Issue 59 - February 2017

M AG DA L E N ISSUE 59 Loving Yourself

I’m Sure You’ve Heard of Rule 34...Right?

Can I Find Love in Dundee

Embrace who you are as a person,

VR porn - is it the future?

Online or offline, we show you

and be proud.

where love is in the air

Free Student Magazine

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02/Mar

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ISSUE 59 Editor’s Letter

Editors Editor in Chief

Not gonna lie to y’all – this issue is about V-day.

Rebecca Baird

“But Rebecca, every magazine will be Valentine’s-themed in February, it’s so

Deputy Editors

stereotypical, it’s such a cliché , blah blah blah - ”

Heather Gordon Patrick O’Donnell

I know. I KNOW it’s stereotypical/cliché/so-not-cool. If you’re considerably cool, go

David White

away now. I have no time for the hipster hate. Because this issue, my dear readers, is about love. Love! Oh, sweet, lovey-dovey, heart-shaped, pink-and-red, commercialised,

Art & Entertainment Editor

disgusting, wonderful love.

Lamya Sadiq

What can I say about it? I could say it’s the most human thing on Earth. I could say it’s

Community Editors

a mystery. I could say lots of things, but I’d rather concentrate on what YOU had to say

Alastair Letch

when we here at the Magdalen asked for your thoughts on it.

Hannah Perrie

To that end, I could say that Loving Yourself is just as important as loving someone

Current Affairs Editor

else, as you’ll see in Lifestyle! Or let our Arts and Entertainment section remind you of

Calum Wilson

why being a “hopeless romantic’ isn’t such a bad thing!

Design Editor If you’re not so emotionally inclined, check out the Tech section to find out how to

Corrie Gorman

show your computer some love this February. And for all the wonderful vanilla-beans out there who are looking to explore their sexy-time options, we have an article in the

Lifestyle Editor

Community section that may Expose you to some new ideas and ways of thinking.

Toni McKinney

It’s hard to say anything more on the subject of love and Valentine’s Day without

Opinion Editor

sounding incredibly boring and contrived. Love is something that’s been interrogated

Nicole Harrison

in art, film, literature, biology, history, anthropology – just about all disciplines – for as long as we as a people can remember. Whatever it is, it seems to be pretty important.

Science Editor

All I can say is that if you’re lucky enough to have a life filled with love, you’re winning.

James Russell

Lots of love,

Technology Editors

Rebecca Baird

Mila Georgieva

Editor-in-Chief xxx

Hugh Stevenson

“I like the color of your hair,

Copy Ediitors

I think we make a handsome pair.

Shanley Mcconell

I can only see my love growing,

Stephanie Smith

I like the way this is going.”

Ellie Biggs Zoe Cassells Catriona Leslie

Published By

Printed By

Fashion Editor Emily Fletcher

Andrew Stewart, VPCC

The Magazine Printing Company

DUSA, Airlie Place, Dundee, DD1 4PH

www.magprint.co.uk

vpcc@dusa.co.uk

Enterprise Editor David White 01

ISSUE 59 Creative Director’s Letter

Design Team

I suppose that it’s appropriate that my very last issue at the helm is all about love. It’s

Creative Director

been a great honour and something I’ve enjoyed immensely over the past year. I’m

Monica Dunne

almost finished with uni here at Dundee too; a big year all round. If this is my legacy, it’s been a good one.

Asst. Creative Directors Laura Gelston

I’ve always found Valentine’s a fun time of year. Since I was super small, I always got

Ali Elliott

a card sent to me every year “from someone who loves you very much”. Looked suspiciously like my Nonno’s (grandad) handwriting... And then, in Primary 1, being the

Designers

absolute player I was, I had like 5 boyfriends so that year, I got roses and chocolates

Bethany Dick

and cards in excess. You go, 5 year old Monica! I think I split up with them all after that

Erin Docherty

day...the heart wants what it wants and I wanted chocolate.

Sarah Duffy Monica Dunne

It’s probably time to thank all the people who’ve helped me whilst I’ve been doing this

Coral Gallagher

thing called creative direction. Ali and Laura, keeping me steady and listening to my

Shannon Graham

moans and lamentations. It’s been much appreciated and has genuinely made doing

Rachael Hastie

this much, much easier so thank you very much. And thanks for dinner. xoxo

Jenny Hampton Patrick Hughes

Rebecca, our Editor-in-Chief, has been wonderfully patient and understanding. She

Bryony Ogilvie

started in 2016, so it was a learning curve for both of us but in the end, we managed to

Fabio Maragno

become quite the team. She has great ideas for the future, so while my journey ends

Conor McBay

here, hers I’m sure is only beginning. You’ll definitely be seeing more of her.

Ryan McKnight Ellen McLean

To all of the designers in the past year, it’s been pretty amazing watching what you

Claire Pollock

guys come up with. The 2nd years, inherently inexperienced, never failed to delightfully

Molly Porteous

shock me with their creative skills and speed at picking up a pretty difficult way of

Rebecca Scouller

designing editorially. I hope it’s been useful for you. The 3rd and 4th years have been

Olivia Sharkey

beyond useful, picking up slack and volunteering their own time to do sometimes

Eilidh Shedden

several designs simultaneously. Year on year, they get better; this set will be nigh

Jamie Stein

impossible to beat. Great designers and great friends.

Cover Designer And to my family, of course, I say thank you. You’ve been an unchanging foundation

Abbie Dobson

of support. My sister asked for a copy of every issue I’ve been in charge of so she can keep them for the future. So if you’re reading this in 10 years, sell them on 2027’s version of Ebay. You’ll make a fortune now I’m all famous and shit.

“I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.”

- David Bowie

Monica Dunne Creative Director Contributors List

Gavin Aitken, Zoe Cassells, Julie Cumming, Stephanie Ertzinger, Emily Fletcher, Mila Georgieva, Murray Glen, Nicole Harrison, Zoe Hastie, Erik Jeny, Alastair Letch, Toni McKinney, Patrick O’Donnell, Hannah Perrie, James Russell, Hugh Stevenson, David White, Calum Wilson

CONTENTS Arts and Entertainment

Enterprise

04

Staying Hopeless

38 - 39

Say It With Chocolate

05

Apathetic Amore

40 - 41

The Love Business

06 - 07

Taking the Oscar Bait

Technology

Design 08 - 11

Let There Be Light

43

Right Swipes & Instagram Likes

44 - 45

I’m Sure You’ve Heard of Rule 34...?

Fashion 46 13 - 15

Winter Skincare 101

16 - 18

Your Date Night Outfits Sorted

Love Yourself Inside and Out

Science

Lifestyle 20 - 21

Love Yourself

22 - 23

Cooking Corner

24

Hating the Love

Opinion

48 - 49

2017 and the Future of Science

50 - 51

Sex and Chemicals

Community 52 - 53

Can I Find Love in Dundee?

55 - 57

Valentines Kink Society Expose-d

26 - 27

First Dating Locations

28 - 29

Runny Noses and Abused Keyboards

Current Affairs 31 - 33

The Italian Question

34 - 36

Trump, Putin and Their Two Tribes

JOIN US!

Email editor.in.chief@dusamedia.com or go to dusamedia.com/magdalen for more information.

Arts and Entertainment

aying t S

H

less e p o H ' reminds us that t r a ow ntic' is a a m Ro

Have you ever been called a ‘hopeless romantic’?

