurrences in the last fortnight.

The News section this time chooses to focus on exploring the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and some recent activity of Extinction Rebellion, among others.

Science and Tech take a fresh look at a key historical and among more pieces investigate some approaches to COVID 19 drug treatments.

The Sports section this week discusses Lewis to name a few, while Travel and Culture offer up some recipes, recommendations for a good staycation and chat about the 16-25 Railcard.

Please do take a look and as always, if you ever want to contribute to The Badger; just drop us an email or message.

Enjoy!

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The Badger 5th October 2020

News

3

Continued from front...

relevant information to the website’s “More info” portal. The same activity cannot be logged more than once throughout a student’s degree, however, they can earn more points for the same activity if they participate with a new level of involvement.

Provided by Sussex, examples of activities that award points include:

The Spirit of Sussex Award is a multi-tiered initiative, with students being able to claim a Bronze, Silver or Gold Aware depending on how many points they acquire during their studies at Sussex.

Bronze is obtainable after receiving 25 points, Silver at 50 points, and Gold is unlockable following the collection of 75 points.

Points are to be rewarded based on a student’s level of involvement and participation within a particular activity.

For each activity, students are to receive 5 points for attending or participating, 10 points for organising and supporting, or 15 points if they represent and lead.

To start cataloguing points, students should head over to the Spirit of Sussex Award platform: https://spiritofsussex. careercentre.me/welcome/ sussex.

When ‘logging’ activities, students will need to evidence their achievements and participation through uploading

Sports and recreation: participating and representing Sussex in external and internal sporting events and sessions.

Society membership: being involved within a student committee for a Sussex society, and taking part in or leading society-led activities and events.

Part-time work: any on or off campus part-time work that students may be involved in throughout their studies.

Student representation: volunteering as a course representative, or being elected as a full or part-time Students’

Culture and creativity: participating in cultural, sustainability or creative activities, such as Brighton Fringe, One World Week and Sussex Go Green Week. This also involves playing in bands and orchestras, as well as directing and engaging in shows and productions.

Training and development: all training and work experience opportunities, including Careers and Employability Centre Leadership Training and Consent Matters online courses.

Enterprise: owning a business or undertaking business challenges, such as Startup Sussex or The Sussex Innovation Centre Social Impact Award.

Ambassadorship, leadership and mentoring: participation in paid or volunteer roles performed as an ambassador for Sussex, like being a Widening Participation Ambassador or Sussex Connect mentor.

Environment and sustainability: eco-friendly activities, such

as clothes swaps and attending or organising climate activism events.

they should continue on until they feel they have collected as many points as they possibly can before sending off their

Academics: participation in academic or professional collaborations, including codirecting events within the student curriculum or attending research and focus group sessions.

How are evaluated?

these

Regarding the future potential of the award scheme, Professor Kelly Coate states that: “We are hopeful that students will put the Spirit of Sussex Award on their CV, and that it will be a signal to future employers that the students are really committed and engaged in life outside the classroom.

“It should also open up really interesting conversations with potential employers about the types of skills that students have gained through those activities.”

For more information on the Spirit of Sussex Award, please see the following resources: Spirit of Sussex Award website: https://spiritofsussex. careercentre.me/welcome/ sussex Promotional/launch video: https://w w w.youtube.com/ watch?v=AxwwP0JgliI Spirit of Sussex Award Instagram: @sosasussex Email: sosa@sussex.ac.uk

points

Once students receive enough points for an award - be it Bronze, Silver or Gold – they can submit their award for approval using the Spirit of Sussex Award platform.

Submissions must be carried out before 30 April during a Sussex to be considered for an award in time for graduation.

Awards can only be submitted once, meaning that students cannot reach a lower level award, submit it for review, and continue on to collect points for a higher award later. It has been proposed that if students achieve more points than what they were originally aiming for,

Arrests made as police halt XR ‘Lightship Greta’ march Ella Makin Staff Writer

tors ‘set sail’ on this ‘epic voyage of rebellion’ over the August bank holiday weekend, pushing a 20-foot red and white ‘lightship’ emblazoned with the slogan ‘Sound the alarm – Climate Emergency’, accompanied by a samba band.

Protestors were calling for the government to support The Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill which has been postponed for debate until 12 March, 2021.

At least four Brightonians have been arrested after a march for government intervention in the climate refugee crisis was stopped and had its barge seized, amidst reported breaches of COVID-19 regulations.

Claudia Fisher, 58, of Extinction Rebellion (XR) Brighton was one of the people arrested on Kennington Park Road, after glueing herself to the model model boat, as police attempted to seize it.

“

“There were a few aims.

Firstly outreach - going through communities that may not necessarily get our message and trying to show Extinction Rebellion was a fun community.”

“

Protestors were calling for the government to support The Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill which has been postponed for debate until 12 March, 2021.

Before her arrest, Ms Fisher said that the march aimed to “highlight the journey that many climate refugees are taking right now and many millions more will be forced to undertake.

“The United Nations estimated there are already 25 million climate refugees and this number is expected to double

Extinction Rebellion South East

of coronavirus, thereby posing a risk, not only to those involved, but the wider public and communities of London.”

“

Commander Kyle Gordon, Gold Commander during the protest’s policing operation, stated: “Throughout this period we have become increasingly concerned the organisers of these events have not always taken all reasonable measures to limit the risk of transmission

Before her arrest, Ms Fisher said that the march aimed to “highlight the journey that many climate refugees are taking right now and many millions more will be forced to undertake.

This was in relation to numerous demonstrations occurring over the weekend

of 29 August, such as “Resit the Government”, “Move One Million”, “The Ivory Coast Protest” and “Citizens’ Assembly Extinction Rebellion”.

The Badger approached Extinction Rebellion Brighton for a comment on this statement.

As of releasing this article, they have not provided a response.

On the intentions behind the march, Sussex student and climate activist Charlie Stewardson, said: “There were a few aims. Firstly outreach going through communities

that may not necessarily get our message and trying to show Extinction Rebellion was a fun community.

“Also, symbolically it’s quite a nice image of people pushing a boat all the way from Brighton to London with no motor.

There was a lot of support from London. Lots of people cheering us on and sharing our message.

It’s quite a different rebellion from a lot of Extinction Rebellion stuff, as in it’s not so in your face and as short.”

Extinction Rebellion protes-

The makeshift model was dubbed ‘The Lightship Greta’ in tribute to the 17-year-old Swedish environmental activist, Greta Thunberg.

The voyage was a continuation of ‘Countdown to the Rebellion’ in which ‘rebels’ from towns and cities across the country – including Bristol, Lewes and Leeds – aimed to raise awareness of the cause before wider demonstrations began in London, Manchester and Cardiff.

It followed 28 August’s mass bike ride to London, called ‘Swarm to the Rebellion’, as well as the large ‘We All Want to Live’ march that commenced in Central Brighton on Saturday, 29 August.

The Badger 5th October 2020

News

4

Ewan Vellinga News Online Sub-Editor President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden confronted each other in a chaotic Wednesday, during which they discussed topics including Covid-19, racial inequality and the economy.

Trump frequently interrupted, at one point prompting Biden to tell him to “just shut up man” as the two traded insults in what many are calling one of the history.

Trump tried to dominate the conversation so as to put pressure on Biden, who generally rose to the occasion his

advancing

age

and

for the late Justice Ruth Bader

the laws and that’s what it is.”

the election, and therefore have the right to choose her.”

to one of the most pressing issues of the day as the segment on Covid-19 came up. Biden

stating that the nomination should wait until after the election. Moving the topic onto healthcare, he also warned that Barrett’s appointment could lead which Trump could level his claim that Biden was under the control of left-leaning Democrats, a point which he tried to emphasise throughout Biden supports “socialist medicine” along with former Democratic presidential rival Bernie Sanders, to which Biden I am the Democratic Party now.”

The segment on the economy

the way in which the crisis has the U.S. has “4% of the world’s deaths.”

President Trump defended his response to the pandemic, arguing that the data is not always clear for other countries, and that Biden would have done

two contestants, with Trump claiming that the main cause was not necessarily human-

to implement the Green New

if he would encourage his supporters to remain calm if the election was not fully decided on election day, Trump said “I’m encouraging my supporters to go into the polls and watch very carefully,” whilst Biden stated that he would, and that he would

pointing out that he is actually proposing the Biden Plan, and

The polls suggest that Biden is currently in the lead, and has

green economy.

notes that several studies from certain states suggest that the

forest management.

accepted $3.5 million from the Mayor of Moscow’s wife, and condemn white supremacists. denounce the far-right group ‘Proud Boys’ he simply said that

drug use, as he was discharged cocaine. the claim that his son accepted

his

although neither side put on a particularly convincing performance.

Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, opened with a question on the Supreme Court. Trump defended his nomination of Amy Coney Barrett as a replacement

almost 1 in 10 Americans still undecided.

Most media outlets seem to with most stating that neither Biden nor Trump really gained an edge, and the BBC noting that many commentators have said was the American people.

Trump only paid $750 in Federal Income Tax in 2016 and 2017.

Trump claimed that he had

Boys on social media. Trump

also defending his use of tax

levels of violence in the U.S.

other private person, unless they’re stupid, they go through

California was also a source

Pence

and

Senator

Kamala

night, the two clashed on the issue of election integrity, with Trump claiming that mail-invotes could lead to mass election

Jake Nordland Staff Writer

are going ahead with a lastminute appointment to replace

Acclaimed US Supreme Court

Democrats have expressed outrage at what they have called the second ever woman to serve on the US’ highest court.

She died from complications of pancreatic cancer at her home,

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of undermining his own words and arguments

Nominated to the Supreme

nomination.

Democrats argue the position

1993, she served in the position up until her death on the 18th

as happened in 2016, and have

justice, revered for her advocacy of gender and civil rights.

she died, according to her granddaughter Clara Spera.

advocate for women’s rights, she started her judicial career as a moderate and cautious judge. But as the Supreme Court developed an increasingly and reformist approach that of Supreme Court justices. protecting women’s rights in the US. She is credited with inspiring sweeping improvements in the laws surrounding gender pay for securing legal recognition

maintained Homoatrox Wiki Commons college admissions policies in a Owing women’s

to her legacy of and equal rights

pop culture following amongst fans. She was affectionately referred to as the Notorious RBG, a play on her initials that references late rapper

Notorious B.I.G in a nod to her dissenting polemics against the courts’ majority opinions. in the Supreme Court and has US general election campaign.

The President is in charge of appointing her successor, who Congress.

that

since

they

Presidency, today’s situation is different from 2016. President Trump has since announced Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative

vacant Supreme Court seat. prevented him from doing so, arguing a nomination should not elected President to decide.

But with only two months left

Capitol. But whilst she leaves

continue to sow further discord into an already contentious US election cycle.

The Badger 5th October 2020

News

5

Oliver Mizzi News Editor

These reports - denied by both Azerbaijan and Turkey - have been backed up by analysts, who

Fighting erupted on Sunday 27 September, between the militaries of Armenia, the breakaway state of Artsakh, and Azerbaijan, over the NagornoKarabakh region of Azerbaijan.

The region has been under the control of ethnic Armenians since the end of the 19881994 Nagorno-Karabakh war.

The region is still claimed by Azerbaijan as it’s sovereign territory, with Azerbaijan stating it had “liberated” territory that was “occupied”. The Republic of Artsakh is not an internationally recognised state.

Syrian sources that members of the SNA have been sent and have been killed in the recent The following day, Armenia claimed that a Turkish F-16 shot down an Armenian SU25 in Armenian territory. The Armenian military has since published pictures of the wreckage of the aircraft. Both Turkey and Azerbaijan have denied these claims.

Civilians have also been

governments have claimed that thousands of the opposing soldiers have been killed and wounded, and that hundreds of tanks and other military equipment have been destroyed.

Footage from both armed forces media wings have weapons, such as heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, have been used.

Armenia has released footage of its military using anti-tank guided missiles to destroy Azeri tanks, and anti-air systems to shoot down Azeri drones and

Emreculha helicopters. Azerbaijan has also revealed footage of its drone strikes on Armenian positions.

Multiple states such as France, Russia, and the US have called for a cessation of hostilities through the “Minsk Group”, a group dedicated to resolving the dispute between the two

countries.

Although many international states have called for peace and dialogue, Turkey has taken a different approach by supporting its ally Azerbaijan.

President Erdogan called on Armenia to end its “occupation” of Azeri territory, and the

Turkish Foreign Ministry tweeted: “Armenia is the root cause of instability in the region”.

On Monday 28 September, both Reuters and the Guardian reported that Turkey had sent Syrian National Army (SNA)

Armenia and Azerbaijan have reported civilian casualties as a result of shelling from either side. Most recently, the city of Stepanakert, the largest city in Nagorno-Karabakh, has come under shelling from Azeri forces.

Two French journalists have also been injured by Azeri shelling.

Outbreaks of violence have occurred since the cessation of hostilities in 1994, with the most violent outbreak occurring in 2016 for four days. This round of violence has been the most intense since 2016 and has escalated much quicker. ongoing.

Extinction Rebellion activists celebrate new bike lanes highlight potential issues such as increased congestion, high council spending, lost revenue for local businesses, and the impact upon access to disability parking.

Ewan Vellinga News Online Sub-Editor Extinction Rebellion activists engaged in a socially-distanced “bike swarm” on 22 September alongside local group Bricycles in support of the new temporary bike lanes in Brighton.

Extinction Rebellion spokeswoman, Mimi Pellew, spoke with The Argus saying “it showed the breadth and depth of support from people of all ages for more active infrastructure,” as around 100 people attended.

Extinction Rebellion have voiced their support for bike lanes, having spray painted bike signs onto roads around Brighton last May as part of a campaign to “highlight the urgent need for more cycling space.”

The new bike lanes are a part of the temporary road layouts approved by the council on 23 June as part of the Interim Covid-19 Response Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP).

The plan comprises 29 changes to road layouts across Brighton, including temporary bike lanes along the seafront and Old Shoreham Road, as well as the closure of Madeira Drive.

Proponents of the plan have

“

Criticism of the plans have already impacted their implementation, with a 600m section of the bike lane along the seafront having been removed following discussions with Brighton and Hove Buses over bus journey times.

Homoatrox

Oast House Archive emphasised improvements to health and safety, as well as the away from car travel, with Mimi Pellew further quoted as saying “something has gone badly wrong in our city if the healthy, environmentally friendly travel option is also the more

dangerous one.”

However, the plan has also received criticism, with Conservative councillors Lee Wares and Vanessa Brown voting against the plan when it was passed in June. They noted concerns with the way in which it was processed, with Brighton

& Hove News quoting Lee Wares as arguing that “people are trying to get in everything they could never do in normal circumstances under the guise of covid.”

Some local residents have similarly raised concerns, using petitions and protests to

Green and Labour councillors have defended the move, noting that they are making use of increased funding from the government to improve the pedestrian and cycling infrastructure in Brighton, and stating that the Covid-19 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to implement positive change.

Criticism of the plans have already impacted their implementation, with a 600m section of the bike lane along the seafront having been removed following discussions with Brighton and Hove Buses over bus journey times.

The Badger 5th October 2020

News Sam Kimbley News Online Sub-Editor

6

“

The Audit found a total of 64 students alleged to have been given places over more the four campuses. Most of the applicants were white and at least half had family incomes of over $150,000 annually.

Amy Holden Staff Writer

The Badger 5th October 2020

News

7

Brussels to bring legal action against UK over Internal Markets Bill Jake Nordland The European Union announced on Thursday its intention to bring legal action against the UK over its controversial Internal Markets Bill. The Commission sent a letter of formal notice to the UK for “breaching its obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement”.

The UK government has one month to respond before the EU escalates the case. Although no longer an EU member state, the UK remains under the jurisdiction of European courts for the duration of the transition period.

The proposed Internal Markets Bill alters the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement signed with the EU last year, and grants the UK sweeping powers to ‘disapply’ new regulatory rules between the UK and Ireland set to be applied post-transition.

The bill has been widely criticised for disregarding the UK’s legally binding international obligations.

Prominent UK politicians, including former PMs Tony Blair and Sir John Major, voiced deep concerns over the bill after government ministers admitted in Parliament that it would break international law.

The EU is moving to sue the UK even though the bill - which is currently making its way through Parliament - has not yet been passed. The Commission

action. The move, called an infringement procedure, was used 800 times last year by the EU, although few of those

“

one leveled against the UK on Thursday.

The UK government has maintained that the Internal Markets Bill introduces necessary changes that protect the UK internal market.

If the Commission escalates an infringement procedure to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), the courts can force a state to

Number 10 has said that the government’s decision alone to propose the bill contravenes Article 5’s ‘good faith’ obligation of Withdrawal Agreement.

Article 5 ensures that both parties refrain from any measures that might jeopardize In a statement, Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said that the bill “by its very nature [is] a breach of the obligation of good faith”.