I

have. It’s a bit of a label. Well,

Get real. Join Tinder. A bouquet of

they love you. They want you to

Ok, it is a label. But let’s think

flowers is a nice gesture, that’ll do.

be happy. And let’s face it, being a

about the wording for a second.

But fated love? Now that’s just silly. I

romantic kind of sucks.

“Hopeless” means “without hope”.

mean, how DARE we believe there’s

Pretty simple, right? “Romantic”

more to life?

It’s all let downs and longing. It’s actually very unhappy. You make a promise to yourself before you’re

means…well, it involves all sorts of complicated art history and

There is. But don’t take my word

even born; one that you can’t

etymology, but it is essentially,

for it. Read it in the poetry of

possibly keep. You can’t help but live

hopefulness. So do the two

Pablo Neruda. Read it all. Don’t

life ‘from dream to dream’.

complement each other? Not really.

ignore the clichés. Read ‘Romeo

But wait! Before you sink into a glass

It’s an oxymoron: two contradictory

and Juliet’, or watch the fish tank

of wine and morph into a pre-baby

words brought together. Romance

scene from Baz Luhrmann’s film

Bridget Jones, here’s what they

is a kind of hopefulness. It’s an

version. Dream of these moments,

don’t tell you: ‘hopeless romantics’

incandescent future, a reason to

of eyes that meet across a room, of

are brave. It takes courage to believe

smile. And that’s why people hate it.

chance encounters, from nervous

in love. You only need to turn on the

laughter to screaming matches and

news to understand why. To believe

back around again. Listen to Bruce

in the ‘somehow’s and ‘someday’s,

Springsteen’s ‘Thunder Road’ and

well, it takes balls. This is what it

you will hear it. Maybe not right

means to be a ‘hopeless romantic’ –

away. But between the notes a

and I’ll gladly accept the label.

And let’s face it, being a romantic kind of sucks.

picture will emerge – a porch at sunset, a beaten Cadillac screeching To be called a ‘hopeless romantic’

towards some fiery rose-lit horizon.

is to be condemned a fool; that

‘Show a little faith, there’s magic in

one girl that always cries at

the night’.

Titanic (seriously, who doesn’t?) or scribbles love hearts on cubicle

People will implore you to settle.

doors. It’s childish. Yes, it’s alright

They’ll dissuade you from searching

when we’re younger and the world

for the love you want. Why? Well, it’s

is all shiny and new – but with rent

pretty ironic. It’s because (despite

to pay and money to be made?

your annoyingly enormous heart)

04

Zoe Cassells

Arts and Entertainment

Apathetic Amore The Top Five ‘Meh’ Love Songs February echoes in an onslaught of biblical proportions across everyone’s radio stations and Spotify playlists.

Romantic serenades infect the airwaves. No cure is available. Listeners will eventually succumb to the virus.

The love song is a signature staple of St. Valentine’s Feast Day. Whilst lovers cosy closer together, playing

‘I never wanna feel ashamed. So I keep callin’ at night... I wanna hold you close, I just never wanna hold you tight.’

Elton John’s Your Song in the background; loners - Goodness Gracious by Ellie Goulding

reminisce, weeping to Both Sides Now by Joni Mitchell.

But in the age of Tinder, in a time when lines are blurred

You think Ellie is looking for commitment from her man?

and relationships are as less defined as they’ve ever

Bitch please. The dame wants a quickie after a stressful

been, where are the songs that are apathetic over love?

week. Ellie is less likely to do a stride of pride down the aisle with her man; more likely to do walk of shame back

‘Birds do it, bees do it. Even educated fleas do it, lets fall in love.’

home after their liaison.

‘A simple prop to occupy my time’

- Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall in Love by Cole Porter An OG from the twenties, Mr Porter cuts to the chase.

- The One I Love by R.E.M.

Sex is on the man’s mind. Nothing else. Our feelings of love are simply a symptom of our biological urges.

Everyone/dog/cat/sloth/dolphin/ does it.

Michael Stipe croons over R.E.M’s first hit, quite literally objectifying his love interest. Stipe has ever just met his muse or they have been married for twenty years. Either way their relationship is staler than Pitbull’s lyrics.

‘Fuck me good, fuck me long, fuck me numb.’

- Novacane by Frank Ocean

‘Hey baby, I think I wanna marry you...If we wake up and you wanna break up that’s cool

The crown prince of R&B melancholia (sit down Drake) - Marry You by Bruno Mars

narrates his relationship with a dental student/part-time porn star in Los Angeles, and their mutual dependency

Contributing to the rising divorce rate, Bruno Mars

on anaesthetic drugs she steals from her place of study.

exemplifies the dire state of modern marriage, Oh the

Lot to unpack. No strings attached coitus and existential

fickle finger of fancy.

queries ensue.

Patrick O’Donnell

05

Arts and Entertainment

TAKING THE OSCAR BAIT: Movies Made for Mass Mawkishness The beginning of each calendar year is seminal for the entertainment industry: the award season has begun. Essentially the Hollywood equivalent of a circle jerk; Tinseltown’s liberal elite of actors, directors and producers take time out to pat themselves on the back over what they consider to be a job well done, which is in fact more often than not, a job well mediocre.

The Academy Awards are the crème de la crème of the awards circuit. Glitz, glam and gays – the Oscars has everything, awarding the best of the best in cinema. However, the nomination process for the Academy is rife with political corruption and nepotism.

Industry moguls such as Harvey Weinstein have greater clout than most in gaining traction for their projects. Films which feature big name talent take precedence during the nomination process; the Oscar producers want big ratings for their telecast after all. If you fail to know the insiders can you still be nominated? Don’t worry.

There is always Oscar Bait: three proven film formulas to win over the average Academy voter.

06

Arts and Entertainment

The Cliché Biopic

From Lawrence of Arabia (1962) to The King’s Speech

Films such as Paul Greengrass’ United 93 (2006) gained

(2010), the Academy will never seem to grow weary of a

the filmmaker a directorial nod at the ceremony, with

good biopic. Whilst each are narratively different in tone

good reason as it is an excellent picture. However, later

and content, Oscar-nominated biopics do seem to share

films have proven to be more callous in their treatment

certain cosmetic and thematic similarities. All seem to

of the disaster. Directed by Stephen Daldry, Extremely

revolve around a disenfranchised radical and/or anemic

Loud and Incredibly Close (2011) revolves around an

genius à la Braveheart (1995) and Amadeus (1984) who

autistic nine year old coping with father’s passing after

is mocked by his peers but is ultimately rewarded by

the World Trade Centre’s collapse. Forgoing actual

the plot for his outcast status. Each film exercises a

character development in lieu of emotional blackmail,

great degree of messianic imagery, the focal character

Daldry fails to provide a voice for 9/11 victims. The

in the biopic often standing up for the downtrodden

inclusion of the catastrophe into the film is ultimately

and confront their oppressors, i.e. Ghandi (1982.) But

shallow and unnecessary. Did not stop it receiving a

probably the most vital and apparent cosmetic similarity

Best Picture nomination though…

between Oscar nominated biopics is the little gold statuette each filmmaker receives from the Academy after their work is introduced to the public.