Von der Leyen also insisted the bill would be “in full contradiction to the Protocol on Ireland”. The Northern Ireland Protocol is an agreement that commits to regulatory checks on goods crossing the Irish sea. It was developed in a bid to avoid a land border between Northern Ireland and Ireland (who remain in the EU), amidst fears of endangering the Good Friday Agreement.

The UK government has

maintained that the Internal Markets Bill introduces necessary changes that protect the UK internal market. A government spokesperson described the bill as a “safety net” preventing the possibility of harmful new regulations by Brussels post-transition. The bill successfully passed through the House of Commons on Tuesday.

Some commentators have also cast doubt on the importance of the EU’s threat of legal

refuse. Under the Withdrawal Agreement, the CJEU’s rulings still apply even after the transition period has ended.

But analysts have pointed out that if the UK is already refusing to comply with the Withdrawal Agreement, there is little the EU or CJEU could legally do post-transition. The news comes, however, amidst further negotiations on a posttransition trade deal.

The talks have until only How the Internal Markets Bill and Brussels’ threatened legal ongoing talks remains to be seen.

Students called to donate to lifesaving stemcell appeal Grace Curtis News Sub-Editor Print

go under general anaesthetic to have their stem cells collected via the bone marrow itself.

“

The Brighton & Sussex Marrow society has released an urgent appeal to help a young boy in need of a stem cell transplant.

The boy, named Veer, is four years old and has a rare blood disorder.

In a video posted to the societies Instagram page, Veer’s mother said, “Veer’s need for a matching stem cell donor is now very urgent” and “we are asking you to help us save our fouryear-old little boy by registering as a stem cell donor today”.

“

“For a lot of patients, a stem cell transplant is their last chance as all other treatments have been exhausted. So, what

“Patients from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds only have a 20% About 2,000 people in the UK need a stem cell transplant from a stranger every year. According to Brighton & Sussex Marrow, match but that number drops dramatically for people from minority ethnic backgrounds.

“Patients from Black, Asian and

minority ethnic backgrounds only have a 20% chance of patients, the number drops to just 6%. Patients have the best someone of the same ethnicity.

The Badger has spoken to

Georgia Shakeshaft, the CoPresident of the society, about the importance of this cause: “For a lot of patients, a stem cell transplant is their last chance as all other treatments have been exhausted. So, what we do is life and death.”

Once you have registered as a donor, you will only be contacted if someone on the waiting list is an exact match.

If you are contacted, 9 out of 10 people donate in a simple procedure similar to a blood test. 1 in 10 donors will have to

Georgia wants students to know that the process is very simple for donors, and that “a few days of your life” could give a child, like Veer, his whole life back. Many students are the prime demographic for donation as those under 30-years-old are more likely to be chosen as donors in lifesaving transplants.

The society is particularly looking out for more donations from ethnic minorities and men, who are most likely to be chosen to donate but make up just 18% of the register.

If you are aged 16-30 and in good health, you can sign up to the stem cell register at www.anthonynolan.org/ SussexMarrow

The Badger 5th October 2020

News

8

News Where You’re Not

Grace Curtis, News Sub-Editor, reviews some of the big stories from across the country Scottland - A cold September night...

The town of Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands reached

Newcastle - Illegal bottle hunters!

overnight temperature recorded in any British September since 1997. According to meteorologist Matt Taylor, this sudden chill was due to the combination of an Arctic air mass and clear skies that caused temperatures to fall.

Altnaharra

A recent increase in unauthorized nighttime digs on Newcastle Town Moor has left animals at risk with 6ft deep holes and broken glass reportedly left behind. The culprits are on the lookout for historical bottles that could now be worth thousands of pounds. In the Victorian and Edwardian time periods, rubbish was consistently dumped in moor areas. As a result, they have become a target for opportunistic hunters. Newcastle City Council have condemned those responsible.

As the council’s cabinet member for employment and culture, Ged Bell, said: “It has been causing some horrendous problems on the moor.”

North Wales - Hollywood hopes for Wrexham F.C. Hollywood movie stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have begun discussions regarding the purchase of

Hammersmith - Bridge closure disruptions

Newcastle

Hammersmith Bridge, an important commuter bridge over the River Thames, was closed to

tier Welsh football team were surprised when it was announced that the actors, who star in Deadpool and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia respectively, were interested in taking over their club. With a population of just

to cracks appearing in the structure.

On September 22nd, a meeting was held in which concerns were raised for the children of the local area. According to Counselor Penny Frost, chair of Richmond Council’s children’s committee, 44 children from Hammersmith and Fulham attend state schools in Richmond, and 178 children in Richmond attend community schools and academies on the other

interest in the historical coal mining town. However, members proceed. A full proposal will be unveiled in the next few weeks

Wrexham Aberhosan

Mid Wales - Connection conundrum solved

students are estimated to be affected when including local independent schools.

The closure of the bridge has

For the past 18 months, residents of the Welsh village of Aberhosan morning at 7 am. Engineers were brought in to get to the bottom of the mystery and they discovered the root of the problem: an old television. One unnamed resident would switch on their TV set every morning and, unknowingly, affect the broadband signal of the whole village. The TV level impulse noise (SHINE), which causes electrical interference in other devices. According to Openreach,

THE

BADGER needs you!

Hammersmith

journey times for many of these children. The bridge is owned by Hammersmith & Fulham council, who say it will cost £141 million to complete a full repair and £46 million to be able to reopen it safely to pedestrians.

The Badger 5th October 2020

Comment

9

THE BIG DEBATE In The Big Debate this week, two writers debate whether social media should be banned for under 18s.

Yes

No

Roxanna Wright

Andreas Lange

There is no doubt that social media can be a very unhealthy and dangerous place. myself being negatively impacted from what I have seen online. Therefore, I can only wonder what kind of negative effect social media can have on naïve, innocent, and vulnerable children.

One of my worries about children and teenagers under the age of 18 consuming social media is that they are in the peak stages of learning. They have not fully matured and so cannot know of all the dangers of the internet. The lessons, experiences and environments we are in as children truly shape us as individuals, and I believe if children consume social media, it could create plenty of negative traits or issues that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

The rate for UK female suicides under 25 has ‘increased by 93.8% since 2012, to its highest level in 2019’, stated Samaritan’s 2019 suicide statistics. Furthermore, ‘In Scotland, the suicide rate among young people aged 15-24 increased by 52.7%. This is the highest it’s been since 2007.’ The positive correlation between and the usage of social media could be argued as just coincidence, but I believe there to be some aspect of causation.

Ibrahim.ID Social media is a construction. Every image and post uploaded has been carefully handpicked to create a façade of a ‘perfect’ life, and unfortunately many of shop and airbrushing are not only used by celebrities, but by the general public too, making it even harder to recognise what is real and what isn’t. Singers, actors and by the masses are teaching audiences an unrealistic beauty and body standard by promoting their photoshopped, surgically-altered bodies as ‘normal’ and ‘real’.

This is a gateway to mental illnesses such as body dysmorphia, disordered eating and depression, and the general sense of not feeling good enough. self struggling to detach and not compare myself to people I see on social media, even though I know that it is not truly real. Consequently, I believe that if young

people under the age of 18 grow up with social media, they will not only have a distorted view on beauty, they will also carry a heavy expectation of how they are supposed to look, act, dress and live their own lives.

Moreover, from the lack of regulation and monitoring of content, social media can be very dark, violent and sexualised.

Images of terrorism, extremism and other violence are easily accessible on social media, and as an adult, if I see any content which is inappropriate or upsetting, I know how to report it and it would not affect me. However, if a young, impressionable child comes across aggressive behaviour online, it could leave a lasting impression. The psychologist Albert Bandura found that if younger children, particularly boys, are exposed to aggression, they are likely to imitate it.

In addition, social media is a very sexualised place varying from celebrities posting half naked photos of themselves

Before we dive into why social media should not be banned for people under the age of 18, we need some perspective on how popular social media is with young people in the UK. Research shows that 70% of children aged 12-15 in the UK are using at least one form of social media, such as Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram, according to a 2019 report published by Ofcom this year. However, this includes 12 year olds, which shouldn’t be possible due to the fact that most social media platforms have an age limit of 13.

A case study published in 2017, conducted by Comres Global, showed that ‘among under-13s, 78% were using at least one social media network, despite being below the age requirement’. These ing to break age limits to access social media. Making the proposed solution of raising the age limit as an attempt to stop youth from being exposed to social media is not a very effective one.

Should social media have an age limit? to pornography. By law, you must be 18 years old to buy pornography or watch porn online. So why should you be able to get social media before 18?

Not only is social media mentally damaging, it can be very dangerous. Every parent’s worst nightmare of a stranger talking to their child online can be made possible with social media. Children are taught to ‘not talk to strangers’ from a to know if who you are talking to is who they say they are. The lack of policing on social media makes it very easy for people to lie about their age and identity online. Online predators or paedophiles can easily steal the identities of fellow classmates, teachers, or other trusted relations to groom children. Unfortunately, there have been many incidents involving children being groomed online by a stranger pretending to be someone else which have resulted in rape or murder.

Moreover, even if a child recognises the situation and takes action to protect themselves, they are never truly safe. Social media holds a variety of information varying from your home phone number to your address and which school you attend. I believe that children and teenagers below the age of 18 are not truly educated of the risks social media holds and are not informedenough on how to protect themselves. Therefore, I think banning social media for those under 18 is vital to protecting both their mental health and their lives. We must be better.

More importantly, social media allows for young people to voice their opinion, discuss and engage in topics that concern them. A well known example is that of the Swedish environmental activist, Greta Thunberg. In the summer of 2018, she began a school strike, sitting outside Swedish parliament every Friday to encourage politicians to care more about climate change. Photos of this spread, inspiring the global Fridays For Future movement which was joined by many teenagers. According to Time magazine, 4 million people joined the global strike for climate action on 20th September 2019.

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Making the proposed solution of raising the age limit, as an attempt to stop youth from being exposed to social media, not a very effective one.

More importantly, social media allows for young people to voice their opinion, discuss and engage in topics that concern them. happened among teens on social media in the UK, as a report by Ofcom discovered. In 2019, 12-15 year olds had an 18% engagement of shares and comments to support causes and organisations, compared to 12% in 2018. That is quite an increase and was dubbed the “Greta Effect”

by Ofcom in their report ‘Children and parents: Media use and attitudes’, published this year. This doesn’t mean that

the access to social media for under 18s was the deciding factor for her achievements, but it indicates that the access played a part in forcing international leaders to address the issues of climate tional videos from learning new hobbies to topics such as science and history. For instance, the Youtube channel “Kurzgesagt - In a nutshell” has 13 million people who subscribe to their animated explanations of science.

There is a lot of useful content to be explored on social media. Today most of the video content delivered through social media doesn’t require someone to explore one's interests. Those who live in more isolated areas can get access to information and concepts they otherwise may have never known. Apart from the one time investment in smartphones, tablets or computers, most social media channels that offer such content are free.

Social media offers a platform for development of skills and the discovery of new interests, regardless of geographical location and economical background.

While social media can contribute to negative mental health issues for some of their users, as a study conducted by the RHPS and reported by the BBC in 2017 14-24 reported to struggle with anxiety and depression, sleep, body image, cyberbullying and the fear of missing out, due to their consumption of social media. forms in the study, Instagram turned out as the platform that were most associated with the issues above. These are completely valid reasons as to why we should consider to set an age limit of 18+ on social media. But the study also shows that these mental health issues were present in persons both above and under the suggested age limit of 18+. It’s fair to conclude that an increased age limit doesn’t really solve the issues already existing on the platform. If so it would seem to be more wise to close down social media for everyone. Banning social media for those under 18 takes away valuable platforms for expression, community, educational content and discovery.

The conclusion for now would be to not raise the age limit to 18, until we have lenges and issues social media presents to its users across all age groups, people in the public eye are caught uttering racial slurs, being homophobic or misogynistic and offer weak responses and apologies in order to not lose deals or a fan base, without caring for their fans value systems.

The Badger 5th October 2020

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The Matrix of Social Media

This isn’t an episode of Black Mirror - this is our very own, real social dilemma.

Libby Mills Comment Online Sub-Editor Trigger warning: self-harm and suicide.

Within the last decade, there has been one inarguable change that has altered the backdrop of civilisation as we know it - social media. With the early days of the 1950’s and continuing to evolve, it was the creation of electronic mail (email to you or I) in 1971 that began a chain reaction of a new era of communication.

In 1997, SixDegrees appeared. #OMG. SixDegrees combined nections all in one social and online space. This saw the likes of Friendster and LinkedIn in 2002-2003, before a new competitor entered the game. A competitor who would go on to not only change, but run the game - 2004, the birth of Fanew millennium saw the rise of these social media platforms popping up everywhere.The second decade of the new millennium, however, has seen the with social media during their generation to not know technology to not exist. And there we have it, a very real social dilemma.

Sundance Institute Queue The Social Dilemma’s ber 2020. Just in case we need anything else to lose sleep over other than the current global maker Jeff Orlowski offers up the perfect combination of a slight existential crisis mixed with some home truths for humanity. His documentary is long enough to hit home to its audience that we are facing a real threat, but interesting enough to make you want to listen and do something about it.

The documentary starts out with a simple quote: “Nothing vast enters the life of mortals without a curse.” Sophocles before going on to highlight just the toppings on the cake of the bi-products of social media. Iso-

https://www.thesocialdilemma.com/ lation, loneliness, mental health issues, tech addiction, surveillance capitalism, fake news, snapchat dysmorphia, polarization. After ticking off a reasonable selection of this rather intense grocery list of social media problems, we are introduced to a host of A-List tech-lebrities.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google, YouTube, Apple, Firefox, Pinterest directors, designers, executives and engineers, you name it - it’s almost like the Oscars of the tech world.

One by one, each voice contributes their own speciality to the conversation surrounding the documentary. The plethora of knowledge is undeniable, and almost unnerving. All interviewees provide an insight into the era of innocence, when social media was just that - a way to make money, yes, but to provide an online means of socialising.

Justin Rosenstein, co-creator of the Facebook ‘Like’ button, explains how that’s exactly what it was meant to be - a simple ‘Like’ button. He even goes on to say, the whole purpose behind the idea of the ‘Like’ button was to encourage positivity and kindness within the world of Facebook. This is echoed in former YouTube engineer Guillaome Chaslot’s response to his algorithm, stating “it worries me that an algorithm I worked on is actually causing polarisation within society.” It seems as time unfolds, that only then can true hindsight be seen in regards to the scale of the power of social media. Alex Roetter, former senior Vice President of engineering at Twitter, shares “when I was there I always felt like fundamentally it was a force for good...I don’t know if I feel that way anymore.”

So why is it that social media - something that can be such a force for good - can also be so destructive? Tristan Harris, former Google design ethicist and

now Co-Founder of Centre for Humane Technology helps explain. Harris had always been intrigued by magic, ever since he was a child. In the documentary he connects the similarities between magicians, and the illusions they perform, with his time spent at Stanford University. During his time studying, he learnt about building the psychology that persuades people into technology, within the Stanford Persuasive Technology lab. It is this research that is purposely incorporated within the creation of social media apps that makes it seem addictive. In fact, Dr Anna Lembke, Medical Director of Addiction Medicine, says that’s exactly what social media is - a drug; “there is no doubt that a vehicle like social media, which optimises this connection between people, is going to have the potential for addiction.” Dr Lembke touches on the reality that human beings have a psychological imperative of connecting with other human beings, and that it is this that directly releases dopamine. The combination of humanity’s need for connection and the psychological research into what persuades us is the magic moneymaking concoction.

Part of the interaction with social media that feels, and probably is, so addictive is the process of refreshing your feed.

Joe Toscano, former experience design consultant for Google, explains that this is no accident.

The action that is carried out through the refreshing of an app is labelled by psychologists as a ‘positive intermittent reinforcement’. The whole experience of this is the not-knowing whether you’re going to get anything, but the desire and knowledge that you could is enough. Harris goes on to add that the pull down required to refresh a feed purposefully mimics the slot machines in Las Vegas - it was

at this point in the documentary I began to have a real ‘ah-haaaa’ moment. fresh button a bit addictive and probably checking our phones too much - what is really at stake here? The answer: a whole generation. Jonathan Haidt, PhD and NYU Stern School of Business Social Psychologist, breaks down the statistics. In the U.S alone, depression and anxiety

wrong. How much is our society, democracy and civilisation really at risk? In the documentary Jaron Lainer, author of ‘Ten Arguments For Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now’ gives a frank and direct answer.

That through our own willful ignorance, we have the potential to “destroy civilisation”, environmentally, economically and democratically.

“We’ve created a world in which online connection has become primary, especially for younger generations. And yet in that world where two peonanced is by a sneaky third person who’s paying to manipulate those two people. So we’ve created an entire global generation of people who are raised within a context of the very meaning of connection and culture is manipulation.”

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increased astronomically.