The Quirky Indie

Often the Academy will dare to look out with their The Historical Weepie

Hollywood purview, nominating pictures which buck the trend in contemporary cinema. Films from the

Historical events and modern day catastrophes are

minds of Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman flirt with

catnip for the Academy. Filmmakers are able to take

the existential and postmodern; a departure from most

advantage of the audience’s prior engagement with said

blockbuster fanfare. The work of Wes Anderson echoes

past events to trigger an emotive response, either by

the directorial staples of the early auteurs, though in

reinforcing their particular poignancy or by exposing

a fashion more suited for the Tumblr age. This year’s

new light on what the audience thought they once knew.

nominated, smaller pictures, Moonlight (2016) and

James Cameron’s Titanic (1997) is the quintessential

Manchester By The Sea (2016) are predicted to make a

example of this. Whilst his core narrative is historically

splash at the major award shows. Never underestimate

untrue, Cameron arouses audience sympathy for the

the underdog folks!

Titanic tragedy via the doomed romance between Jack and Rose. Holocaust movies thrive during award

Patrick O’Donnell

season. Schindler’s List (1993) and last year’s Cannes Film Festive Grand Prix winner, Son of Saul (2015) arouse critical acclaim, not just from their artistic merit, but with the audience’s desire to engage with the darkest moments in recorded human history. 9/11 has been heavily exploited by Hollywood over recent years.

07

Design

Let There Be Light With the click of a button and a flick of a shutter,

even a thousand had been made, it is a rarity in the

a picture is taken – over one trillion photographs were

camera collector’s world. Although a poor model, what

taken last year alone. Camera workings such as light

Kodak touched on is something that is essential in

meters has taken away the know how and time that was

photographic equipment today. They had created the

previously needed for successful photography.

“amazing new Electric Eye that makes automatically correct exposures”. The camera itself looks much like

Kodak showcased the first example of attempting to

any other available at the time – a sturdy rectangular

integrate an automatic light meter into a photographic

body wielding an intricately marked lens system out

stills camera, in 1938, with the Super Six-20. Prior to

the front, to be taken back into shelter once it was no

this, light meters were separate devices, compact and

longer needed. The complex labelling and coding on

almost essential for photographers. The Super Six-20 is

the lenses combined with the small metallic fittings give

not one of Kodak’s finest products in terms of reliability;

the camera an air of manual mechanism, which clashes

discontinued after six years of manufacture and before

with the automatic reality of it. Every component has

08

Design

been placed to precision. Precision springs to mind

the new exciting technology were limitations in shutter

even more so when the built in automatic light meter

speeds and fear of the light meter breaking down, a lack

is considered. Light travels in to the camera for scene

of trust. Despite this, the new automatic light measuring

brightness assessment through a thin, ribbed plastic

system was described as helping “free the photographer

window before penetrating a selenium photocell located

of just one more nagging worry”. Interesting examples

at the back of the inner camera, which determines how

of light meter advancements opening potential for more

much brightness needs to be added to or subtracted

automation in cameras are the Durst Automatica and

from the scene. An electrical current then passes onto

Agfa Auto 66 cameras.

metering cogs that shift the aperture opening to allow for more light to enter, or less. Kodak had perfected

Neat, compact (yet ironically manual looking) cameras,

the technology for now, just not quite the integration of

they each harbour the same selenium photocell light

it into a camera system that worked consistently (the

meter, but pair this up with a pneumatic shutter speed

workers at Kodak actually penned it the “boomerang” as

setting so that the user really does not have to do

the models kept coming back to the factory as faulty or

anything but press a button to take a photograph. Once

needing repair…).

light levels are detected by the photocell, not only does an electrical current flow to the aperture gears, but also

Things were quiet in the field of automatic stills

an air hole is opened to allow for pressure to push the

photography from the birth of the Super Six-20 almost

trigger, to allow for variations in exposure. The use of

until the 1960s, in which time other manufacturers

air-triggered shutters gives a sense of these cameras

caught the automatic features bug and produced their

taking automatic features back a few eras however, back

own successful cameras with automatic light meters.

to the days of steam…

Using the same selenium photocell light measuring technology as their predecessor the Super Six-20,

With less and less tedious manual set up operations

the new cameras included an indicative needle or

needed, cameras fast became more and more similar

soft coloured light that could be checked through the

to the human eye – fixing what we saw in an instant, so

viewfinder by the photographer, to aid them in their

that it was “correct”. In a way, our iris is our aperture

shutter speed selection, depending on light levels.

ring which determines how much light is taken in, so

These cameras were smaller and more pocket size than

that the resulting image is deemed fit for viewing.

the Super Six-20, and were finished in plastic which

Automatic capabilities in photography were really

made them feel less mechanical than the bulky, metallic

beginning to spark. But did creativity burn out with this

Kodak camera. They were more affordable, as well as

advancement? Automatic cameras use their eyes and

easier to use. Of course the “Electronic Eye” technology

metering systems to correct any fault in how pictures

was greatly received by many photographers, and

turn out, selecting the appropriate shutter speed,

articles from the time state that the only downsides to

aperture and ISO settings. This proves helpful to many a

09

Design

photographer, unless they wish to take abstract shots.

the Paralympics this summer in Rio, one captured my

To me there is nothing more intriguing than

interest in particular: the story of the blind photographer.

looking through photo journals, exhibition booklets

How does someone without the blessing of sight

and Instagram feeds of respected professional

manage to take pictures, using a camera, a practice

photographers (and the undiscovered). Photography

that requires sight? In a remarkable feat, Maia uses his

captures a fleeting moment, it prolongs moments and

heightened senses in parallel with his automatically

encapsulates them to create one breath-taking image.

controlled camera to take stunning pictures of action

However, long exposure photographs are not things

packed moments. His recent post at the Paralympics

that the camera takes without some manipulation – the

spotlighted his talent and since, his following on

camera, sadly, is not as artistically interested as we

Instagram has rocketed. More and more people know

are! To view a star trail, atmospheric cloud smudges or

of his extraordinary talent. When he hears an athlete

glossy waterfalls, the photographer has to take control.

nearing him, as he notices shadows and contrasts, he

Literally. An automatic metering system will correct

points his camera in the direction and shoots. The camera does the rest of the work. The light meter detects whether the aperture has to be raised or

“ How does someone without the blessing of sight manage to take pictures, using a camera, a practice that requires sight? ”

lowered, whether the shutter speed should be fast or slow, and how sensitive an ISO to use, as well as where to focus and sharpen images. It allows him to pursue his passion and get the same opportunities in photography as anyone else.

The technology in cameras’ built-in light meters has advanced even so that there are different kinds of photographs so that only a small twinkling light, a single

metering built into our devices, so that every shooting

stagnant cloud or a flurry of waves is seen. If the user

scene is catered for. Light metering technology

takes control and uses a long shutter speed, however,

advancements do not stop there.

the picture produced displays something more of an art form. The automatic light meter and other settings

The new “L16” Camera being released on to the market

must be ignored, the camera’s brain switched off, and

later this year (already released for pre-order and sold

the user’s switched on. To achieve such results, the

out the first batch) by young American company, Light,

photographer must know the techniques and skills

demonstrates how far camera features have come

involved in successfully manipulating the automatic

since 1938. The L16 houses sixteen separate lenses,

camera that tries to correct his mistakes.

combined with the aesthetic of a mobile phone in terms of size and thickness. Ten of these lenses take pictures

Perhaps the automatic nature of the camera and

simultaneously, at different focal lengths, each lens

similarity to the human eye is beneficial in its own way.

automatically adjusting lighting settings and shutter

Of all the stories of wonder and awe reported from

speed settings so that once the images have been

10

Design

stitched together, the outcome is perfect. No pieces of detail are missed, and everything in the scene is well lit.

Users can change focal lengths and light levels once the photograph has been taken and saved to the camera’s memory. Skill lies within the camera. It acts as both the eye and the brain in modern practices of photography.

Such unpredictable point-and-shoot photography has become routine with a huge portion of those who own a camera. Speaking to keen photographer and vintage camera restorer Cees-Jan de Hoog, sheds a new light on the topic. He feels that “… because getting good photos is so easy nowadays, everyone does it, so you could argue that probably more people get into ‘real’ photography that way”.

On the other hand, it could be said that manual photography gives room for creativity and happy mistakes. The interaction of turning dials, waiting to see

“ without the invention of automatic light metering tell me: How would Jaoa Maia express himself artistically through the medium of photography?”

the results and adjusting your knowledge depending on outcomes is arguably the most effective way of learning the ins and outs of photography and developing your own style. The clicks of mechanical dials, the anticipation of lining up the light meter harbours much more character as an interaction than simply pressing a button and the camera doing the rest. There must be some appeal – vintage cameras are in high demand and becoming fashionable accessories for amateur photographers, even those who rely on auto-mode.

Saying this, without the invention of automatic light metering tell me: How would Jaoa Maia express himself artistically through the medium of photography?

Julie Cumming

11

23rd January - 17th March

Nominate a member of University staff that has enhanced your University experience. www.dusa.co.uk/SLTAs Recognition and Reward at the University of Dundee

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EXCELLENCE

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Fashion

WINTER SKINCARE

101

Emily Fletcher

O

ur skin gets battered and worn in winter — we have to deal with wind and rain, the drop in temperature, and that all-so-annoying red nose from the classic sleeve drag. A good skincare routine is important any time of the year, but when winter rolls around and we have the weather to deal with as well as the aftermath of pigging out and partying all holiday season, there are a few things we can all do to step up and take care of our skin. (BOYS INCLUDED!)

13

FASHION

01

02

CLEANSE

TREAT

A great cleanser is always needed, but in the

Sometimes you need to take an extra few

harsher weather it can be a good idea to pick

steps to make sure that your skin is looking

one that hydrates as well as removing makeup

itself in the Winter. Often eye cream is

and cleaning your skin. A cleansing balm such as

thought of as a treatment for wrinkles, but

the Pixi Nourishing Cleansing Balm (01) is a great

a lightweight and moisturising formula is

option for this – you scoop out a thumbnail sized

perfect for the sensitive eye area at any age.

amount, warm it between your hands, and as you

The cold weather can be harsh on the eyes

rub it over your face, the balmy oil breaks down

and can often leave them sore, but an eye

all makeup and grime. It leaves you glowing and

cream like The Body Shop Aloe Eye Defence

clean once removed with a damp wash cloth.

(02) will hydrate and soothe the area. A lip

What’s more, the balm supplies you with an extra

scrub like the Mint Julips Lip Sugar Scrub

boost of moisture. Oily skinned folks – you can use

(03) from LUSH is a great way to slough away

oils on your face too! Oily skin is caused because

the dead, chapped skin on your lips to leave

the skin is actually dehydrated and is producing

them feeling fresher – and the minty smell will

more oils to compensate. A balm or oil cleanser

let you hold onto those festive scents. Add a

will not make you any more oily, and may actually

thick lip balm straight after and you will be all

help lower the production of the unwanted oils.

kiss-ready for Valentine’s Day! A great lip balm

Therefore, it’s a great option for any skin type.

option for harsh weather is the Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm (04). This is a thick, matte balm

Top Tip: Cleanse two times to make sure that

with tiny exfoliating particles that both soothe

your makeup is completely removed, and your

and protect. With its exfoliating bits and thick

face is completely clear of grime!

consistency, this balm isn’t ideal for wearing during the day under lipstick. But, if you slather this on at night you will wake up with smooth and moisturised lips.

Top Tip: Sometimes little treatments like this can be forgotten, but take 5 minutes before bed to implement them and they will soon fit right into your routine!

14

FASHION

03

SHOPPING LIST — 01 Pixi, Nourishing Cleansing Balm, £18.00

NOURISH Perhaps you’ve got your skincare routine down, but your skin is still looking a little lacklustre. Hydrating face masks are a great way to inject your skin with much-needed moisture. A quick and easy option is a sheet

02 The Body

03 Lush, Mint

mask, such as the Garnier Moisture Bomb

Shop, Aloe Eye

Julips Lip Scrub,

Tissue Mask (05). You apply the mask to

Defence, £12.00

£5.50

04 2 Reve de

06 Ethiopian

Miel, Nuxe,

Honey Mask,

£9.50

£15.00

highlighter or even to ensure your brows stay

05 Garnier,

07 Lanolips,

in place! A little always goes a long way with

Moisture Bomb

101 Ointment,

this kind of product, so it is definitely worth

Tissue Mask,

£10.99

picking up a tube.

£1.49

your face, look like Michael Myers, and after 15 minutes you remove the sheet and rub the remaining serum into your skin to leave you glowing and hydrated. Another option could be The Body Shop’s Ethiopian Honey Deep Nourishing Mask (06). This mask can be applied with a brush to the face and after 10-15 minutes of wear it will leave you with nourished and treated skin — the honey used also treats acne and scarring.

If you like a little less fuss, a good multipurpose balm such as the Lanolips 101 Ointment (07) can be used as a lip balm, cuticle treatment, hand cream, hydrating face mask, eczema treatment, eye cream, a

Top Tip: If you wear makeup, take it off as soon as you get home – even if it is the middle of the day – and pamper your skin with a hydrating mask. This season is the perfect time to get cosy indoors while treating and nourishing your skin!

15

Fashion

Your Date Night Outfit Sorted Oh Valentine’s Day! I’m personally not the biggest fan of the holiday but I, nor anyone else, can deny that it is potentially the most popular date night around. Whether you and your loved one are going for dinner, have a full day of activities planned, or just want to Netflix and chill like the millennials you are, here is a few suggestions for the outfits you may want to give a shot. And if you’re not dating this February 14th, then at least this can be a reference point for different occasions in the future!

Comfortable and Cosy As Frozen’s Olaf proudly sang: ‘Winter’s a good time to stay in and cuddle’. If you are the kind of couple that wants to stay indoors and snuggle up on the sofa or in bed with films or Netflix then let’s be real, you probably don’t want to put much thought into your outfit. But hey, why not use this day as the chance to wear some cute pyjamas or loungewear? You could go for a comfortable onesie (the weirder the better, of course) or a sweet pair of shirt and trouser pyjamas in your favourite cute print if that is more your style. If you would rather lean towards something that does not resemble nightwear quite as much, then perhaps go for a pair of leggings or joggers with a big cosy jumper. You could even go all out and wear braids in your hair for the ultimate sleepover look! The only other accessory you need is pizza.

16

Fashion

Out and About Maybe you and your beloved have opted for a day out somewhere and you are looking for something both casual and chic to last you through the day. Skinny jeans, mid heeled ankle boots, and a lovely top or jumper is a nice and simple look that can easily be pulled together.