The amount of teenage girls admitted to hospital every year due to self harm was reasonably stable until 2010-2011. Since 2009, admissions have increased by 62% in girls aged 15-19 and by 189% in girls aged 10-14. This cide rates, increasing by 70% for girls aged 15-19 and 151% for girls aged 10-14 - in comparison to the years between 2001-2010.

Even within these two different age brackets, there is an indisputable larger increase for the girls aged 10-14 - this is more than a social dilemma, social media can cause serious harm and even kill. As Haidt points out, not only are these numbers incredibly concerning but behind each statistic is a young girl and a family affected.

Throughout the documentary it becomes evident just how complex the web of social media really is. From global users having very little knowledge of just exactly how much of their online footprint is being tracked, monitored and recorded, to the power of big tech companies Social media isn’t just an app anymore, it isn’t just an ‘online space’ that starts and ends with the opening and closing of a laptop - it is ingrained within the very fabric of our ever evolving society. Harris describes what has been created as ‘a digital Frankenstein’, and he is not all

Social media isn’t just an app anymore, it isn’t just an ‘online space’ that starts and ends with the opening and closing of a laptop - it is ingrained within the very fabric of our ever evolving society.

With the world becoming ever more polarised thanks to fake news now spreading four times faster on Twitter alone, industry designers leaving because of ethical concerns - it seems too overwhelming to take any notice. One simple piece of advice all of the interviewees seem eager to share is the power of This small change breaks a chain in the cycle of phone-checking when your attention is most wanted. After all, “if you’re not paying for the product, then you are the product.” Perhaps a form of social media enlightenment is coming? Co-Founders of a new movement Centre for Humane Technology and interviewees within the documentary, Tristan Harris, Aza Raskin and Randima Fernando, all share the belief that technology can be realigned with society’s best interests.

“Together with our partners, we are dedicated to radically reimagining technology for the common good of humanity.”

Social media is part of 2 billion people’s reality, and with movements such as the Centre for Humane Technology, let’s hope the future of social media helps to enhance humanity as supposed to isolate and polarise.

The Badger 5th October 2020

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What’s deal with Oatly?

The ‘eco-friendly’ alternative milk company has been in headlines for all of the wrong reasons. What’s going on?

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The Badger 5th October 2020

Comment 12 Black Lives Matter: A Monumental Movement Emily Alexandra Hyatt Four months after the spike in the BLM movement, the protests have died down, but the

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Freshers in the time of COVID

From the seagulls to social distancing, one first year tells us how her first week at Sussex has been Lilah May McKim

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Continued from front...

I caught up with my crewmates, Captain Rhys and Quartermaster Ben, to find out what it’s really been like to steer the ship.

I remember having both the fortune of War and tempest, whacking on some pirate bangers and it was just beautiful. Was also the first time I went to CHALK which was indeed the first of many!

Quartermaster Ben: I think probably the 2nd Pub Crawl. By that time, we’d had a few events and it felt like we’d built up a little family. I was sceptical that anyone would want to dress up as a pirate and come to events, so It was nice to start seeing the same faces all having fun.

What gave you the idea of starting/joining a Pirate Society?

Captain Rhys: It’s difficult to pin down exactly why I started it. It came to me randomly whilst I was watching Netf lix. I was planning a pirate birthday pub crawl and just kind of realised suddenly that this could be a cool society. Also just really wanted to dress as a pirate as much as possible.

Quartermaster Ben: I’d never joined a society before when Rhys asked me to join. Pirates seemed like as good an idea as any. It’s right up my alley, dressing up and acting like kids. It didn’t matter if it went anywhere, it just seemed like a laugh.

What’s are people’s initial expectations of the society?

Captain Rhys: From what I’ve seen, people don’t really know what to expect! The main question I always get is “so what do you actually do at pirate society?”. There’s definitely a perceived image of hyper masculinity or Pirates of the Caribbean-esque campiness but it can honestly be whatever.

The most liberating thing about it is that you can do such random things since you essentially have a theme rather than a specific activity or cause.

What’s it actually like onboard?

Captain Rhys: We definitely try to be

Teddy Parkin Features Online Sub Editor

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How did it feel to win Best New Society?

as authentically representative of who we are as the individuals running it as possible. We try to create both a progressive and inclusive environment.

Both I (The Captain) and Olly (First Mate) are Non-Binary so this helps with being inclusive towards other LGBTQ+ people. There are always areas to improve like doing more work to be anti-racist and support Black Lives Matter in a more direct way but also having a frank discussion about the colonial impacts of 17th/18th century European pirates rather than just talking about the romanticised version so often portrayed.

Quartermaster Ben: It showed me just how little organisation things can run on, saying that, my job consisted

entirely of deciding when it was time to tweet on the society twitter. Every time Baseball season rolled around, #pirates was f looded with nothing but baseball content, so thanks Pittsburgh Pirates.

What’s been your favourite event?

Captain Rhys: My favourite event was the first pub crawl, Pirate Pub Crawl I: The First of Many. It was the first time I’d ever run a pirate event (second time id run a society event in general) and didn’t expect it to go so well. It was all so new and so many people came!

(Like 60!!) It really meant so much to me because most of the people came just to support me and the quirky idea I came up with. It was honestly the perfect event and it was so much fun!

Captain Rhys: I was in shock. I couldn’t believe that we managed to get to the top three let alone win it.

The fact that the little idea I had in my living room took on a life of its own and became a campus wide name still baff les me today. I’m so thankful to the people who came to the events, who were so down for some silly fun, and I’m just really happy that it’s actually a real thing. It’s always so freeing just dressing up and doing fun silly things that you don’t get to do normally.

As we continue into the strange and uncharted waters of the COVID 19 pandemic, one thing can be said for certain: pirates are back in fashion and here to stay.

You can find the Pirate Society on Instagram: @sussexpirates, on Facebook as The Pirate Society or on Twitter @sussexpirates.

History: Moving forward

istory, the lesson that my friend always fell asleep in at school. He explained the boredom felt as dreary monologues drained out of his professors’ mouth. An old man, preaching old stories to the deaf ears and closed eyes of tired students. A futile event.

Seemingly meaningless in the grand scheme of what is. But what is? Why? Where do we go from here? These questions are constantly needing to be grappled with. As notorious philosopher George Santayana aphorized, “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” In this era of globalisation and exponential technological progression, many of us are stranded in catch up mode. It is difficult to make sense of the world beyond economic development and efficiency.

There are deeply embedded crises to solve without any credible unified solution. We can see how this phenomenon plagues the world and its consequences are felt everywhere; the rise of populism in Europe and the election of Donald trump in the US. Beyond the shortcomings of poorly constructed educational practices that my friend endured studying history at school, the need for a comprehensive answer to society’s direction is potent. History can help fill this void.

Organisations have a goal. Often alongside some principles that drive the process of achieving this goal.

Once complete, a new goal is deter-

mined, and the principles offer a longlasting sense of meaning and identity throughout this journey. These may be adapted slightly but they largely remain the same. A football team’s goal, for example, may be to win the title in 3 seasons time, and their principles; to play attacking football and develop young players in the process. A charity like Water, there goal may be to bring fresh and clean water to 2 million people by the end of the year, in the process living by values such as transparency with donors and providing education to the people and communities in need. The point here is that there is a goal that the whole organisation works towards and a solid idea of what the organisation stands for.

Where is this within UK society? There is no forward-thinking model that resembles a plan. There is no cohesive idea that identifies what we stand for as a nation. What could be described as ‘British values’ are a source of disillusionment for large swathes of the British population. Without this direction we stand victim to divisive party politics and a media that benefits from enraging us, consequentially butchering our discourse. The problems are clear, the solutions not so much.

History can provide clarity here.

Firstly, by studying the past and looking back we can determine the foundations we want to ground our society upon.

During the recent George Floyd protests, the statue of Edward Colston, a former slaveowner, was torn down from its pedestal and dumped into the waters of Bristol Harbour. This event was symbolic of a more widespread upheaval. People will no longer accept slave owners to be revered with monuments. People in the country will not tolerate a celebration of this in their collective identity. History offers a scope of analysis that allows us to pick out and reject outdated principles, but also to seek out new ones that take our society forward. This is not to say that a complete overhaul is necessary.

(Considering the state of many countries across our planet, the UK is comparatively very stable.) More so that an in-depth questioning would be fruitful in the realignment of our trajectory away from the problems we are now facing. Without choosing ignorance we can decide as a society what we want to leave behind, what we want to take forward and what we want to aim for. In the past tremendous feats have been accomplished that have comprehensively been a positive force. In 1948, the National Health Service Act was passed, providing free and universal healthcare for all. The NHS since has saved millions of lives, provided critical care for people in dire times of need and bonded the nation beyond party politics. It’s possible for us to make these kinds of huge steps. His-

tory extends our awareness to times when we have done this. In ironing out what we have previously found desirable, we can set new goals that similarly takes us forward in big ways. We need a new NHS to aim for, a meaningful goal that unifies the country I’m not suggesting that the solution is so direct that by studying history our problems will be absolved.

More so that by understanding our problems better, we are more able to construct effective solutions to tackle them based on what has come before us and how humans of the past have dealt with similar issues. Understanding when we have gone wrong and aiming to not repeat such foolery.

An integration of historical study on a widespread societal level is idealistic. There is more incentive for individuals to pursue intellectualism that offers traditional employment opportunities, such as medicine and engineering. From this perspective history and the humanities are unappealing to many. However, there is cause for optimism. The success of Yuval Noah Harari (a historian) and his book ‘Sapiens’ (a history of humankind) has unveiled a desire within wider society to understand our past. Rutger Bregman (a historian) confronted global elites at Davos and used his platform to condemn tax avoidance among the wealthy. Let us hope these sparks of history continue to spread.

The Badger 5th October 2020

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Returning Home in a Time of Global Pandemic Inès Bussat Staff Writer

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here are many ways in which the Coronavirus crisis has impacted our lives. One huge area impacted by the lockdown experience is how we see, and live in our homes. Lockdown reminded us of the privilege of having a home, and the importance of finding peace and safety within it.

Before the global pandemic, the social norm in most capitalist societies was to go to work from 9 to 5 and to socialise in the time left. Home lovers like me had a bad reputation. Don’t get me wrong, I love meeting up with friends for coffee, eating out and discovering new places, but give me a whole free day that I can spend home alone and I will be happy to spend it daydreaming, reading and watching films on the sofa. You can thus imagine how lockdown felt for me: it was like someone had given to me a massive white canvas and I was free to do whatever I wished to do on it – I could even leave it blank if I wanted to!

For the last six months, we’ve all got to reconnect with our most intimate environment and to (re)discover the simple pleasure of the slow inside life. This phenomenon shed light on new needs to take into consideration for the design of our future cities and homes.

While the privileged ones among us found in lockdown an opportunity to read more books, learn how to make bread and start doing yoga, it was – and still is - for others, a time of despair and of feeling of abandonment from governments. Before writing about the benefits of contemplation and recreation in the comfort of one’s home, I believe it is crucial to insist on the political aspects of the domestic life and the inequalities it involves. With the rise in housing prices and the precariousness of the labour market, access to a decent quality of life is unequally distributed. In 2014, the Guardian quoted that “more than 11m homes lie empty across Europe – enough to house all of the continent’s homeless twice over”.

For people living in dysfunctional households, or worse, violent ones, isolation was the worst thing that could have happened to them. Cases of domestic violence increased by 20% during the lockdown since people are forced to stay at home with their abuser (BBC news).

The experience of lockdown is different for everyone, and depends largely on the economic and social status of individuals. Having enough space, with access to a garden, feeling safe and comfortable with the people we isolate with, are privileges among others that affect considerably the effects lockdown can have on someone’s physical and mental health.

It is the essay At home written by Mona Chollet, a French journalist, that inspired me to write this article. In her

possible alternatives.

For everyone, lockdown erased the separation that existed between our work space and personal space, forcing us to adapt to a new way of living that might last longer than what we expected.

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For the last six months, we’ve all got to reconnect with our most intimate environment and to (re) discover the simple pleasure of the slow inside life. This phenomenon shed light on new needs to take into consideration for the design of our future cities and homes.

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Inès Bussat Inès Bussat work, which will be available in English in 2021, she explains how society praises outgoing personalities over indoorsy ones. Yet, according to her, loneliness is a neglected need and the choice of staying at home is too often interpreted as a rejection of others rather than a deliberate wish to enjoy the comfort of one’s own ‘nest’.

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The experience of lockdown is different for everyone, and depends largely on the economic and social status of individuals. Having enough space, with access to a garden, feeling safe and comfortable with the people we isolate with, are privileges among others that affect considerably the effects lockdown can have on someone’s physical and mental health

Almost a century ago, Virginia Woolf was writing about the necessity of ‘a room of one’s own’, a safe place where we can be free to create and to express our identity. Being a home-lover herself, Chollet writes in 2015 that she dreams of having more time to hang out, sleep, read, create, think, enjoy solitude or the company of loved ones at home. She could not have imagined that five years later, not only she will be granted this time inside, but the whole world will be too.

In the production-driven society we live in, procrastination and idleness are seen as enemies. As a matter of fact, according to social norms, time at home does not count if it’s not productive and/or profitable. It is true that there has been a recent trend,

especially on social media, regarding wellbeing and slow-living. Lifestyle blogs and Instagram accounts overf low with content praising the perks of meditation, cooking, and mindful living, but often with the hidden goal of performing and appearing better as a result. Society taught us to feel guilty about doing nothing, or about doing something without any particular purpose in mind: we need to ‘keep ourselves busy’. Besides, we are constantly told to aim outside of our ‘comfort zone’ without ever considering home as a possible field for emancipation.

I was lucky enough to see lockdown as an opportunity to explore space and time outside of the hourly discipline of the usual nine to five. I enjoyed losing track of time and contemplating days as they came, without being able to plan. Again, it is an extremely privileged place to be in and I would probably not have felt the same if I had financial and familial responsibilities, or if I hadn’t had access to an outdoor space. In such circumstances, we realised the importance of home and of its first and main functionality: our home is our shelter.

During lockdown, social media was a window to the rest of the world, and, internet was, using Mona Chollet’s words, a means to bring ‘the crowd in the living room’. So much creativity and generosity arose from across the world, from free online classes, to concerts, and even music festivals. We recognized our need for social interactions, as well as our need for space.

It made us question the way in which most of us used to live, in speed polluting dense cities, and think about

The Spanish architect Vicente Guallart is already imagining and designing what the post-Coronavirus neighbourhood might look like. According to him, our future home should integrate the family life, with remote working, community life, energetic and food autonomy in a sustainable way.

Architects have to take into consideration lockdown as a risk, working from home as a habit and sustainability as an urgent lifestyle shift. They are currently working on self-sufficient districts, which include urban farming, 3D-printing and digital industries, schools, offices, and public gardens.

We are still discovering everyday how this health crisis is impacting our present, and will, inevitably shape our future. One thing we can be certain of, for now, is that we will be spend-

Inès Bussat ing more time at home. Even though it can feel frustrating at times, I try to see this constraint as an opportunity to give more meaning to my home and my relationship to it. And to be honest, I’m not sure I would have taken as much time to write this article if I had the temptation to go out. Finally, we should also remember that our bodies, our minds (and our hearts) still need movement, air and stimulation so let’s enjoy inside and outside life in a balanced way, while respecting the government guidelines, of course!

The Badger 5th October 2020

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Lessons Learnt from Lockdown

Features editor Alana Harris talks with students to document some of the lockdown’s take-away lessons

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he enforced lockdown that arose as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic initially seemed like a nightmare but, as the saying goes, diamonds are formed under pressure, and the lessons we’ve learnt from lockdown are definitely pearls of wisdom.

If one thing’s certain about 2020, it’s that nobody was expecting a global pandemic to occur at all, let alone for one to put an indefinite pause on any kind of normality. When the UK was forced into a nation-wide lockdown, an optimistic three-week end mark was placed in people’s mind. This proved, of course, to be a very optimistic figure indeed, with the full lockdown ending up spanning a lengthy seven weeks.

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Having drive and career aspirations is of course a positive thing, but when thousands of people were furloughed, or worse, made redundant, it created a painful reminder that there’s much more to life than just work.

In these seven weeks, everybody was forced to adapt to a new normal, one which was confined to the insides of their houses. Prior to this pandemic, if you were to tell someone they would have to spend a solid seven weeks not being able to go anywhere, only able to leave their houses for an essential food shop, they’d balk in horror. Yet here we are, out the other side, equipped with lessons we otherwise may never have known.

For many, lockdown served as a societal eye opener. Everything grinding to a halt illuminated the materialistic manners of the modern civilisation and forced individuals to re-evaluate their priorities. Georgina, international relations student, commented “Lockdown was definitely a big wake up call. I learnt to look at the happiness that little things bring to me, like a nice cup of tea with the family or doing small activities together. It really reinforced the importance of friends and family and how important it is to look after one another.”

We’ve all heard the saying you don’t know what you’ve got until its gone, and with lockdown eradicating human

“

contact with anybody outside of your immediate household, we were forced to see just how much importance our personal relationships hold in our lives. Katie, psychology student, expressed “Lockdown has taught me the true value of human contact. Even with evolving technology and constant access to apps like FaceTime and Zoom, there really is no comparison to reallife connection.” Basically, we’ll take a real pub quiz over a zoom one any day.

“

“Lockdown was definitely a big wake up call. I learnt to look at the happiness that little things bring to me, like a nice cup of tea with the family or doing small activities together. It really reinforced the importance of friends and family and how important it is to look after one another.”

Scrutiny of people’s priorities has not just been internal; our government has also come under fire for its apparent placement of priority upon economical security over people’s safety.

Ollie Edwards, engineering student,

THE

BADGER

Anna Shvets - Pexels

observed “It’s been a sad reminder of how economically driven the world is, I just think that it’s gone to show that even in a time of great stress and need for us to really put things to a halt, everyone has just been competing globally to have the smallest lockdown just so that they can keep their economy up”.

Now, post-lockdown, the scrutiny hasn’t stopped, Ollie continued “The UK is a prime example of a country which opened up things way too quickly just for sake of the economy, which is necessity to an extent but it just goes to show how economically driven our government is and how that’s always going to come first over people’s well-being”.

On a more positive note, there’s one lesson about well-being we all seem to be in agreement over and that’s that we are incredibly lucky to have the NHS. If we clapped every single day for the rest of our lives it still wouldn’t be enough to thank all of the incredible employees of our health service for their remarkable work. It’s just a shame it took a global pandemic for the nation to unite and thank the NHS for the work it’s been doing all along but it’s one lesson we’ll be sure to re-

member.

Another slightly delayed lesson learnt as a by-product of lockdown is the fact that your working career shouldn’t be your absolute everything.

Having drive and career aspirations is of course a positive thing, but when thousands of people were furloughed, or worse, made redundant, it created a painful reminder that there’s much more to life than just work. Not only has the importance of striking a balance been work, personal relationships and your own physical and mental well-being been emphasised, but the working oneself to the bone mentality has been derailed. With the closure of millions of offices and the adaption of commuters learning to work from their bedrooms, the fast paced, high price tagged nature of city living and working has become a lot less appealing as a recipe for happiness.

Lastly, we learnt perhaps one of the most imperative lessons; the value of nature. Whilst the human inhabitants of the planet were in lockdown, nature received a much-needed shot at revival. Swans were seen in the waters of Venice, air pollution levels dropped across the world and individuals’ relationship with nature was reinvigorated. Being cooped inside has made us appreciate the outside world by tenfold, and has hopefully meant that the protection of our planet has become pertinent to the masses.

“

Not only has the importance of striking a balance been work, personal relationships and your own physical and mental well-being been emphasised, but the working oneself to the bone mentality has been derailed.

We’ve received a wake-up call on a global level, one which has taught us to cherish our loved ones, be kinder to ourselves, be more critical of the society we live in and to protect the beautiful world we live in. Unlike Instagram challenges, Joe Wicks workouts and mass banana bread making, it’s vital that these lessons aren’t left in lockdown.

The Badger 5th October 2020

Features

16

Brighton’s New Student-Led Travel Company Ola Oladapo and the co-founders of RideDash are hoping to lead Brighton into a new era of ‘ridesharing.’

Max Kilham Sports Online Editor

London Black Cabs, Uber, and now RideDash. Led by former University of Sussex alum Ola Oladapo, the entrepreneur is looking to squeeze his way into the lives of those in Brighton, by appealing to its student population.

However, in an already saturated market, can this aspiring business succeed?

Ola, 23, from London, is the CEO at the company. He recently graduated from the University of Sussex and during his time there, the business venture was founded. Along with CTO Oscar Sanz and COO Kendrick Fordjour, their business venture finished third in the 2020 StartUp Sussex competition, paving the way for its official launch earlier this month.

Alana Harris

So, why Brighton?

“We chose Brighton for several reasons.

“We went to university here and have become accustomed to the place.

“There are two universities within close proximity to each other and since we are student focused, it only made sense to stay here.

“Finally, the idea to help drivers earn more and live a better life was ignited here.”

“Firstly the prices. When we were at Sussex, going out, or going back home at night, we were always paying ridiculous fees.

“We realised that the prices were always inf lated for several reasons.

Ola went on to discuss how safety is one of the main focus points of the company:

“That’s the main reason why we started this in the first place, to really solve that issue and create a platform where drivers have ownership to run their own business rather than us running a platform where we essentially commercialise drivers and make money off what they do. For example, drivers only pay £50 a month to have access to the app.

“That’s why we’re a lot cheaper than any other alternative and we just thought students would love that.

We’re always on a budget.

“There’s a social experience around the whole thing, so within the app itself you can actually add friends, add your close friends and everytime your friends arrive it comes up as an activity.

“

Continuing, Ola conveyed how the company operates:

“Dashride (RideDash) is essentially a social ridesharing app for students.

“So when I say social ridesharing for students what that basically means is we created a platform that’s actually made for students, by students for a few main reasons.

“We chose Brighton for several reasons. We went to university here and have become accustomed to the place.There are two universities within close proximity to each other and since we are student focused, it only made sense to stay here."

“It makes it a bit of fun but also adds safety and those are the two main reasons why we chose to (start the business) because number one, it’s just cheaper and number two, because of the safety.”

“

However, in a watertight market such as this, room to squeeze in amongst other big brand competitors becomes slim. Uber, amongst other taxi services, are all present in Brighton and are the dominating forces in ride services within Brighton. Breaking into the market won’t be easy but Ola is planning for such difficulties: “There’s two things: the price, again it’s just cheaper and number two: the social aspect of it as well.

“So, imagine again, you have a friend, you have three friends you go out with all the time, you can actually just add them.”

“The way I kind of see it is if Uber and Snapchat had a baby.”

“

too.

“We can also send messages via the app telling you to wear facemasks.”

With COVID cases skyrocketing recently to over 3000 a day and new social measures being introduced, many fear that a second lockdown could be imminent. If this were to happen, how would Ola’s recently developed business survive?

“There’s a lot of different things we can do if that happens.

“We can always just refocus the company and provide, perhaps, essentials for students.

“If you’re in a lockdown and you need to order something, we could get it delivered to you professionally. We could always repurpose the company to do something like that.”

“There’s a social experience around the whole thing, so within the app itself you can actually add friends, add your close friends and everytime your friends arrive it comes up as an activity.”

Safety is always a priority and with the COVID-19 pandemic having increased the necessity for these strict safety measures, preventing infection has been added to the already long list of safety measures needed. Oladapo explained how he looks to ensure the safety of both his drivers and customers: “All drivers on the platform have to be fully licensed by the Brighton and Hove council. The term for the licence is called “Private hire licence”.

“To acquire the private hire licence from the council, drivers have to be fully vetted and background checked.

“We also do additional vetting to get to know the drivers and make sure they are safe for students to ride with.”

“All drivers essentially have to wear facemasks and all students, we would encourage them to wear facemasks

In a watertight market such as this, room to squeeze in amongst other big brand competitors becomes slim. Uber, amongst other taxi services, are all present in Brighton and are the dominating forces in ride services within Brighton. Breaking into the market won’t be easy.

Brighton is a hotbed for student life, with masses of students travelling around the city at any one time, giving the business the potential to thrive.

Ola expressed his hopes for the future: “For the near future we just want to get at least half of the student population on the platform. We actually launched yesterday and we’ve seen some really good growth already.

“To give you some numbers: we’ve got over 100 downloads in less than 24 hours.

“So we are seeing some good traction already and also we’re working with the SU (Sussex Student Union).

“We advertise ourselves on campus as well. But yes, we are expecting some good growth.”

The future is far from clear in these uncertain times. However, ride services are a part of Brighton unlikely to ever disappear. In a tricky market in tricky times, Ola and the team hope that with RideDash’s student focus, the company will gain stand up against competitors in the city.

All that can be done now, is to wait and see.

Website of RideDash: https://ridedash.app/ DISCLAIMER: The Badger does not endorse unnecessary use of transport in this current climate and government guidelines should be stuck to stringently during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Badger 5th October 2020

Arts • Books

17

Black History Month 2020 Books Overview Eric Barrell Books Editor This year, the Black Lives Matter protests after the death of George Floyd marked a historic point in the struggle against racism. It was the biggest civil rights movement the world had seen in decades. In the UK, it pushed forward a reckoning with this country’s colonial past.

October is UK Black History Month, and this overview of four books published or nominated for the Booker Prize in 2020 will pay particular attention to books related to Black History across the diaspora.

Black and British: A short, essential history

by David Olusoga A new-edition of award-winning broadcaster and historian David Olusoga’s best-selling 2016 book, Black and British: A Forgotten History covers Black History in Britain from the Roman Conquest to the present day. Hitting the bookshops on October 1st, this edition is illustrated with maps, photographs and portraits. 50p of each purchase will be donated to The Black Curriculum, a social enterprise which addresses the lack of Black British History in the UK Education System.

Indeed, the book is being reprinted with illustrations to encourage younger readers after calls for greater education on racism and Black History in UK schools after the events of this year.

Whilst Olusoga’s 2016 book goes more in-depth, the 2020

Edition is great for less-avid readers still eager to learn about this important topic. The book highlights all kinds of important Black Britons from the trumpeter at the court of Henry VIII, the work of abolitionists-such as Olaudah Equiano in abolishing the slave trade, and the many black soldiers from across the Empire who fought for Britain in both world wars. Olusoga’s comprehensive approach means a more in-depth focus on particular individuals is sometimes lost, but the book still gives a great overview of an often-overlooked yet integral part of the thousands of years of this country’s history.

This Mournable Body

by Tsitsi Dangarembga Shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize, Zimbabwean author Tsitsi Dangarembga’s novel is the last in a trilogy about the life of Tambu, a woman dealing with life’s hardships amidst the challenges facing her country of Zimbabwe over the past 50 Dangarembga’s 1988 novel Nervous Conditions, an account of a 1960s childhood in Rhodesia during the war of independence. Tambu is a complex and at times morally dubious protagonist, which makes the novel more compelling. This Mournable Body deals with the theme of balancing morality with survival, as Tambu struggles to make ends meet after leaving a prestigious copywriting job because white colleagues took credit for her achievements. The novel deals with the divisions in Zimbabwean society between

the wealthy white minority and the black professionals striving to make a living in the capital of Harare; and the further division of new values emerging in the modern city versus the moral traditions of the country’s rural villages. Dangarembga paints a dazzling picture of this divided mosaic: describing the nightclubs where people of all races dance happily until a grand houses in Harare’s bourgeois suburbs; now rotting and overgrown with weeds. Despite Tambu’s struggles making her way, This Mournable Body puts forth a message of the importance of kindness; and not losing your sense of right and wrong whilst you try to make your way in the world.

Diane Abbott: The Authorised Biography

by Robin Bunce and Samara Linton Published this September, Diane Abbott: The Authorised Biography captures the life story and 3-decade career of Britain’s ered a trailblazer of progress and an icon of Labour’s socialist wing by many on the left, she is also one of the British right’s most disparaged and dibased on interviews with both her political colleagues and opponents, friends from childhood and university days, and extensive archival research.

Diane Abbott’s life is charted from her childhood in Harrow, the daughter of working-class Jamaican immigrants. She at-

tended the local girls’ grammar school and went on to read History at Cambridge University.

Initially elected to Westminster City Council in 1982, she became the Labour Party (and when she won the Hackney North & Stoke Newington constituency in the 1987 Election.

She has held this position ever since, making her the longestserving black MP in the UK Parliament. Considered a radical backbencher for many years, she voted against her party on the Iraq War and pro-nuclear weapons bills under Tony Blair’s leadership. Then, in 2015, she was appointed shadow home secretary after Jeremy Corbyn became the Labour leader.

Whilst this biography is primarily a political one and does not go into much detail on Abbot’s personal life, it gives valuable insight into the cultural context of racism, leftist and antiracist activist movements, and the UK Labour Party- from the 1980s to the present day.

The Shadow King

by Maaza Mengiste Another novel on the 2020 Booker Prize Shortlist, Maaza Mengiste’s captivating story about the women soldiers in the Ethiopian war against Italy in the 1930s is partly based on her family history. Mengiste’s grandfather and great-grandmother both fought to defend Ethiopia during the second Italo-Ethiopian War. The novel focuses primarily on two women; Aster: a glamorous, middleclass lady grieving the loss of her child, and Hirut: an orphaned

young woman who becomes the live-in maid to Aster and her husband Kidane. When Kidane goes off to war during the 1935 Italian invasion led by Mussolini’s fascist government, Aster refuses to just wait at home for his return. At stake is the desire to make amends for the scars of the past, as Italy had attempted to conquer Ethiopia previously in the 1890s. In addition, although Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie has gone into exile in England, a man named Minim emerges. Although he is soft-spoken and mysterious, he bears a striking resemblance to the missing Emperor.

When dressed in a makeshift uniform and sat on horseback, he is propped up at the back of pian troops. This is the novel’s eponymous Shadow King. As the story of the war unfolds, Mengiste fragments the narrative so that the reader is not just following Aster’s journeys through the mountain battlecape, her maid Hirut by her side.

Mengiste weaves in other perspectives to this wartime story, including moments from Selassie’s perspective while exiled in Bath, and the descriptions of the documentary photography of the Jewish-Italian soldier Ettore. In capturing these different perspectives, The Shadow King looks at this period with fresh eyes; delivering an enthralling story rich with complex characters to inform a new generation about a key point in African History.

Transcription: A review of the 2018 spy novel Elizabeth Strange Staff Writer Kate Atkinson’s 2018 novel, Transcription, tells the story of Juliet Armstrong, a BBC producer working in the 1950s. Alongside Juliet’s day job, she works undercover for the M15 on account of her experience in the war. Upon receiving an anonymous note threatening retribution for her past, Juliet is forced to delve into her hidden history to uncover who this mysterious individual is, and what they want from her.

I found Transcription to be an extremely unpredictable read.

The novel was full of surprising twists and turns, that worked well to keep me engaged in the narrative and provided an element of disbelief when the truth

of Juliet’s past was eventually revealed.

In my personal opinion, Juliet’s youth could be a substantial indication as to why she can sometimes be ignorant and careless with her work and in her personal life.

I found the storyline regarding vided the note to only add to the novel’s atmosphere of suspense.

It was a person in the story you least expected and for a very odd reason.

The reality of the situation was extremely sinister, but seemed to be a less relevant element of the plot than I had initially anticipated. Nonetheless, it provides an important allegory in how people can never forgive someone, sometimes for even

liet in the 1950s and after we jump back to the 40s where we uncover her history working as a spy. This style of narrative worked well to help explain the unpredictability of Juliet’s life and the story, however, I did

the smallest of things.

An element I enjoyed about this book is how Atkinson explores how war had a profound impact on the lives of individuals like Juliet. In spite of her important career, Juliet was a young person who could have never anticipated her life taking the pathway it did. I enjoyed Atkinson’s literary technique of alluding to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet through the protagonist’s name. In this case it was not two families, but two countries. Ironically, this book was highly unromantic. Juliet in the book had a few romancthey were not very important.

If you’re seeking out a little bit of romance for your next read, Transcription isn’t the novel for

frustrating at times. This is an element of the narrative I would note before reading; be aware of loose ends and cliff hangers.

Overall, Transcription is high up on my list of reading recommendations. It’s perfect for those that love a good thriller but have a sweet spot for his-

you.

Atkinson’s narrative jumps between the 1940s and 1950s.

-

Transcription has made me even more keen to discover the other historical worlds Atkinson successfully constructs in her work.

The Badger 5th October 2020

Arts • Film & Television

18 What’s on

Celebrating Black History in Film Yazz James Film & TV Editor October marks Black History Month in the UK. Whilst many of us are aware of the lack of diversity within these

creatives.

Early Filmmakers

Walt Disney Television

In 1910, William D. Foster Best Director at the Oscars. The

an all-Black cast and director.

Oscar Micheaux is said to have been the most successful Black centred around race and served been interpreted as a response to The Birth of a Nation (1915).

or actress to win the triple crown

Rocks dir. Sarah Gavron

Widows, an opportunity she referred to as a “gift” from the director – “it was just a woman in the middle of a narrative who was facing personal challenges”.

Davis is continually vocal about her views on the treatment of

are often still erased from history, hidden or ignored. The following piece aims to highlight the achievements of those who have helped to pave the way

was set up with the intention to correct harmful representations that were seen as the norm and led to the production of Railroad Porter (1913), which is

won an Oscar, an Emmy, a Tony,

column is focused on promoting cinema and television telling Black stories.

with his 1991 coming-of-age Singleton broke records and also became the youngest nominee in the category ever. Nobody younger has been nominated since. Lee Daniels was next to earn a nomination with his

yet raw portrayal of a young abusive household.

story won three: Best Picture,

passed away. Boseman played

in a Supporting Role and Best away from many stereotypes nominations with Regina King winning for her role as the warm and loving, Sharon Rivers.