Add a cosy coat or jacket, accessorise with jewellery – perhaps add a hat and scarf depending on the weather – and you are good to go. Jeans and a top is a fool-proof outfit that you won’t have to adjust or check too much when you are out galivanting! If you know you will be doing a lot of walking, then maybe opt for some flatter boots, or just go for trainers. You could wear a red lip to add a little more glam to a casual outfit like this, but do keep in mind that many a guy will see that as a no-go for a proper kiss at the end of the date – or so I’ve been told at least.

17

Fashion

Classic Meal Out If you and your date are foodies then a meal out in a restaurant is an easy go-to.

If the setting is casual enough then you could always opt for something like the casual-yet-chic outfit I mentioned in the previous section, but if the situation calls to dress up, then it is time to dress up.

While the glitzy dresses are still in shops over winter (and probably in the sale), you could make the most of the excuse to buy something sparkly and bold. A bodycon

be a classic look. However, if you are the kind of person who worries about a food baby (not that you should!) then you could always opt for a skater or shift style dress which will not cling to your stomach. For makeup, while there are plenty of long lasting liquid lipsticks that you could go for, it is perhaps better to simply opt for a nude lip when on a meal out – then there is no need to worry about your colour fading too much after eating and sipping on cocktails!

Hopefully this little guide has given you some inspiration for the upcoming Valentine’s Day. While I like to think I have provided some good advice, it is important to note that there is no right way to dress for a date – or that you even have to celebrate Valentine’s Day if you’re not into it. Comfort is the best way to be confident and happy on your date, and so you can chop and change any styles you want. After all, the key to dressing for a date is to dress like yourself!

Let the Magdalen know how you got on with your date night outfits by sending us pictures on Facebook. Need advice on what to wear?

Message us.

Emily Fletcher

18

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dress with heels and a coat will always

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Lifestyle

Love Yourself Self-love is simple. It is a special kind of love - some of

Taking care of yourself reflects in the way you carry

us overlook the notion of having it. Sometimes we can

yourself as a person. Your confidence and happiness

get so caught up in loving others that we forget that the

levels can increase significantly if you just take a little

most important person is ourself. We focus on things

time for you. At this time in life, we are under constant

that we believe are more important than our health and

stress from university deadlines, work and relationships

wellbeing, yet can sometimes prove to be even more

so there is a duty to take ourselves away from the

harmful. It doesn’t matter whether you are single or in a

pressure to enjoy the little things. What I have learned

relationship, the practice of self-love and personal care is

over time is that you have to put yourself at the top of

the most important thing to do for yourself.

your to-do list and things will fall right into place.

It doesn’t matter whether you are single or in a relationship, the practice of self-love and personal care is the most important thing to do for yourself.

So with that being said, I have compiled a list of small

20

things that may get you on the right path. Whether you take 5 minutes or 5 hours, try to make sure you do whatever you do for yourself and yourself only. Of course, it is super hard to change habits, but over time, the little things you do amount to great results.

Lifestyle

Embrace who you are as a person, compliment yourself, and be proud.

• •

•

•

• •

• • •

• • •

• • • •

Go for a walk.

Write your thoughts in a journal.

Take time to make an amazing meal.

Spend time with your friends or family.

Have a good cry.

Declutter your home (or workspace or studio).

Try a fancy wine.

Watch the sunrise. …or alternatively if you aren’t an early rise, watch the sunset.

Detox for a week or two.

Go to a museum.

Binge watch your favorite TV show (or shows).

Compliment yourself.

Listen to your favorite music.

Take a nap.

Write a list of goals.

• Treat yourself to something nice.

• Read a book.

• Have a spa day.

• Go for coffee with someone new.

• Try exciting new foods.

• Get your hair done.

• Have an early night.

• Call someone you love.

• Go for cocktails (or beers) with your friends.

• Buy yourself some flowers.

• Go out and dance and sing all night.

• Celebrate every small achievement.

• Have a day without your phone or laptop.

• Go to the cinema, or see a show.

• Slow down and be present.

by Toni McKinney

21

Lifestyle

Raspberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake

COOKING

CORNER

by Gavin Aitken

Serves 8

Some say that the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach. If this expression has any truth behind it, this recipe will cement your place in the heart of your partner. With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, people want to be able to cook to impress. This dessert has great taste and requires little effort to make, therefore making it a perfect recipe for the novice cook to make for a date!

You can use a round 20cm cake tin to create a traditional cheesecake or if you want to really impress, serve the cheesecake as minatures in a transparent tumbler glass. Serves up to 8, but it’s Valentines so treat yourself!

INGREDIENTS 150g White Chocolate 300g Biscuits (Hobnobs are my preferred choice but Digestives are also good)

75g of Butter

300ml Double Cream 150g Raspberries (or other berries)

250g Mascarpone Cheese

180g Philadelphia Cheese

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Lifestyle

EQUIPMENT >

A large tray around 10 inch in length, 8 inch across and 2.5 inches deep.

>

A large mixing bowl

>

Electric mixer – alternatively a wooden spoon can be used to mix

METHOD

1

Place the biscuits in a plastic sandwich bag and bash them with a heavy item – rolling pin is ideal but you can also use your cake tin or a baking tray. You want to break them up into fine crumbs with no large biscuit lumps left. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl.

2

Melt the butter and mix into the crumbs with a wooden spoon until completely combined. Once well combined pour onto your tray (or tin) and spread it out evenly. Press the mixture down firmly. I personally don’t over-press as it can make it extremely hard and difficult to cut it when you are serving.

3

Put this in the fridge to chill for around 30 minutes.

4

While the base is chilling in the fridge, get a large bowl and mix both the Philadelphia and Mascarpone

5

Melt the chocolate in a microwave, mixing frequently so it doesn’t burn. Once a liquid, mix into the

cheeses and cream together until smooth.

cheese and cream mixture, stirring quickly until all of the chocolate is stirred in and evenly distributed.

6

Take the base out of the fridge once the 30 minutes is up and place the raspberries on the base.

Disperse them evenly and then pour in the cheese and chocolate mixture on top. Make sure the mixture is even and spread across the whole tin.

7

You may be using this recipe for Valentines night, so why not use some extra raspberries and decorate your cheesecake on top too!

8

Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to set and then enjoy!

23

Lifestyle

Hating The Love Toni McKinney The most cliché holiday of the year is fast approaching.

be defined by retail success. Underwear, chocolate,

Shops are filled with red underwear, people are buying

jewelry is just a small handful of what you will find in

overpriced roses, Instagram and Facebook are about to

the shops on the high street.

explode with ‘the boy (or girl) did good’ with pictures of grossly overprices meals.

Some people take it to extremes and buy far too much for their special someone, while others treat

So what really is Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s as a very simple day. I feel that people may be forgetting why we celebrate. It is a day not meant

Firstly, let it be a reminder that holidays are set like little

for showing-off, but showing love to people we care

signposts every now and then so that the year doesn’t

about. Personally, a witty card saying ‘Yoda one for me’

feel like one massive slog. Holidays are for expression,

or ‘I turtley love you’ and a nice handmade scrapbook,

for instance, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are for

memory jar, or love letter would make me happier

celebrating how amazing parents and grandparents

than receiving a bunch of flowers or a box of fancy

have been to us throughout our lives. Sometimes,

chocolates. I am sure we all remember the excitement

holidays are cultural or religious. For example, Diwali

in primary school or receiving a handmade Valentine’s

is a Hindu holiday for celebrating the victory of good

card from someone who fancied you and giving your

over evil, while Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead)

own crush a card. With this in mind, maybe it’s time

is to celebrate the ancestry of Mexican people, and

to return to the simple things. Get creative! Show your

Thanksgiving is an American commemoration of

love by putting some work in!

a harvest festival started by the Pilgrim Fathers.