Jenkins has been recognised as one of the most talented storytellers of the century and is currently working on his series, The Underground Railroad. nominated for his horrifying Get Out which he produced,

also involved as an actress and worked as a producer on some of his later work.

Tressie Souders and Maria P. Williams are recognised

television industries and should be regarded as an inspiration to all women pursuing careers in the creative arts.

he missed out on Best Picture and Best Director wins, he was awarded with Best Original

Black culture. Marvel initially Boseman refused, arguing that it would give the impression of Wakanda being colonised; instead the actor worked with dialect coaches to perfect his accent and speak Xhosa. The his craft are also demonstrated through his role as James Brown in Get On Up.

The First Winner

Black

Oscar

Hattie McDaniel, won for her performance as “Mammy” in Gone with the Wind (1939). segregated hotel, she ignored the speech written for her by producers: “I sincerely hope I shall always be a credit to my race and to the motion picture for perpetuating stereotypes, her less conventional portrayal of the maid character won her praise from the group later on in her career.

Best Director Nominees colour have been nominated for

Juneteenth, a mother-daughter portrait of a former beauty queen and her rebellious an incredible debut feature from Peoples and has been described as “warm and empathetic…full of hauntingly affectionate images”.

Black

Hollywood: They’ve Gotta Have Us

docuseries

explores

Black

by Simon Frederick, the episodes celebrate legends, to the future of the industry.

Featuring conversations with cast and crew, it highlights some of key artists of the current

The Last Dance

Dance. The 10-part-docuseries follows Michael Jordan and the

with the well-loved, Spike Lee. him to earn a nomination in

for her depiction of Black life.

Maria P. Williams was also multi-talented; as producer, distributor and an actor in her Prior to this, she was an activist and writer and also worked with her husband who managed a theatre.

Miss Juneteenth dir.

Channing Godfrey Peoples

Whilst most were bingewatching Tiger King, some of us

producer has since grown, with directed, produced and wrote

is centred around teenager, Rocks (Bukky Bakray), as she is left with the responsibility of caring for herself and her younger brother. The story of friendship and resilience is showing in cinemas and available

timeline, providing a down-toearth portrait.

Pixabay Receiving a Best Picture win and the Golden Globe for Best a Slave director Steve McQueen

industry had ignored slavery and felt it necessary to depict the six-part

anthology

series

is

community between the sixties and eighties. It is set to release next year with some instalments being shown at London Film Festival this month.

One of the most uncomfortable situations in awards show history led to one of the most joyous moments of writer-

array of genres and has seen him cut through the indie scene to become one of the most ground-breaking directors of all time.

Gage Skidmore

Other Achievements

woman to: win Best Director at Sundance Film Festival, be nominated for Best Director at the Golden Globes, direct a

grossing Black woman director Her work includes the historical When They See Us as well as the documentary 13th. Duvernay

Runnings Dir. Turteltaub

Jon

the story of a Jamaican bobsleigh team as they work to compete

21st Century ‘Firsts’ producer and distributor was

Cool

by an out Black lesbian, The Watermelon Woman (1996) cinematographer nominated for

Chewing Gum fourth-wall-breaking,

comedy

Quincy Jones & Bob Russell

Song Black female composer to be

religious Tracey Gordon as she tries to navigate life in her midtwenties.

The Black Power Mixtape 1967 - 1975 dir. Göran Olsson available on MUBI and explores the evolution of the Black Power movement, featuring a wealth of interviews, images and archive footage.

The Badger 5th October 2020

Arts • Music

19

Passport: Back To Our Roots How big artists such as ‘Metronomy’ and ‘Passenger’ are helping save our beloved Brighton based Grassroot venues.

Black History Month A playlist of empowerment

Alice Barradale Music Editor

Alice Barradale Music Editor

After the Music Venue Trusts hugely successful Crowdfunder ‘Save Our Venues’ campaign which helped raise over £1,224,473 [and counting] for Grassroots venues during the coronavirus pandemic, a second nationwide campaign named “Passport: Back to Our Roots” has been formed.

This upcoming campaign sees a series of one-off intimate gigs by some of the UK’s biggest artists performing in our vulnerable independent grassroots venues, an incredibly important building block of the UK’s music scene. Huge bands such as Metronomy and Passenger have agreed to play such grassroot venues such as Patterns and Komedia (Brighton), on top of other numerous bands and grassroot venues across the country: Jamie xx – Corsica Studios, Elephant & Castle, London KT Tunstall - Windmill Brixton and PJ Molloys, Dunfermline Metronomy – Patterns, Brighton Passenger – Komedia, Brighton Pet Shop Boys –Electric Ballroom, Camden Russell Watson –Stoller Hall, Manchester

Music as we know it has always been a fundamental tool within protest and is one of the biggest forms of expression of the brutality and outcry of innocent black lives. The Black Lives Matter movement has thus exploded with passion and power, and we must now understand the intertwined importance of such movements and events.

This second prize draw fol-

Percy Walker-smith Music Editor

Ivan Bandura lows the news that £75,000 was prize draw for entry to concerts by Elbow, Public Service Broadcasting, Everything Everything, The Slow Readers Club and Ash. The second prize draw to win entry to such shows are now open, giving all donators the chance of a lifetime to close and personal. Dates are current social distancing guidelines in place, and will only begin once social distancing is no longer needed. The minimum donation for the campaign is £5, where all donators will be entered into the draw to win passes to the show of their choice for themselves and a guest.

Metronomy’s Joe Mount spoke about the important role that grassroots venues, such as Brighton Freebutt, played

in helping the band gain recognition and adoring fans: “We’d like to help secure the future of as many small venues as possible so that the world at large can keep discovering the new and exciting talent that they nurture.”

Adam Taylor at Patterns in Brighton said “ It’s great to see projects like this, pioneering a positive move towards some kind of normality. We couldn’t be prouder to be a part of this, and are extremely grateful to Passport: Back To Our Roots for putting the spotlight on venues such as our own.”

The second ‘Passport: Back to Our Roots’ prize draw for tickets will run for three weeks from September the 14th 10:00, until October 5th 10:00 via: crowdfunder.co.uk/pass port-back-to-our-roots.

have selected a few modern empowering songs we suggest you listen to, to help educate ourselves and help further the Freedom- Beyoncé’ (feat.

Kendrick Lamar) 2016 “Freedom! Where are you?

Cause I need freedom, too!”

Black Dave 2019 “And if he's white you give him a chance, he's ill and confused.

If he's black he's probably armed, you see him and shoot.”

Don’t Shoot - The Game 2014

John Lucia The creation of modern music is subsequently down to the hardship of millions of black individuals since the creation of slavery. The evolution of genres of music such as Rock and Jazz can be led back to the African American slaves that worked on plantations, singing ‘Field Hollers’ and ‘Work Songs’ which helped vent their emotions and obvious pain. We therefore

“Where does it end? I got my hands up, what else am supposed to do? (Rest in peace to Mike Brown)” I Can’t Breath - H.E.R 2020 “To say all men are created equal in the eyes of God, but disparage a man based on the colour of his skin, do not say you do not see colour. When you see us, see us. We can't breathe.”

Michael Kiwanuka Wins 2020 Mercury Prize

Released in November of last year, Michael Kiwanuka’s third album, Kiwanuka, sored to number two in the album charts at the time and has now skyrocketed to the highest heights as the winner of The Hyundai Mercury Prize 2020.

This prize awards the ‘Album of the Year’ and is decided by a panel of 12 judges.

Kiwanuka has been amongst twelve artists shortlisted for ‘Album of the Year’ on three separate occasions. For an artist that has released three albums in his career, to be shortlisted on each occasion for the Mercury Prize is a huge achievement in itself.

It should not be much of a surprise that this consistency in making sonically ingenious records has landed Kiwanuka with the honour of winning a mercury prize. However,

Kiwanuka told the BBC at the time of winning the prize; "It's blown my mind, music is all I've ever wanted to do, so I'm over the moon." Clearly the singer is still surprised with his winning of the prize despite his total of three shortlisting’s.

Kiwanuka’s name will appear amongst some of the ‘greats’ who have also won the Mercury Prize. Dizzee Rascal, Arctic Monkeys and Primal Scream are some of the Prize’s previous winners that have all collected the £25,000 prize money and the future success of selling records to the masses with a newfound Mercury Prize reputation.

Kiwanuka has already demonstrated his ability to sell a multitude of records. However, it is the beauty and majesty of his music that attracts those listeners.

Album Review

The opener of this record, ‘You Ain’t The Problem’, is the

drop his imposter syndrome as he tells the BBC, “This isn't helping anyone, least of all me.” Its rhythm and rhyme that cascade upon over-driven guitar, give your feet a reason to move and your head a reason to bop up and down. The track has so many quirks to it that make it so loveable; from the upbeat bongo drumming patterns to the slow, smooth funk-riddled guitar solo to the powerful staccato trumpeting. Of course, we must not forget the great vocals that broaden the track into a soulful success. ‘Rolling’, rolls, in a melodic soulfulness that must be listened to, to be believed. Kiwanuka’s voice is perfectly bound by a range of differing accompaniments.

The diversity of the tracks that draws the listener in; the slow ballads to the heavy basslines.

Kiwanuka, has done it all within fourteen tracks.

Polydor

The Badger 5th October 2020

Arts • Theatre

20

Close the curtains, open the laptops Harrison Fitzgerald Theatre Co-Editor Though lockdown brought the end of sitting next to random people enjoying the theatre, it did, however, bring new accessibility to the arts that has not been seen before.

As anyone who has ever been to the theatre can tell you, especially if it is somewhere like the West End, it is not cheap to see a show. Enter the notion of online viewing.

The National Theatre company brought some selected shows to the masses for free via YouTube, bringing names like James Corden, Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston, directly into your front room, or more likely your laptop in your bedroom (where you promised your mum that today you would get up and clean but have yet to get round to doing).

Through the ‘National Theatre at Home’ project, massive West were accessible all through lockdown, presenting a new show each week. It did however,

night) and it was no longer there.

Nevertheless, there is hope for the future of theatre online. As a student of Sussex University, you are given access to a lot of websites that provide things to watch, educational or not,

@NiamhBarker_Art come at a caveat; that being the 7 day timer on the show. Once be taken down after 7 days to have the next show available to watch.

Though, on paper, it would seem like you have lots of time

Musical theatre: Sussex Harrison Fitzgerald Theatre Co-Editor At Sussex, as I am sure you are by now aware, there are literally hundreds of different societies for you to join in with, whether that be something you do day to day or just every now and again.

Here at the Theatre part of The Badger, obviously one of our favourites are SMuTs, a group of musical theatre lovers who welcome everyone with all abilities and experience.

They offer opportunities not only to performers but also to those behind the scenes, from directing and make-up, to costume and tech. I reached out to the society and Rachel this year, got back to me and gave me all the info, and basically wrote the article, so that I could share it with you!

Whether you’re a fresher or a Sussex veteran, unfortunately no one knows exactly what this next year will look like (unless you’re Dr Emmet Brown that is). However, with the recent formation of a brand-new committee, SMuTs are primed and full of great ideas to ensure you still enjoy your passion for music and performance, in a safe and relaxed environment.

Although they are unable to put on their big annual show or our 48 hour musical this year, things have not changed for what they are offering as they are still giving every member the opportunity to show off

their talents through many showcases and workshops, all year round. Their famous cabarets will still play a big role in the SMuTs schedule and will be held online! These Cabaret’s aren’t just limited to showing off any singing, dancing or acting abilities but are open to anyone with any passion or talent they want to showcase!

Various online skill workshops will be held to keep your performing bug alive, led by some very talented people! They are making it clear that they are not at all wanting to let up on events and workshops as they would also really like to hear what online events you’d want to see, whether it be a musical you’d love to workshop, or a kind of showcase you’d like to put on, as their aim is to cater for your passions and interests whilst ensuring members stay as safe as possible in our current environment.

Additionally, they are giving any SMuTs member the opportunity to hold their own online workshop in an area they are very passionate about!

It is important to stay part of the things that you love, especially through a time where just going out and doing things isn’t so easy and perhaps SMuTs is the place for you to do that!

Find them on Instagram ‘@ SmutsBrighton’ or on Facebook as ‘Sussex Musical Theatre Society SMuTs’ and join!

to watch it and will be dying for the next dose of theatre to come your way, it was rather upsetting to me when I went to rewatch ‘Frankenstein’ but the other way around (Cumberbatch and Miller swapped their parts as the monster and doctor each

your bedroom on your laptop).

There is a full list on the Student Hub website but my two most used are ‘Digital Theatre Plus’ and ‘Box of Broadcasts’, giving you access to theatre productions that have been recorded, as well as many other interesting videos, and access to literally everything ever put on the TV. No really, you can watch the weather forecast from the day you were born if you want.

What you’re reading, however, is the theatre section and thus surely, online videos of theatre cannot be right. Of course it does not give you everything that you get when you go to the Old Vic, like those delicious overpriced ice creams (vanilla for me please and thank you) but it does give you the show and a much better view than most students can afford.

Evidently it uses cameras to simply leave a camera static in one of the seats, though I’d be happy with that on its own. There are close ups and overhead shots as if you were watching a and fresh, especially if you’ve seen the show normally.

Disney has also jumped onto this bandwagon with Hamilton streaming endlessly on Disney+ and as a result allowing everyone to access a show that is almost always sold out, and with the original Broadway cast.

While all the world is stuck in their house, Disney provided us with a show for everyone to watch, and a musical at that, and it certainly lighted up one or two of my days during lockdown.

There are also cinemas that show theatre, including big companies like Cineworld and Odeon, so it is always worth looking out for the cinema local to you to see if they are showing anything like that as it really breathes new life into theatre which is currently not available.

Hot Fuzz’s Romeo & Juliet A look at the feature of Romeo and Juliet in the cult classic Hot Fuzz Harrison Fitzgerald Theatre Co-Editor I will forever endeavour to wiggle theatre into other things, even other arts. It seems, however, that I am not the only one to do this as within Edgar is indeed theatre, just not very much of it.

In the 2007 comedy, the two characters ‘Eve Draper’ (yes the one with the “awful” laugh) and ‘Martin Blower’ star in a production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Though there scene where the two lovers tragically take their lives, and a jarring farewell, it is still worth an honourable mention.

Let’s understand that this, production of a very frequently studied and produced Shakespeare play and so the production value of the West End is evidently not present.

Despite this they give it their best shot, kitting out the stage with a full light up cross and two towers of candles to really set the mood for the romantic tragedy. What is more, they do kit the characters out in full costume with ‘Juliet’ in a form of light wedding dress and ‘Romeo’ in full armour, though this is there is little reason for him to be in it.

Ian Dick Unfortunately, Romeo’s choice in costume is the least of the worries for this production. The “so called acting”, ending with the “only convincing part” being the two lovers’ kiss, is riddled with problems. Much to the amusement of those watching, both on screen and in the cinema (way back in 2007), the lack of actual acting is laughably appalling, entirely butchering the iambic pentameter that was so carefully created. It is, however, mentionable that it is actors, acting as terrible actors so you can’t really criticise it. fall there is a cut to black and

within the next second out shines full lights onto the entire cast on the stage singing some form of musical song to do with the play that really takes you out you think of theatre.

The “so called acting”, ending with the “only convincing part” being the two lovers’ kiss, is riddled with problems.

However, it is of course a comedy movie and not a dramatic play, but it is still better than having nothing.

The Badger 5th October 2020

Arts • Editors’ Choice

21

A new column: Editors’ Choice Editors’ choice is a new column in which the Arts Editors have both the platform and opportunity to share what we are engaging with from the world of the arts. We wanted to create this section so that we are not only being the Arts Editors this year but also have the chance to write as well. We hope you shall discover some up and coming events, ideas, artists, productions, musicians and texts which may peak your interest, as we share what has caught our eye as well as getting us thinking about the events, new releases and ongoalbums, magazines, social media accounts and our cultural highlights, as a way to establish this new column and also share the types of artistic media we consume and enjoy.

Robyn Cowie Arts Co-Editor It is time to dust off those aprons, preheat those ovens and put up the bunting, because The Great British Bake Off is back Bake Off is returning for its 11th series, proving time and time again that once you discover that failsafe recipe (be

came out raw. Or even when at the most dramatic part of the whole episode, which may follow the likes of previous mishaps regarding both ice cream and custard; accidentally knocked another when they were being their technical bake (a kitschy pineapple upside down cake no less) to the table for the blind judging. Bake Off has a way of allowing the stakes in life to be about those moments and nothing

Jessica Hake Arts Co-Editor Nostalgia has the power to conjure up images of warmth and happiness, it can act as a marshmallow scented blanket of childhood memory, allowing you to see the past through rose tinted glasses.

However, nostalgia can also work to mask the reality of the past.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air aired in September 1990 and ran until May 1996.