Valentine’s Day is for everyone; a time set aside to

We must realize, being the adults we are, that love is

celebrate love.

unique. Each and every kind of love is entirely different.

Consequently, we should appreciate and accept that

If you know the tale of Saint Valentine, you will know

no matter what. People constantly bash the idea of

that it all commenced in Rome when marriage was

Valentine’s Day because it amplifies how single people

forbidden by Clauduis II so his army would be entirely

may feel. So many hold a grudge against this singular

focused on battle. Saint Valentine secretly performed

day that celebrates the very idea of love. Why? It is a

wedding ceremonies for sweet lovers in Rome, but

24-hour celebration that is over in the blink of an eye.

alas, when caught, he was imprisoned and sentenced

Haters should just ignore the cheesy crap since it will be

to death. Before his execution, believed to have taken

over before they even know it.

place the 14th of February 270AD, the Saint wrote a love letter signed ‘From your Valentine.’

Yes, it’s great to celebrate love with your other half, but remember that you don’t just have to celebrate love

Love, as we all may know, can last from a single minute

because you’re with someone. It is also important that

to a lifetime. It can be experienced once or a thousand

you take the time to celebrate you too. So enjoy the

times, you never know what may happen. I think about

yearly celebration of love, kiss your crush, tell someone

my own parents and grandparents and their Valentine

you love them. Spread love, not hate!

celebrations over the years. Today, Valentine’s Day can

24

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Opinion

First Dating Locations DO’S AND DON’TS!

Valentine’s Day is growing near and love for couples everywhere is in the air!

But lest we forget our ‘Single Pringles’, who are, indeed, ready to mingle. Valentine’s Day offers the opportunity to ask out that person you’ve been crushing on, and if they say yes, you’ve got yourself a ticket on the date train! But whether or not you make it to your destination is entirely up to you and/or your date!

Locations are a pretty important part to a first date; it provides stimuli to most of the talking points and actions done during the date, and a comfortable and/ or fun environment to talk with your date and get to know them better as a person. This quick guide shows some Do’s and Don’ts for those of you who are either going on a first date (or a blind date)!

26

Opinion

DO Pubs

Shopping Centre

– Pubs tend to be fun and casual environments ideal for more

– Now, my love-struck friend is the time to BECOME the one

fun conversation. With the added help of alcohol (but not TOO

laughed at by coffee shop observers. Shopping centres offer

much), confidence can improve amongst you and your date

stimuli galore, be it from looking around all the different stores, to

and you may find yourselves opening your minds to the most

buying or receiving gifts during the date or being drawn in from

interesting of conversation pieces.

some kind of demonstration or busker on the streets. However, you don’t want to go somewhere that’s packed, overwhelming

Coffee Shops

your interactions, and maybe even overwhelming your date or

– Coffee shops are usually laid back locations, the smell ofcoffee

yourself, but also not a place so dull and poorly populated that

wafting through a relatively quiet place, being tucked away in the

your date becomes just as dull!

corner of the shop. They offer stimuli in the form of both ordering very detailed fancy coffee to wow your date (which might actually taste horrible to you but you continue to drink to look like

Bars

you know what you’re doing) and also in the form of observation

– Bars are a lot like Pubs but typically are more casual drinking

from a quiet place looking out into the public. Whether you find

and eating spots. Given it’s in a nice location and not used by

yourself drawn in by conversation with your date or find humour

some fast-drinking regulars, you’re bound to have a nice time! An

in the unsuspecting public walking around outside, coffee shops

ideal place I can personally recommend is The Dundee Student

are a great idea for a first date.

Union. It’s an amazing place filled with fun-loving yet laid back people - students!

DON’T Cinema

Club

– Now before you think: ‘But that amazing new movie’s

– Clubs aren’t ideal for the first date but more for the first

out and it’s SO COOL-‘, you need to remember that your

meeting and picking up of that person. From the added

date may not like that kind of movie. On top of that, your

stimuli of alcohol, a lot of problem situations can be caused.

date and yourself will have the obstacle of darkness, a quiet crowd and in-your-face sound and visuals to overcome if you want to interact and get to know more about the person. In conclusion, Cinemas, however ‘cool’

Bringing your special person to the club can cause that special person or yourself to get flirted with by several strangers, not to mention the awkward dancing. If the flirting stranger and awkward dancing combine, it’s even worse.

they may be, do not offer an ideal first date environment Take-away restaurants/ McDonalds Pubs

– Yes, even the amazing tasting yet bad for your insides

– Yes, you just read that right – I put Pubs into the Don’ts

food is typically off the menu for a first date. You don’t know

too. What can I say, I’m a terrible writer. Pubs, when

this person’s likes or dislikes yet, or what agrees with their

wrongly picked, can be filled with drunk and loud people

digestive. Who knows, if you happen to go to a new place and

shouting over something or each other, as well as that,

decide to try to food there, you’ll not wake up the next day

you can also accidentally allow yourself too much alcohol

with love in your heart but some things far worse in the pit of

to boost your confidence. Try to find a place that has a more casual than loud and excitable environment, maybe

your stomach. And if your date is just as bad because of it,

prepare yourself for some apologising.

a place that serves food and has a separate part of the pub specifically for more quiet activities

Zoë Hastie

27 27

Opinion

Runny Noses and Abused Keyboards: What it’s like to be a student with misophonia

I

f you have come across the term misophonia; it was

pen clicking, keyboard noises and breathing; the first

probably on sites such as Buzzfeed or other semi-

of which are usually developed at the onset of puberty

reliable internet sources which make fun of it or

with others gradually following. The reaction to these

make it seem like everybody has it from time to time.

sounds amongst sufferers expresses itself in the form of a fight or flight response, leading to various coping

Misophonia, also called Selective Sound Sensitivity

mechanisms, such as avoidance or aggression. A person

Syndrome, affects thousands of lives and can be a

suffering from misophonia is not afraid of sounds, even

frustrating experience for sufferers who are unable

though in severe cases, people can develop social

to get a diagnosis or even treatment. So far, no cure

anxiety, expecting to be triggered as soon as they are

has been found and due to it not being included in

around other people. Likewise, sufferers do not hate the

the DSM-V (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of

person producing the sound or noise triggering them,

Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition), there is no agreed

instead, their anger or aggression is involuntary and

diagnostic tool. Apart from professional ignorance to

directed towards the stimulus itself.

it, many sufferers are still in the dark about what their behaviour is about, and that is a prominent reason

My personal worst moment at university, which

for me writing this article. I want to bring attention to

eventually made me seek help, was in a weekly

something nobody should suffer from alone, especially

workshop. The task we were asked to do was one that

not at university.

required immense concentration and let me tell you,

‘

having to concentrate makes the trigger response

I want to bring attention to something nobody should suffer from alone

’

Enough beating around the bush. Misophonia is a neurological condition and the symptom shared by all sufferers is an extreme sensitivity to certain trigger noises, most of which tend to be repetitive and/ or produced by other people. Very common trigger sounds include chewing, sniffing, coughing, slurping,

28

several times worse! So there I was, right next to a course mate, who seemed to have missed the invention of tissues and was snuffling loudly while we were all staring at our computer screens. Since avoidance in this case was not an option, i.e. I couldn’t just walk out of a class, my mind and body did the only thing they could do to express their distress: they produced tears. I am unsure about the exact sequence of psychological states I went through at that point but in the end all I could feel was despair, sadness and helplessness. This is how my misophonia turned into, or rather attracted, depression in me. While that in itself is not really something I

Opinion

am happy about, it had one major advantage: I had something I could seek help for. Depression is becoming less and less stigmatized and telling my GP I was feeling very low was certainly met with much more empathy than my desperate attempt to explain that, you know, I hate certain noises. In fact, there appears to be an actual link between misophonia and depression as reported by many other sufferers. Many of them, too have found bringing up depression with their GP the most efficient route to receive some form of relief (counselling, medication or referrals to specialists), even if depression was not their primary symptom.