The show is listed under ‘comedy series’ is, a funny little show that takes up 20 minutes or so of your day while you’re getting dressed, waiting for someone or falling asleep tucked up in bed. The beauty of nostalgia works to hide the reality of what the production and success of the show truly represented, which was, for highlighting the widespread racial injustice Black people are subjected to.

Highly commended and successful Black actress Whoopi Goldberg has previtime she decided to be an actress when as

Kimberly Vademan it for a cake or a T.V. show) it never fails to disappoint. Although obviously things are somewhat different this year, there is minimal discussion of the pandemic which caused a shift in how the contestants and the shows production went ahead, for bubble. In addition, the series opener of the show’s latest host Matt Lucas, walks onto a mock Government press conference, giving his best Boris impression in an attempt to make light of recent events to which we have become accustomed to and yet once this has been acknowledged we then move past this and are given the opportunity to forget about current afbaking mishap happens instead.

After the comedic and very current opener, we are transported to a quintessentially British countryside setting, where we see and behold the tent in all its glory, like it has never gone away. Week one as per tradition was Cake Week, which saw the contestants modern take on the retro recipes as well as creating ally, I could not have enjoyed it anymore, from seeing the likes of David Bowie to Sir David Attenborough being formed from sponge, to being concerned that contestant’s had forgotten to line their cans properly, or even god forbid their cake’s

black lady on television and she ain’t no

non-White person in 1990s America. The Banks family shocked America by demonstrating that it was possible for a family to be successful, while also being Black.

The show itself brought a mirror to sociracial prejudice to the nation and, now During lockdown I’ll admit to having a matter of days. In this time I also interviewed Leonard Chatonzwa and Josh Browne, the two men who organised the BLM protests in Lincoln (where I was residing for the lockdown period). During this conversation Browne mentioned how the parallels between The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and society are still very present. and Carlton get pulled over by the cops.

Carlton attempts to deal with the situation rationally, using his ‘pre-law’ education as a basis for any discussion with law enforcement. Will, someone who has had going to happen and, unlike Carlton, is not remotely surprised by the racial hypocrisy of the situation.

more.

In terms of characters, we had our of the judges, with Prue Leith being the good cop and Paul Hollywood playing the bad cop. To the goofy double act pairing of Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas and even that of the contestants who ticked every lent representation of all those who bake across the country. From the get go, the sense of community is palpable, we see humble human interactions and through our voyeurism are able to feel like we too are part of this picturesque competition.

The Great British Bake Off has been on our screens for a decade now, and although it has had a few alterations in judges, format and setting, the wholesome values of the show have always remained the same. And it is with this winning television recipe, that Bake Off, at least in my humble opinion is able to offer us nostalgia as well as the ability for a cooking programme to unite a nation as millions of us tune in each week to be part of what is now an instantly recognisable franchise based on its warmth and its humanity. In the word’s of Prue Leith herself from the opening of the latest series, the

Queenieandthedew

popular television series. The show provided a Black role model, someone that a child could look at and go ‘they’re just like me’. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air aided this actors were main characters and not ust pigeon-holed into some racial stereotype. There were Black lawyers, doctors, teachers: all blue collar jobs that, suddenly it seemed, could be attainable for a

Nostalgia would have us believe that the racism raised in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is over but reality shows us that this is not the case. No, having a show that includes predominantly Black cast isn’t as shocking as it once was, but it still is not the norm in popular TV shows. Black-ish demonstrates how racism still plagues BIPOC communities to this day and Dear White People establishes another discourse surrounding racism.

ARTIST T H E A RT I ST S

Artist Focus: Verity Warner-Moulding

To embrace the beginning of colder months and ocre hues, for this week’s Artist Focus, I selected an artist whose work is a Verity Warner-Moulding is a Third-Year University of Brighton illustration student; her drawings and animations often depict animals, and natural spaces reminiscent of folklore and mythology. I talked to her about her ideas, her recent engagement with digital media, and her Inga.

Want your work featured?

FOCUS

The Badger 5th October 2020

O F B R I G H TO N

A lot of your paintings depict natural areas and animals, why is that?

I get a lot of inspiration from these subjects because I like to represent the emotions that you feel when you’re surrounded by nature.

I also get drawn towards their colours, and symbolism.

In terms of technique, what tools do you mainly rely on?

I mainly work with traditional media; I use pens, pencils and gouache.

Recently, however, I’ve started relying more on digital media, so I’ve been scanning my sketches and turning them into gifs and videos.

I’ve started doing this because it’s faster, but also because I’ve realised that the art world is transitioning more and more into the digital space.

How do you think technology can be used to help artists?

It’s becoming quite common for artists to upload their work into social media, so I’ve found that is a really good habit to communi-

vis. However, as I was doing it, it developed more into my own interIn practical terms, I did the puppets, the house and the props from recycled materials. I had to take a photo for every frame in which the character moved, so the whole project took me around two weeks in total. I mainly enjoyed making the characters, and being able to have a different approach to my art was really fun!

Do you have a dream collaboration?

I’d love to do a big project with all my friends; it would be interesting to see how all of our ideas come together since we all have different skills.

Have you got any exciting projects coming up in the future?

I’ve been learning photography to help me with my inspiration. I’ve been exploring colour and places with that, which then I can use as reference for my drawings.

cate my ideas out there. Moreover, in terms of narrative, animation Inga.

Tell me a bit more about Inga.

Inga was a 3D stop motion project that I did last year. I got the idea for the story based off the poem “A Natural Disaster” by Lydia Da-

Contact us at: thebadger.street@gmail.com

To see more of Verity’s work…

Website: https://www.veritywarnermoulding.com/ Instagram: @verityillustrates Words by Luisa De la Concha Montes

The Badger 16th March 2020

Puzzles

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The Badger 5th October 2020

Travel & Culture

25

Hal Keelin T&C Online Editor

[that] stretch[es] over millions of years past and to come.’ I like this phrase “web of gift” particularly, it announces the way that these structures from the past are in many ways the offerings of past civilisations. An offering to the dead in the way of a burial pit is also, in a way, an offering, or a way of thanks, and gratitude given out to the universe more broadly. It is also a culture announcing their time on earth, and the leaving of a

Feeling claustrophobic and bored by my day so far spent behind a laptop, I set out for the Viking mounds again. I observed the change of season. Autumn colours were in full fruition. How earthy browns had seeped into the dirty yellows. Mushed leaves pile beside the verges and the air smells damp.

I explored a new route to the mounds on my bike, this time around the back of the football

“Sand and stone are earth’s fragmented memory” “the past and its landscape lie close. They linger in eroded, scattered pieces...”

(Extracts from: Lauret Savoy, Trace) If we think in such a way it is then

my way. In Gamla Uppsala (literally Old Uppsala), two girls’ football teams jogged beside the touchline, warming themselves up in the cool air. I climbed a hill and took the path that bridged urban with rural. Field, path and hedgerow replaced town, tarmac and brick. Tires crunch the soft gravel path below.

“

A great furnace lays at the

The mounds were to my right, great humps of earth emerging I imagined lying on top of them, with my head to the sky and eyes closed. I wanted to feel the sensation that Nan Shepard describes once in the Living Mountain, to lie atop the earth, stilling time, forgetting self and the world for a few minutes. I was blocked from doing so. A sign located beside the largest of the burial pits indicated that, due to the number of visitors that had walked over the burial mounds, the topsoil had eroded.

Another typically plain-spoken Swedish sign read thus: “If you want to walk up the mounds please feel free to contact the museum for a guide”.

A cops of trees drew my eye up ahead. They were huddled together on an otherwise visually dull plain. Why was I drawn to this particular group of trees? On ascending the next hill, a patchwork of agricultural plots extended far out to the horizon, while a grey sky hung oppressively above. I had the strange sense that no secrets lay in this vista. There was nothing to be explored, there were no bends, no twists, no burrows. It was as if it was somehow... empty. I soon felt exposed, my spirit crushed by the homogeneity of what lay out of leaving, I did so.

Another gravel path lined with overgrown hedges beckoned.

The earth to my left collapsed and became a wide depression, mounds. A stone church was visible amidst the pastel colours of the treetops and I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Tiny birds made a racket in the branches above and I inhaled the perfumed

centuries between us at will’.

A troop of men in procession carry amulets, combs and glass beakers; the brilliantly decorated gold of a Frankish sword glints.

The dead noble is dressed wonderfully, in a garment gilded in thread. The beat of a drum crowd as they gather in place.

People from across Upland, this

a few phrases from Yourcenar once more, they stand with ‘motionless survival… still living in a past time, a time that has died’.

To see in such time, such space, we may feel our own lifespans are compressed like a mere dot on a boundless timeline. It does not have to be so negative, however.

Indeed, looking at landscape this way – as suspended in the of the spatial – allows us to transcend ourselves and look the separated self. Under such a re-calibration, the world can be better appreciated in its mystery, its sublimity, and its vastness.

Imagine, for a moment, that you and watching the years roll by on fast-forward. Then pause: reimagine what immense weight of experience the landscape we walk upon has been witness to over the centuries. We forget self in these moments and albeit unawares at the time, we know when looking back that we felt an almost incalculable pleasure.

aroma of ferns.

Ahead, leaves gently gave way from their branches, spiralling as they fell. They drift naturally, as part of the world, in complete a spot to sit down in and gaze out.

I tried to picture the men at work on an average day in the 6th century AD. I attempt to see for myself if the great author and classicist Marguerite Yourcenar’s inclination is true, that we possess the ability to ‘contract the

county of Sweden, have come to watch the cremation of their King. A great furnace lays at the crowd round. I imagine the sheer force of the heat and I watch the archaeologists in the 19th century will be dust.

The mounds are like those Roman statues which still stand across Europe, as grand sentinels preserving a lost vision. To borrow

“

There was nothing to be

As Robert Macfarlane writes in his latest book, Underland, having a ‘deep time awareness’ might help us to ‘see ourselves as part of a web of gift, inheritance and legacy

how confusing the world becomes if we only approach in “shallow” time. Shallow time is how the mind would usually operate, where everything in our immediate vicinity is understood without its proper context, without a care for how Nature, understood here in its temporal and spatial totality, operates.

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understanding of time, where the self imposes itself on its surroundings. Yet, it is hardly a in solitude or in the company of friends, feels a putatively paradoxical alienation from nature in the experience of awe-inspiring natural beauty. In other words, this is ‘the crushing sense of Nature’s utter indifference toward the human’, a common sensation felt by hill walkers, and announced more pressingly when nature’s elements are against them. When one is caught in bad weather for instance, when there is no slack, no rest bite granted.

These moments are reminders to see less shallowly. In deep time rather, to paraphrase Macfarlane things “come alive that seem inert…” the world as opposed to being static, is instead ‘eerily various and vibrant’, but crucially perhaps we see that ‘ice breathes, rock has tides, mountains ebb and would see that we live, if only for a moment, ‘on a restless earth’. And we should think this was brilliant.

The Badger 5th October 2020

Travel & Culture

26

Is the 16-25 Railcard for Me? Katya Pristiyanti T&C Print Sub-Editor The proximity to London, the incentive to travel around the UK, and the possibility of discounts are all enticing arguments made for students to get the 16-25 railcard. 1/3 off all future fares for the rest of the year just has to be worth it.

Okay, you may be put off by the fact that it is £30 upfront, perhaps an unnecessary expense at the start of the year when you have so many other things to spend that hard-earned cash on plants, a fairy light, a few textbooks, the pub… more plants?

Not convinced? Let us break down how much of a good investment that initial £30 is.

First of all the train is a good way to travel, it is far quicker than the bus, far less busy and extremely well connected. London is just over an hour away, the historic town of Lewes is 20 minutes, Brighton, 10. For international students, London is probably the most attractive and most likely place to visit. It also provides ample room for savings on the train with the railcard. Right now, a return trip from London is likely

Paul Wilkinson

to cost approximately £25. At offpeak times it is even less. Anyway, let’s say £25 is the average and most probable cost of rail travel to London without a railcard. With 1/3 off, £8.30 is saved, and that £25 now becomes an attractive £16.67.

With this in mind, it will take about 4-5 trips to London (depending on the price of the tickets) to be able to breakeven with that initial £30 railcard fee.

That’s it, all you have to do is travel 4-5 times to London to make the railcard worthwhile over the course of the year. But it gets better. Let’s say you fancied making the long trip way up north to Liverpool for its festive Christmas market, museums and cultural heritage.

At this moment in time, a single from Brighton to Liverpool ranges between a whopping £85-£55.

With the discount, that results to just £53-£39. It just might have gone from: “Out of the question” to “Yeah… I could probably manage that!” With one trip to Liverpool and a couple to London - not to mention the countless small money fares between Falmer and Brighton you are likely to take in one year at Sussex- you WILL break even and then save some.

For a person who travels a lot and

to long distances, who wants to see their family far away, or who wants to travel, the railcard is a no brainer.

A bigger investment and a greater deal, however, is the railcard that covers the whole duration of your undergraduate degree (3 years) for the cost of £70.

Say you bought into our argument above, three times, you could save £20 (in the very long-run) by splashing out on your travel expenses straight away.

As an alternative for a lot of people, there is also the option to receive 1/3 off when travelling in groups of 3. This discount is given to those even without the railcard.

This option could be more useful for those one-off trips with your friends and for those who rarely travel.

All in all, the 16-25 railcard is a huge draw for a lot of students.

Not only do they provide savings for rail travels, but it also pushes you to explore the UK, its culture, see different cities, and more.

Given the current unpredictable circumstance, if rules are properly followed and health and living situations are considered, train travel remains one of the best ways to travel.

The Best of Brighton’s Black-Owned Eateries Bryony Rule T&C Online Sub-Editor

Le Baobab Cuisine

Serving up a range of traditional and contemporary gourmet dishes from Senegal, Le Baobab brings the country’s vibrant cuisine to Brighton through homecooked, fresh ingredients.

They focus on authentic staples and spices, and pride themselves on their welcoming and hospitable atmosphere. They even offer their take on a special Sunday African Roast, the Tiebou Dien!

Brighton is brimming with diversity, and we are lucky to be presented with an abundance of independent eateries. Amongst these is an incredible array of black-owned restaurants, cafés and takeaways, which offer something for everyone. There are a multitude of ways in which to support the Black Lives Matter movement, and one great way to do this is to spend your money on black-owned businesses.

So next time you’re feeling peckish or are looking for somewhere to grab a coffee with

Africa House

Josh Talbot

these spots.

Dough Lover Diner

This beautiful café offers a truly inclusive and thoughtful menu.

From unique brunches, beautiful baked goods (entirely gluten free, and with a wide array of vegan options), to their wide range of cocktails and homemade organic nut milk, everything they serve is fresh, high quality and of course delicious!

Burger Brothers

Located on North Road, this

restaurant and takeaway is a musttry for all burger fans. Crowned ‘Britain’s Best Burger’ in 2017, they serve fresh, local and indulgent combinations, catering for all tastes and dietary requirements.

Their popularity continues to surge, winning people over with their passion, quality and amazing tasting offerings.

Dutch Pot

A hidden gem tucked away near Brighton station, this Caribbean

takeaway offers authentic Jamaican cuisine, alongside fantastic value for money and wonderful customer service.

The owner has picked up a great knowledge of Caribbean cooking techniques when visiting his Grandfather’s birth country of Jamaica, and this expertise is clearly evident in the dishes they serve. You can even enjoy the Dutch Pot without leaving your sofa, as they can be found on all main takeaway services.

This homely café on London Road offers a beautiful space to meet, learn, or simply sit and enjoy a delicious, ethically sourced coffee. All of their offerings are sustainably sourced from African countries, or made to traditional African recipes. This coffee shop cannot be faulted; from its beautiful interior, friendly and chatty staff, to its extensive library of books, written by Africans or about Africa, Africa House provides the perfect environment for all to connect to the continent.

Mama Bubble’s Kitchen

Based on the ethos of providing wholesome, home-cooked meals to all, Mama Bubble’s lovingly

prepares a range of hearty meals from scratch in her kitchen, to deliver to homes across Brighton and Hove. Introducing bold Winnie views food as the ultimate display of love and wants to nurture those around her through the joy and comfort of delicious food.

Bready’s Delights

Keeping Brighton satiated, Bready’s serves up a taste of Jamaica from their food van, which can often be found on The Avenue near Brighton Uni. Their offerings are always fresh, authentic, vibrant and delicious, with a dish to satisfy everybody.

Abyssinia in Brighton, Abyssinia is located near the Level. Serving up delicious and healthy dishes, the restaurant showcases a range of cooking styles, always resulting in a mouth-watering outcome.

Their food is also available on it easier than ever to sample their

The Badger 5th October 2020

Travel & Culture

27

Lessons from a pandemic: The future of tourism Bryony Rule T&C Online Sub-Editor It is undeniable that the coronavirus pandemic, and the virtual overnight shut down of industries which it entailed, have caused incredible hardship, loss and challenge for countless people and businesses. However, this unprecedented and forced halt to life as we know it, has presented us with a unique opportunity to reassess the trajectory of the world around us. What has become increasingly clear, is that we cannot return to ‘business as usual’.

One industry where this lesson is particularly pertinent is tourism and travel. To many of us in western society, being able to travel has come to be seen as a given; we spend the year looking forward to our summer holiday, are constantly on the lookout for cheap beach breaks, and each have an endless bucket list of destinations to visit. Travel has become so normalised, that the negative impacts we cause through our obsession with exploration, are often obscured.

If we continue in this way, the rate at which we are harming our planet will only intensify. If we can take anything from global travel restrictions and the ceasing of jets roaring through the sky, it is the opportunity to rebuild the travel industry in a way which is sustainable, thoughtful and rewarding to all who are involved, compared to the highly inequitable model which dominated most of our lives preCovid-19.

Despite efforts towards sustainable tourism, the industry remains dominated by a paradigm expense of local communities, the environment and preservation of tourist sites. Another agent of capitalist consumerism, the from assets which do not belong to it. The views, beaches, wildlife, reefs, historical and cultural sites marketed as ‘must-see’ are public goods, exploited by the industry and often mistreated and damaged beyond repair.

Popular destinations are viewed as business opportunities, rather than people’s homes. Many of these locations are oversaturated with tourists, making them intolerable for their inhabitants.

What is often overlooked by us in western society is that the ability to travel is a luxury and a privilege, not a right. The pandemic has served to make the discussion on privilege even more crucial; those who are privileged enough to travel, are the same people who have spread the virus

out on a myriad of landscapes, cultures, people and experiences that might have been available on the ground.

Better still, take a staycation.

Lockdown has certainly led us, or rather forced us to appreciate what is around us far more. As we are unable to stimulate ourselves have begun to recognise the beauty that is already on our doorsteps.

This learning to appreciate what we already have is so valuable, and can help to reframe our attitudes toward tourism, while at the same time, lessening our thirst to be constantly on the move. Explore more of your local area, visit somewhere new, and perceive it through a new lens.

“

Suffering from a colonial hangover, the tourism industry frames it as our right to visit the destination in order to satisfy our own enjoyment and

around the globe. And yet, those who are less privileged have faced the most devastating impact. The effects of the coronavirus emulate the unequal world order which has existed for as long as international travel has taken place. Suffering from a colonial hangover, the tourism industry frames it as our right to visit foreign destinations, exploiting the destination in order to satisfy our own enjoyment and stories to tell and photos to share, often without a thought for the contribution we have made to our holiday destination. Having our ability to travel taken away from us in the form of lockdown

responsible for this footprint. Air travel accounts for the majority of these emissions and it is indisputably damaging our planet at an alarming rate. Continuing on this trajectory would make reaching the Paris Agreement (year ?) targets entirely infeasible.

The profound impact it has was demonstrated by the almost instantaneous improvements to air quality, pollution and the environment which resulted from (among other factors) the cease a crucial question: is it possible for tourism to thrive without dependency on air travel?

“

on our privilege. Though it is a painful realisation for many to come to, we must understand that by partaking in the dominant model of tourism, which is fastdependent on air travel, that we are complicit in the suffering of the planet, people and cultures.

This does not mean that we must stop travelling - for traveling is an activity which undeniably offers a multitude of positive attributesbut it does mean we must learn how to reframe and rebuild the industry, in order to travel more consciously.

One of the most damaging effects of tourism is its impact on the environment. Between 2009 and 2013, tourism’s global carbon footprint contributed to an increase of around 8% of global greenhouse emissions.*(needs footnote) As one would be right to assume, people from high income countries are largely

Despite efforts towards sustainable tourism, the industry remains dominated by a paradigm which prioritises communities, the environment and preservation of tourist sites.

The answer to this is yes, if we embrace a shift in how we view travelling. Going forward, quality over quantity is a key principle which must be integrated into how we travel. In the era of social easy to be swept into the notion that you must constantly be on an amazing trip on the other side of the world, sharing an (often unrealistic) highlight reel with your followers. Our competitive capitalist culture has generated a need to HAVE to visit a certain destination, to get the perfect photograph that you see all over Instagram. This results in the dangerous oversaturation of

many iconic tourist destinations, pushing these places beyond their carrying capacity. It is imperative that we learn to travel more mindfully.

Instead of choosing a location based on your social media feed, do some in-depth research, and select a destination that is not already teeming with tourists. Opt to travel slowly rather than racing through countries and carelessly another in order to tick off a bucket list of destinations. The key point is this, get to know fewer places on a deeper level. Not only does this offer the chance for you to fully immerse yourself in the culture and promote crosscultural exchange, it can also help to broaden your perspective on life and enable you to make meaningful connections with people you meet along the way. It is likely to cultivate a much more enriching travel experience, than if you were seeing the inside of a different airport every other day.

Another way we can adopt a more conscious way to see the world is to consider alternative transport methods. be the quickest route from A to B, what we are doing here is avoiding many cheaper and more sustainable forms of travel in the form of the train, bus, and ferry.

These types of transport also provide far greater immersion within the environment that you 38,000 feet above land might mean a spectacular birds eye view of the land stretched out before you, this only means that you miss

This is not a call to end travel.

This is a call to wake ourselves up from previous habits. A suggestion only that we become more vigilant, more aware of our contribution to the way of the world. For example, this can come through simply spending your money more consciously, ensuring you are supporting local people and businesses. Being mindful of the impact that you are having on the environment, in the things that you buy, activities you do, and places that you visit. If something is cheap, question why; the temptation of a budget packet holiday can be all too enticing, but if we want to see positive change within the industry, we must stop and consider the impacts.

The cheaper a deal, the greater the likelihood of exploitation and negative, unsustainable consequences on people and/or place.

Coronavirus has been devastating. However, we must take from it the lessons that we can as we go forward into shaping a post-Covid world. Tourism is an industry which simultaneously offers great opportunity, and Looking to the future, there must the industry operates, in order to build a more sustainable, equitable and meaningful model. Tourists should not be at the centre of the travel experience, as they always have been. The needs and wishes of local people and environments must be prioritised, above all else.

The Badger 5th October 2020

Travel & Culture

28 Cultural Bite

A Staycation in North Wales Lilah May McKim In light of Covid-19, it has become impossible to do certain things.

This includes travelling, especially to far-away exotic places.

But you don’t have to go to the far-away corners of the world when travelling. Although travelling closer to home has little boast-value and doesn’t look as good on your Instagram, it can be just as enjoyable; there is also the added caveat of being more environmentally and economically friendly.

This summer, I was lucky enough to be invited by my best friend Tara and her family on a holiday to Snowdonia in North Wales.

Driving west from Oxford in night in a border-town. It was an old antiquated collection of farm buildings, and an eccentric couple greeted us on the driveway.

They were kind and happy for company: and with the help of tea and biscuits, acquaintances were easily made. After exploring the garden acres and the house, with low ceilings and the warnings of rats, we headed off to dinner.

Unfortunately, the local pub was in a bit of a sorry state but at least it provided us with good comedy material as we made our way back to our beloved temporary home. That evening, the owner regaled us with tragic stories of his family’s past, and we felt the years creaking in the timbers above.

Back on the road, we made a slight detour to check out a salvage yard. After a nerve-racking drive on a labyrinthine pass up a hill, we arrived at our cottage in the middle of nowhere. Sheep were our closest neighbours. We were one hour and a fourteen-minutes’ walk to the nearest pub, had no TV and a temperamental phone signal, and it is here that we began our holiday!

A recipe for Indonesian Pancakes When we think of desserts and sugary indulgence, we often look at French pastries, American cheesecakes or Italian gelatos. Asian cuisine and dessert is not much of a norm and not often where we turn to when we want to satisfy that sweet tooth. However, the Indonesian thick pancake or known as martabak hits those cravings, requires minimum skills and is all-round a great bang for your buck.

The next day consisted of me throwing up the wild mushrooms we received from our eccentric hosts the night before: we are not best pleased. I spent most of the day in bed and only when my self-pity subsided did I venture downstairs to join the family and Barmouth was our next destination for a day of wandering and artful snooping. No masks were needed in the shops in Wales, which was jarring. I scoffed Mediterranean food and Baklava from a very chatty food vendor; there was a lot of self-discipline involved in not getting an icecream. Then we retired for drinks in Dolgellau (a name we butchered with mispronunciation every time) beside the building where -we are told- they tried “witches” in the gruesome Salem witch trials of 1693.

Early morning rise and shine.

Tara and I and her little Jack Russell, Reggie, have braved Snowdon. Peanut butter and crystalized honey sandwiches have hit the spot and we march on up the mountain with some single-use friends. At the top we queue for what feels like hours to get the generic summit picture.

It’s been two and a half hours up, and two and a half hours down.

Part of our speediness is our desire for a much-needed hot chocolate at the Café. We are tired now, and doze in the back of the van, not forgetting the stop off for chips from the nearby town of course: Hello bed my old friend!

The next day we caught a Steam Train from Madog. I felt like I was going to Hogwarts: beautiful views, yummy snacks and cheap champagne. Coffee cake and hot chocolate (again!) in the stopoff place. It’s very disappointing charity-shopping in Madog and we are crushed to learn that having arrived in town at 4:55, most shops shut at 5. We decided to stroll around Portmeirion. A fairy-

tale, Italianesque village, it seems very out of place in the Welsh countryside. The 1967 British TV here: blues, pinks, oranges, greens and whites all form part of the synthetic-like landscape.

we had croissants, toast, boiled eggs, coffee and tea for breakfast. decide to walk up to the top of the valley. There, looking out below the surrounding hillside, I could have sworn there are at least a hundred different shades of green. Tara had led the way as she wanted to see if a walk she had done once before would lead us in a nice loop. It didn’t. Everyone’s mood deteriorated as we lost our way. In a fairy-tale fashion we knocked on the door of a nearby cottage and asked them for directions. They politely obliged.

It didn’t help that we didn’t know how to pronounce the name of the cottage we were staying in.

We decided to go back the way we came after a quick sip of tea and some unsuccessful map reading.

It was hot chocolate and pasta back at our short-lost ranch. The last night of our welsh adventure is spent playing delirious rummy lovely holiday.

Holidaying from our doorsteps is something we will have to get used to. Whilst we all desire to explore the far-away corners of the world, travelling closer to home can be of the same quality.

Despite popular thought, the grass is just as green on this side of the channel.

Martabak Manis Flickr - Ginny

What you will need: Pancake: 280ml milk or water 1 large egg 4tbsp sugar 1/2tsp baking powder 1/2tsp baking soda 1/2tsp salt 10g melted butter Topping 4 tbsp butter Chocolate sprinkles, cheddar cheese, or both!

Sugar (To taste) Condensed milk (To taste)

How to: bowl using a balloon whisk.

Add the egg, butter and your chosen liquid substance (milk or water), then whisk thoroughly.

Let sit (Preferably wrapped in cling wrap) for approximately one hour until the batter forms air bubbles Mix in the baking soda Heat your pan on medium heat and use butter to ensure your pancake will not stick Pour your batter into the pan When you see air bubbles forming and it’s halfway cooked, spread some sugar on the surface of the martabak Put a lid on top of the pan and wait until it fully cooks Once fully cooked, place the martabak onto a plate, spread butter on top of the sugary surface Add your chocolate sprinkles or cheddar cheese on top, but if you really want to go ham - do one each side!

Pour condensed milk on top to your liking For the most authentic experience, cut the martabak in half and place one on top to serve requires the most basic of pantry ingredients and allows you to try a cuisine you have not tried before!

Katya Pristiyanti - T&C Sub-Editor

The Badger 5th October 2020

Science & Technology

29

Heartbeats and mental health A look inwards at the science of interoception

Eleanor Deane Have you ever felt an awareness of your heart beating?

Our senses help us interpret not only the world around us but also the signals from within us. This sense of the internal state is called interoception. Interoception plays an important role in regulating the body – for example, these internal sensations lead to you feeling hungry or thirsty. It is becoming clear that interoception also has a role to play in emotion.

Have you ever felt an awareness of your heart beating?

Our senses help us interpret not only the world around us but also the signals from within us. This sense of the internal state is called interoception. Interoception plays an important role in regulating the body – for example, these internal sensations lead to you feeling hungry or thirsty. It is becoming clear that interoception also has a role to play in emotion.

One theory of emotion suggests that internal sensations can impact our emotional states. It may seem intuitive to think our emotions come first – we feel scared, which leads to our heart beating faster. This theory of emotion suggests that the opposite is important – our hearts beat faster leading us to feel scared. With the development

Lance Wheeler

Emilio Garcia of neuroimaging, it has been proposed that the basis for this linking of internal sensation may lie in an area of the brain known as the insula.

This area is involved in both processing internal sensations and emotional processing.

Scientists are becoming increasingly interested in the role this sense plays in mental health. Interoception is thought to play a role in a plethora of conditions includ-

ing anxiety disorders, mood disorders and eating disorders. The most popular way of investigating interoception in people is to use tasks where people are asked to tune into their heartbeat. One type of heartbeat detection task involves participants counting their heartbeat in a variety of time periods. Their answers can be compared to their actual heartbeats using heartrate monitors. Participants can also be asked how aware

they think they are of their internal state. If you think your awareness is high whilst your measured accuracy is low, this can be described as a ‘prediction error’.

During her research at the University of Sussex, Professor Sarah Garfinkel found that participants that had higher ‘prediction error’ also reported greater levels of anxiety. Her results also suggest that ‘prediction error’ is higher in participants with

autistic spectrum disorder.

Meanwhile, work by psychology researcher Dr Hayley Young suggests interoceptive ‘prediction error’ may be associated with emotional eating. In my own undergraduate research, I measured interoceptive prediction error using heartbeat tasks pre-coronavirus-lockdown and then used questionnaires to monitor emotion during the coronavirus lockdown.

Early in the pandemic, the psychological impact became a concern. A study based in China in March reported that of 1210 respondents, 53.8% rated the psychological impact of the outbreak as moderate or severe. In the covid era, our perception of the internal state had become of heightened importance, due to a heightened awareness of our internal state; a world in which our bodies may be a source of anxiety. In the journal of clinical neuropsychiatry, academics proposed that the pandemic may affect the sense of self and relations to others, which may manifest as heightened anxiety, mediated by interoceptive processing.

With interoception research, the hope is that knowledge gain may inform the development of interventions that target interoceptive processing, with the aim of improving psychological wellbeing.

Covid drugs and vaccines Where are we in the development process?

Eleanor Deane The COVID-19 online clinical trials tracker reports the thousands of trials currently investigating treatments for COVID-19 and fiercely racing for a vaccine. On 11 August 2020, Russia became the first country in the world to approve a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, although since then only phase 1/2 results (76 participants) have been published.

Vaccines must pass through 3 phases of clinical trials before being assessed for regulatory review and approval.

‘Ad5-nCoV’ is a vaccine being tested in trials in China.

Results from phase 1 trials showed the vaccine was able to cause an immune response

in most participants, without serious side effects. Phase 2 trials were also positive, and it has been announced that phase 3 trials have been initiated. A further vaccine, known as ‘AZD1222’, is a vaccine that carries the COVID-19 spike protein. A phase 3 trial in the UK was provisionally halted in September due to an adverse reaction. The trial has since been reinstated following regulatory approval.

Currently, moderate and severe cases are largely managed in hospitals by supporting symptoms, using previous knowledge of supporting patients with severe infections.

Results from the RECOVERY trial have informed the use of the corticosteroid Dexamethasone in patients with severe

COVID-19.

One of the potential treatments with many trials ongoing is convalescent plasma.

Plasma is a component of blood that is rich in antibodies – the molecules that combat viruses. In the treatment of COVID-19, convalescent plasma would be the plasma of someone that had previously been infected with covid. This means that people who have had coronavirus can register to support these trials by donating their plasma.

A meta-analysis and systematic review which included 5444 patients found some evidence of reduced mortality, however, the evidence is of limited quality. Due to the current limitations of studies, the National Institute of

Health judges the evidence insufficient to recommend convalescent plasma in their guidelines.

Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are two drugs which are used in malaria treatment and have shown some activity against coronavirus at the laboratory stage.

However, a systematic review of the literature published in late August shows that there is little evidence to support the use of these drugs. This has led to the discontinuation of hydroxychloroquine in several trials including the UK RECOVERY trial.

Lopinavir/ritonavir is one of a class of drugs known as protease inhibitors which are used in certain treatment regimens for HIV. Results

from the UK RECOVERY trial did not find a benefit in terms of mortality or progression to ventilation. However, there is some evidence to suggest Lopinavir/ritonavir may reduce time to symptom resolution.

The process by which drugs move through clinical trials is slow, with many vaccines having taken 10 to 15 years to develop. This largely due to the logistics of clinical trials and the need to adequately prove both safety and efficacy. The number of trials focused on coronavirus will hopefully accelerate this timeline. Undoubtedly, alternative methods of prevention such as the use of face coverings, screening and distancing have a vital part to play in the meantime.