From experience, antidepressants do alleviate misophonia symptoms although it’s unclear why and how. Counselling helps with accepting the condition and coping with it.

In that sense, it was probably when I came to university that I was first offered support and understanding since developing my symptoms at age 12. The disability service, the counselling service and even the mental health society proved to be great resources to draw from and I can now say that I am allowed to sit exams in a separate room and be much less ashamed about it. Being convinced that something is not right about myself was certainly one of the worst aspects of being a sufferer from an unknown condition.

There is much to be done in order to bring awareness about misophonia to the public as well as GPs. Fortunately, there is now an increasing interest in misophonia among researchers from various fields and attempts have been made to devise a diagnostic questionnaire to identify the condition. Neuroscientists have been looking at brain responses in misophonia sufferers and so far it seems that the amygdala plays a key role in the hatred of sounds associated with the condition. I am here, I have received help and I invite everyone who thinks they might be suffering from misophonia, to stand up and make sure they get the student experience they deserve!

Stephanie Ertzinger

29

Current Affairs

THE ITALIAN QUESTION

31

Current Affairs

YES

NO

On Sunday the 4th of December, Italian voters

from 315 to 100, instilling the law-making power mostly

participated in a constitutional referendum which had

in the hands of the Chamber of Deputies, in a move

the potential to completely restructure the parliament

designed to make the legislative process less convoluted

and the power balance between the legislative bodies.

and more efficient, and reducing the instances where

Although this referendum was ultimately rejected by

‘Laws can bounce back and forth between the two for

a margin of 20%, leading to the resignation of the

decades’. However, to its opponents, this efficiency

country's Prime Minister, it is indicative of a much wider

translates to less oversight, representing the abolition of

trend that has been spreading across Europe. Described

checks and balances, to the benefit of the ruling party.

as the most dangerous moment for the EU since Brexit,

Something that was a major factor in the failure of the

it would have represented the ‘biggest constitutional

referendum.

reform in Italy since the end of the monarchy’, resulting in the transformation of a system which found its roots

In addition to the major legislative amendments, the

after the cessation of Mussolini’s fascism in the 1940s.

referendum was also seeking to centralise government

A yes vote would have had massive implications for the

power from regional authorities to the central

Italian people and the rest of the EU, having represented

government. This is designed to ‘strengthen executive

a major determinant of not just the future of Italy but

power’, seeking to improve Italy’s ‘moribund’ economy

Europe. But what is the aftermath of the vote? And what

thorough more integrated polices. Italy’s financial woes

brought about the vote in the first place?

are numerous, with a stagnant GDP, ‘non-performing loans’ and ‘the second-highest debt load in the euro

Currently there are two houses of power in the Italian

zone, at 133% of GDP’, with economists believing ‘it

Parliament that have the power to make legislative

could be too big to rescue’. A situation that former

decisions - the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.

Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, believed could be

The system is specifically designed to give no chamber

rectified by the accumulation of executive power and

more power than the other - referred to as ‘perfect

pursuit of a unified policy, which he believes will instil

bicameralism’- and would result in a major imbalance

‘greater investor confidence’. This is amongst the most

had the referendum been successful, essentially

criticised proposals as the system in place was devised

rendering the senate nearly powerless, except for big

to limit the power of the central government, after years

issues, and significantly reducing the number of senators

of abuse by dictator Benito Mussolini.

32

Current Affairs

Amongst the biggest concerns to the rest of Europe was the prospect of Eurosceptic parties taking advantage of anti-EU sentiment and the increased power of the ruling party. Presently, the three opposition parties are all opposed to the EU. Therefore, the possibility of

‘Described as the most dangerous moment for the EU since Brexit’

Italy leaving the EU is far more likely if these parties are elected, as the new executive powers affords them the ability to go virtually unchallenged if they wish

Calum Wilson

to pursue their own EU referendum. Italians want a referendum on their membership more than any other country, with 60% expressing this intention. The EU is as divisive a subject in Italy as the rest of Europe and had this vote been successful it would have ushered in a whole new wave of uncertainty for an already fragile Europe. However, there is also still a considerable threat of Italy leaving even with the rejection of the constitutional reforms. Pro-EU Renzi’s resignation has been claimed as a success by anti-establishment, Eurosceptic opposition parties such as the Five Star Party, who are ‘one of the most voted-for parties in Italy’ and one of the primary driving forces behind the reforms referendum opposition. They have ‘heralded this major victory’ and continue to push to leave the EU. This uncertainty has led to a major economic consultancy firm recently estimating the chances of Italy staying in the EU in the next 5 years as under 30%. The EU is in the midst of the biggest internal crisis it has ever faced, and only time will tell if it survives.

‘biggest constitutional reform in Italy since the end of the monarchy’- https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_constitutional_referendum,_2016 ‘perfect bicameralism’- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/30/italyreferendum-all-you-need-to-know-about-renzis-crunch-vote ‘Laws can bounce back and forth between the two for decades’-http://www. economist.com/news/leaders/21710816-country-needs-far-reaching-reformsjust-not-ones-offer-why-italy-should-vote-no ‘non-performing loans’ and ‘the second-highest debt load in the euro zone, at 133% of GDP’, with economist believing ‘it could be too big to rescue’- http:// www.economist.com/news/leaders/21710816-country-needs-far-reaching-reforms-just-not-ones-offer-why-italy-should-vote-no ‘greater investor confidence’- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/italian-referendum/with 60% expressing this intention- https://www.theguardian.com/ news/datablog/2016/jun/23/is-britain-most-eurosceptic-country ‘one of the mots voted-for parties in Italy’- http://www.independent.co.uk/ news/world/europe/who-is-beppe-grillo-five-star-movement-italy-referendumparty-matteo-renzi-resigns-a7456106.html ‘heralded this major victory’- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/who-is-beppe-grillo-five-star-movement-italy-referendum-party-matteorenzi-resigns-a7456106.html next 5 years as under 30%.- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/04/renzi-battle-survival-italians-go-polls-vote-seen-referendum/

33

Current Affairs

TRUMP, PUTIN AND THEIR TWO TRIBES: DEFROSTING THE COLDEST OF RELATIONS

By Murray Glen

34

Current Affairs

Love is in the air at the Magdalen this month and in the glamorous world of current affairs it is no different. In recent months, the world has both mocked and feared the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States. For all of his domestic policy threats, promises and claims, we now have to face the realisation that the man with the funny hair is now President-elect of the US. After all, next to his Secretary of State, he will be the face of a nation. This makes it very interesting to look at who Mr Trump counts among his friends and enemies.