The Badger 5th October 2020

Science & Technology

30

Henrietta Lacks and HeLa cells The incredible woman behind our pioneering biological revelations

Rosie Marilyn Burgess As I sat at home on my sofa mid-lockdown, having just finished the last page of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, I couldn’t quite believe what I had read. I was overwhelmed and shocked. Shock turned into frustration, and then anger. “How is this woman not taught at every level in science?”, I wondered to myself. “How is she not considered to be one of the most important women in science as we know it?”. Her name, perhaps, had been lost in the cacophonous tides of history; she completed her work in the 1950s, a decade which bore witness to the post-war baby boom, the start of the Cold War, and the burgeoning of the civil rights movement in the United States, to name just a few of the world-historical events that occurred at mid-century.

Henrietta Lacks was an African American woman born in 1920, in Roanoke, Virginia. She was a tobacco farmer, raised by her grandfather after her mother’s death in childbirth.

Her grandfather also happened to be looking after another grandchild, Henrietta’s cousin David, who was also known as Day. And, on 10th April 1941, they were married.

Soon, the economic effects of World War II on the American labour market sent the family northwards to Maryland, to take jobs at Bethlehem’s Steel Sparrows Point steel mill. Better pay brought with it the potential for a better life. They lived in Turner Station, a largely African American community outside of Baltimore where many of the steelworkers lived.

Soon after having her fifth child, Henrietta complained of a “knot” inside her to friends and family. Irregular bleeding and the feeling of a lump on her cervix sent her to the Gynecology department at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins Hospital. Sure enough, in February 1951, the presence of a hitherto undetected cervical tumour was confirmed by a biopsy. Henrietta hid the diagnosis from her family and only told Day, her husband.

The first round of treatment, a standard series of radium treatments, involved stitching small glass tubes of radioactive metal secured in

NASA

Wikimedia Commons: Emw pouched, brack plaques to the cervix. On one of these procedures, the surgeon extracted two small tissue samples; one from Henrietta’s tumour, and a healthy sample. In fact, Henrietta’s samples were one of many such samples extracted by the physician George Gey, who was the head of tissue culture research at the time.

He was trying to find an ‘immortal’ cell line for use in can-

tissues studied without their consent.

Sadly, by September 1951, the cancer had spread throughout her body and, by October, Henrietta had died.

The HeLa cells continued to survive and thrive long after Henrietta’s death. Henrietta’s case has since become a fundamental study in the field, contributing material to countless research break-

vitro fertilization, isolation of stem cells, as well as research into AIDS, cancer, and the effects of radiation. Her cells have been infected with an array of diseases, from salmonella to tuberculosis. She even helped us to understand that a normal human cell has 46 chromosomes, making genetic disorders exponentially easier to diagnose. The possibilities appear to be end-

“

Wikimedia Commons, Cell culture (HeLa cells) cer research. He had been unsuccessful until his encounter with Henrietta’s cancerous cells. They multiplied at an exponential rate filling up any test tube used. The cells were named HeLa, after Henrietta.

Henrietta was unaware of this research; it was not uncommon for patients to have their

throughs and accomplishments. She became known as the mother of virology, biotechnology and tissue culture. Her cells were used to initiate research on standard lab practises for freezing and culturing cells, and for how viruses act and reprogram cells.

They were used to develop in

less; over 60,000 articles have been published on research done on HeLa. Despite her inestimable scientific importance, until the 1970s Henrietta’s role was unknown even to her family. Her situation became one of many examples of the lack of informed consent in the

twentieth century which catalysed the debate surrounding patients’ informed consent for the use of their cells in research. And, in 2013, the National Institute of Health granted the Lacks family control over how the data on the HeLa cell genome could be used. The NIH’s HeLa Genome Data Access working group was developed, which reviews and researches applications for access to the HeLa sequence information. The Lacks family finally had access to information, but was it too late? For years, Henrietta’s family had received no financial benefit from all of this and continued to live with limited access to healthcare.

In 1991, the common rule was introduced, requiring all doctors and scientists to inform people when they are participating in research.

They must sign consent forms informing them of what the research is, how long it’s expected to last, what the risks are, and compensation information. Privacy, consent, and anonymity are now serious considerations; things that Henrietta and her family were not afforded.

As time goes by, we continue to learn about the importance of HeLa cells and the amazing woman behind them.

Reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks changed my life, and I believe it would change the life of anyone who reads it. It was one of the first stories to focus on the legacy of Henrietta herself. In other words, the book enables people to understand the truth behind the research.

For every inspired scientist or doctor, her name and story need to be heard and discussed to understand the gravity of their actions inside and outside the lab. What would Henrietta have thought of Gey sending her cells to other labs? What would she have thought knowing her cells were used to create billions of pounds worth of profit, whilst her family were left unable to pay for health care and education? It’s clear this story has a role to play in our education system. The sad reality is that we still aren’t taught about this incredible story, and this needs to change.

The Badger 5th October 2020

Sport

31 Turnaround for the Toffees

Max Kilham

Goodison

25 years. That’s how long Evertonians have been waiting for a trophy. Not a league title, not European success, a trophy.

Everton are the 4th most successful team in English football history in terms of

the relegation places and facing the prospect of being relegated season.

A manager considered to be amongst the very best of all League winner was tasked with world football: transforming the Toffees.

Despite his glittering resume, doubts about Ancelotti were

Charlie Batten Sports Print Editor

The

Italian

conducting these changes.

First, Ancelotti raided his former club Napoli, in bringing Allan de Rodrigues for a reported £25 million fee. Next came superstar James Rodriguez from

club is a sleeping giant in need of reawakening. A far cry from their most successful period in the 1980’s, the club has struggled both domestically and in Europe over the last 30 years having League once in that period, in the 2004-05 season.

When Marco Silva left the club in December 2019, the club was in the midst of one of its worst periods on the pitch in recent history. Silva had left

Park.

Pete beginning to creep into thought. at non-superpowers. But his previous employer was Napoli, a club well-established and amongst the better teams in Serie, but consistently falling short of the likes of Juventus.

And yet, his stint at Napoli was his most unsuccessful to date. After a trophy-less season and a half, he was sacked in December 2019, before moving to Merseyside later that month.

The blue half of Merseyside has needed a saviour for some time and they may well have found theirs in Ancelotti. a 1-0 win over Burnley. The type of result you want a team to grind out if you want to make it to the very top.

A mixed bag of results followed for the rest of the season. In fact, many could suggest that the ‘revival’ from Ancelotti last season really did not live up to expectations. A meagre 9 wins from 21 in all competitions was compounded by results like a 1-0 loss to Merseyside This result wasn’t helped by the fact that Liverpool manager of academy players whilst the Toffees played near-enough their strongest XI. However, never underestimate the pulling power of Ancelotti.

The summer rolled around, and it was clear wholesale changes were needed at

golden boot winner had seen his career drift into mediocrity in the Spanish capital, but there were no guarantees he could revive his glittering career on Merseyside. Finally, Abdoulaye Doucouré walked through the door. Relegated last season with Watford, the Frenchman again career.

Based off the evidence so far this season, these signings look to have transformed their fortunes. Five wins out of including a statement 0-1 win over Jose Mourinho’s Spurs on the opening day, the Toffees are recent memory.

In their second league game of the season, they overcame

performed his box-to-box duties tremendously.

Furthermore, 23-year old improved leaps and bounds, having amassed 5 goals in 3 league games this season; enough to top the scoring charts.

Playing a stylish brand of football, as Everton are, is a fans and the good results will only help to strengthen this.

It is early in the season, but Everton are heading in the right direction. The various underachievements of previous seasons have been swept under the rug and it’s a new dawn for the club.

If everything works out well, the Toffees have the potential to both end their trophy drought and make a push for the However, recent memory suggests that Everton are far from a predictable club.

Whether they live up to those expectations is anyone’s

Brom to come out eventual 5-2 winners.

James Rodriguez has looked like the star we all remembered, Allan controls the tempo like few others and Doucouré has

Sonyds

The Denver Nuggets, Jimmy “Buckets” Butler and the NBA playoffs so far

This year’s NBA playoffs were already set to be unique with the off season being completely based in Orlando, but the underdogs have become full focus.

Although the last 9 months have been pretty unpredictable, the NBA playoffs seemed to be a fairly cut and dry situation.

Going into it, most people would have predicted that either of from the W est and from the E ast the clear favourites were the Milwaukee Bucks. The Denver Nuggets and Jimmy Butler have between them caused upset after upset so far this postseason.

Let’s start with the Nuggets.

For the last few seasons this team has been viewed as a young, up-and-coming team with the likes of Jamal Murray (23), Michael Porter Jr (22) and for the playoffs once in the last has often been named as one

of the top centres in the league due to his superb passing ability and inside scoring, but hasn’t always had the best teammates to help push the Nuggets.

Their immaturity in the face of challenge seemed as though it was going to repeat itself in

weren’t for the Dallas Mavericks

3-1 down to the Utah Jazz, with Donovan Mitchell almost singlehandedly taking the Jazz to the

him.

then the Nuggets woke up.

Denver fought hard against Utah in the last 3 games and ended up winning game 7 by missing a last second 3 pointer co. home.

Next for the Nuggets were the people’s favourites for winning this year’s championship due to Kawhi Leonard in their roster.

Things hadn’t been so simple likely would have been out of the

way through game 1 with a him in game 5 and 6 with a amazingly every night but sadly for him he was on his own and

were 3-1 up against the Nuggets and seemingly had the series had been lacklustre in the playoffs, the rest of the team carried on performing well and Utah, when things came down to the wire, Denver came alive.

Jamal Murray was the catalyst for this comeback with him team in NBA history to win consecutive playoff series after being 3-1 down.

As of the 29th of September, Denver are 3-1 down to the Lakers in the Western

honest, I’m backing them.

They’ve been able to turn it on when it matters most, and this is their best ever chance at making Now to the Miami Heat. If the Nuggets have been a tale of getting up when you’re down and never giving up, well then, the Heat have been a tale of utter domination. season 5th with Jimmy Butler being a great leader for the team and Bam Adebayo and Gorgan Dragic having solid seasons. Not much was really expected of them in the playoffs due to them only having Butler as a star but boy, were we all wrong. with them beating the Indiana which many thought would be a competitive series due to the similar rosters. But the biggest surprise came against the Bucks.

The Bucks were everyone’s due to their domination in the E ast and Giannis Antetokounmpo

being seen as the natural successor to LeBron James as the best in the league.

To say it was a shock that Miami won 4-1 is an understatement.

Butler showed the league that he is one of its best defenders, shooters, leaders, and players.

Both he and Adebayo were able to quell Giannis’ threat and sent the Bucks home with their tail between their legs.

As of the 29th of September, the Heat are 3-2 up against the team that on paper they should lose to. I think anyone who’s watched basketball wants to see Butler make it to the entertaining characters we have. It’s also so refreshing to have two underdogs make it so far into the post- season with 4 the San Francisco Warriors and This could be the start of a new, more open NBA where every team has a chance, and I can’t wait.

The Badger 5th October 2020

Sport

32

Lewis Hamilton’s equality battle: Human rights, not politics The current Formula 1 season may see Lewis Hamilton equal Michael Schumacher’s seemingly unattainable world championship record, but arguably it shall be his work off the track that will leave the lasting legacy.

Rob Barrie 2020 has been the year of change. Our daily lives being vastly affected by COVID-19. But another sea of change that has risen up amongst the pandemic has been a further collective call for racial equality. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has spread throughout continents with immense strength and its message is as potent as ever.

One of the major platforms for the propagation of this message has been sport. When, in 2016, Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the US anthem - in response to incidences of racial inequality and police brutality - this ignited the touch paper on utilising sport, often televised to millions of watchers, to voice important messages. It is not just in the 21st century that sport has seen this kind of vocalisation, though.

In the 1968 Olympic Games, black athletes Tommie Smith on the podium whilst the US anthem played, with the former later saying it was a “human rights salute” in response to criticism from mainstream media.

This is a theme with similarities more than 50 years later in sport, with Lewis Hamilton one of the major activists. The sixtime world champion has always been vocal about experiences of racism, but 2020 has been the year where he has implemented observable change and actions.

When George Floyd was killed

by American police in May, Hamilton was active on social media about the necessity for change.

“

Being the only black driver out of the current twenty on the grid, and with black and ethnic minorities being under-represented in many of the teams, his outspoken and important.

For people of colour, Hamilton saw parallels between the lack of opportunity in Formula 1 and the wider world. He urged fellow drivers to speak out, and while some did, many chose not to.

He has received criticism from drivers he currently shares the track with, in addition to disapproval from past drivers; Jackie Stewart for example denying that Formula 1 has a

Takayuki Suzuki racism problem. Fans, too, have lamented and abused Hamilton for bringing politics into sport and he even faced an inquiry from F1’s governing body itself.

However, despite Stewart’s and some fans’ views of there being no racism or discrimination in F1, the facts paint a very different picture. Mercedes, for example, the team Hamilton drives for, openly admit that just 3% of their workforce identify as belonging to minority ethnic groups and only 12% of their employees are women. There are similar statistics amongst the other nine teams.

The facts, therefore, support Hamilton in his call for more equal opportunity and treatment. And after being included in TIME’s list of 100 his work is getting the awareness that he and, most importantly, black people deserve and with it a better cognisance of racial injustice amongst more conservative societies.

Being the only black driver on the grid, it should come as no surprise why Hamilton feels so strongly about perceptions of race and this is before his own experiences are looked at.

He experienced racism when rising through the junior racing categories and was bullied by fellow competitors. Presumably envious of his natural talent, they chose to taunt him for the colour of his skin. His father taught him to not show weakness and to “kill them with

love and beat them on the track”.

The racism reached its zenith at the end of his youth, however, with one of the most famous incidents occurring in Spain during the 2008 season.

A group of spectators coloured their faces black and hurled insults at the British driver. He would go on to win his maiden championship that year in one of the most remarkable - but not before being racially abused once again, this time on a Spanish website. Even today, just searching his name on social media presents a plethora of hate and negativity that centres around him on race weekends.

One can assume that Hamilton’s own experiences of racism, ranging from youth and now into adulthood, has shaped his outlook on the injustice present in motorsport and, with this, he has become a beacon in the world of not just Formula 1 but sport in general.

“

“People talk about sport not being a place for politics but ultimately it is a human rights issue and that is something we should be pushing towards,” he said.

Since the beginning of the season, the British driver has been in constant discussions with the governing body of Formula 1. It is, in part, thanks to him that the “we race as one” initiative was born as the theme of this season.

the words “Arrest the cops that killed Breonna Taylor” during the pre-race anti-racism display and also on the podium after the race.

The most impressive action Hamilton has undertaken this year was to found The Hamilton Commission. It is a research partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering. Its aim is to make motorsport “as diverse as the complex and multicultural world we live in.”

The creation of this research programme will identify the hurdles that young black people face when trying to forge careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.

Hamilton and the research programme will analyse and publish the results and take it to the higher positional seats of Formula 1.

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In addition to this, a prerace demonstration now takes place with all twenty drivers wearing t-shirts saying “End Racism”. Hamilton, and most of the drivers, take a knee too but still there are some drivers that refuse to do so stating the gesture has negative connotations in their home country. Part of the problem, therefore, is perhaps Formula 1 does not seemingly “race as one”.

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Hamilton was investigated by the FIA (Formula 1’s governing body) for violating a regulation that forbids political demonstration.

Though nothing came of the investigation, there is a sense that the FIA will clarify its rules on such displays.

Especially in comparison to other sports where now there is such unanimity about antiracism messages. The Premier League in England wore jerseys with “Black Lives Matter” substituted for the players’ names on the back. In addition, both sets of players and the managers take a knee before each game without fail. The NBA in America, long seen as the central catalyst for sporting vocalisation, wore BLM T-shirts and knelt before the game. during the Mugello Grand Prix, when in response to the shooting of Breonna Taylor, Hamilton wore a shirt displaying

Hamilton stated “I’m used to being one of very few people of colour on my teams and, more than that, I’m used to the idea that no one will speak up for me when I face racism, because no one personally feels or understands my experience.”

As Hamilton adds: “Thousands of people are employed across this industry and that group needs to be more representative of society.” Mercedes, the team Hamilton drives for, openly admit they need to improve too.

As mentioned earlier, they concur that they are underrepresented by black and ethnic minority backgrounds.

But they have been hugely supportive to their driver, and, as a combination, they have been the major driving force in the promotion of anti-racism showings in Formula 1.

Mercedes are on course to win a record 7th straight constructor’s championship.

And their driver, a record equalling 7th driver’s championship. But with his unrelenting desire for equality and the formation of The Hamilton Commission, Lewis Hamilton is not just combating his own sport with its quiet undertones of discrimination.

So despite the countless trophies he has lifted or the endless records he has tumbled, it may be Hamilton’s human rights work off the track that shall leave the greatest legacy.