Most notably, among Trump’s possible relationships is a certain Mr Vladimir Putin of Russia.

Now, simplistically it would make sense for the two most militarily powerful and nuclear armed nations on Earth to be on good terms, however is this rapid defrosting of Cold War tension as good as it seems? Or is the new relationship just a toxic flash in the pan?

It is no secret that the US and Russia have never had the warmest of relations. From the days immediately after the Second World War, the then USSR and US viewed one another with an air of, at best, suspicion, and most of the time, mutual fear. The decades that followed were defined by the diplomatic and military standoffs between the two nations, from the Cuban Missile Crisis,

“It would make sense for the two most militarily powerful and nuclear armed nations on Earth to be on good terms, however is this rapid defrosting of Cold War tension as good as it seems? Or is the new relationship just a toxic flash in the pan?”

to the Gary Powers incident, all the way to Able Archer exercise confusion in 1983, which historians hold as the closest we have come to nuclear war since the mid-60s.

The Soviets and the Americans tried desperately to win the battle for hearts and minds by systematically engraining suspicion upon the motives of the other side. This led to a very frosty state of affairs until a more liberal Premier, Gorbachev, finally opened up his country and its people to the West. What followed was a vast and complex series of economic and political events. In many ways, the post-Cold War thawing of relations between the East and West depended on the relationship between Ronald Reagan and Gorbachev, and subsequently Boris Yeltsin and other Western leaders. Likewise, the relationships between the two countries currently depends on how open the presidents of each state are to one another.

35

Current Affairs

?

In the modern day, it has sometimes felt as though the

UN. With this in mind, perhaps the approach of Reagan

Cold War never ended. In 2003 the Russian government

and Gorbachev bringing their countries together

blamed the US for anti-government revolts in Georgia

through a mutual personal relationship is the way to go.

and small uprisings in Ukraine. This led to heightened

In this Romeo and Juliet scenario, it could be that

diplomatic tensions just after 9/11 when the US needed

Trump and Putin have the personalities to set the

as many allies as possible, and was looking to build

ground work for a more progressive relationship

up relationships wherever possible. Disagreements

between the two countries.

between NATO and Russia have been common over troop positioning, economic sanctions, and military

Valentine’s day is all about relationships and anyone will

exercises, but had never reached Cold War level until

tell you that relationships are built upon respect and

relatively recently. In the last few years, President

communication. Although Donald Trump and Vladimir

Obama and President Putin have regularly quarrelled

Putin have great lengths to go to be called anything

on the international stage, and diplomatic ties have

near progressive, their elections could mean that the

thus deteriorated. Feeling backed into a corner, Russia

relationship between their countries could be drastically

has responded to the breakdown of diplomacy by

improved. Obviously, two countries run by enigmatic

giving sanctuary to Snowden, invading eastern Ukraine,

men is not a good thing, but if they communicate

positioned troops along NATO borders and taken

effectively the next generations of each will be able

measures to bolster Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad.

to influence one another towards progressive ideals.

Meanwhile, the US has accused Russian espionage of

Nations can learn a lot from one another if they

being at almost Cold War levels, intercepted multiple

communicate, and in years to come, we could see

Russian military aircraft and openly condemned their

dialogue lead to great things between the once great

track record on LGBT rights.

enemies of East and West.

For right or for wrong, the two countries are completely opposed on ideological lines and under Putin and Obama, and there is little to no hope of defrosting these tensions without the intervention of a third party like the

36

DUSA Housing Accreditation Scheme What are the benefits for tenants?

Confidence that your landlord is professional and reputable.

Assurance that the Accreditation Scheme Code of Standards will be followed and maintained by all accredited landlords.

Information regarding your rights and responsibilities as a tenant.

Provision of a Tenancy Handbook for all students.

If any issues do arise you can be satisfied that you can contact DUSA.

Which local landlords and letting agencies are currently accredited?

The Hub Easy Lets AKG Property West One Properties Jamal Property World Grant Property Prodigy Living

Dundee Student Lets Rent Flats Dundee Premier Property Management Prime Student Living Westport Property Whitehall Properties Let Me UK (Sunrise Properties)

Contact ADVICE@dusa.co.uk or visit the Hive on Level 4 of DUSA the Union

Enterprise

Say It With Chocolate After being taxed with the task of linking enterprise to the theme of love I thought to myself, what synonymises love? Well flowers and chocolate of course! With the latter being my personal favourite, I interviewed one of Scotland’s Queens of Chocolate: Gillian Warden, Founder and owner of “In House Chocolates by Design”; a boutique, high quality chocolatier based in the small town of Castle Douglas in the South-West of Scotland where all of the chocolates are made.

Gillian started her business in 2003 at a cost of £7000 and since then the business has gone from strength to strength with an online platform, wholesale deals and their high street shop in Castle Douglas. When I had a chance to pose a few questions to Gillian here is what she had to say.

38

Enterprise

Why did you decide to go into the chocolate industry?

What does Valentine’s Day mean to In House Chocolates?

“I have always had a love for chocolate and being

“Valentine’s Day is very important to In House

able to use my design background, I felt it was a great

Chocolates and a busy time too for chocolate orders.

medium to work in. I was also able to use my design

Last year we used Valentine’s Day as a great marketing

skills in the packaging and branding of my company.

tool to reach out to our customers. Using social media

Saving money through using my skills ‘In House’ was a

we asked customers and Facebook followers to send

great advantage when starting out.”

a message to loved ones and we then used these in a window display. The hearts were then used for a

What’s special about In House Chocolate by Design?

competition either for a box of chocolates or, if anyone

“We feel we are special as we truly make all our

was getting married, wedding favours for their future

products by hand, we use no machinery. And when we

wedding. It worked really well and we had a great

have a client that is looking for a one-off product or a

response. We did something similar for Mothers Day

small amount, we are able to supply from 1-10000+.”

but it was photos of mothers with messages.”

An order of 267000 chocolate brussel sprouts were What is the key to running a successful boutique chocolatiers?

‘Our customers are getting a real experience compared regularly to typical French chocolatiers or the well-known film Chocolat.’

“Introducing new products regularly and letting customers try them to get market research. This is a big advantage as we have the marketing research on our doorstep. Using the best ingredients, never substituting for cheap ingredients, we find our customers will pay for quality and this has been proven with the increase of customers through the door year

made by In House Chocolates in 2015, proving they can

on year. I did not realise for a small town how many

cater to all customers big or small. This unique aspect

chocoholics there were.”

of creating bespoke chocolates of almost any quantity can be highly beneficial.

Finally and perhaps most importantly: Dark, milk or

Gillian said, “Customers do not have to tie up money

white chocolate- what’s your favourite?

in purchasing large amounts.” She then went further

“It used to be white before I became a chocolatier, but

into explaining the special nature of the chocolatiers.

tastes change. Milk is my favourite now but I do enjoy

“We produce all our products in-house at our retail

dark chocolate with certain fillings.”

premises, and with the added extra of having a small coffee shop, customers are getting a real experience compared regularly to French chocolatiers or the well-

A huge thank you to Gillian for doing this interview

known film Chocolat.”

and if you want to check out a bit more about In House Chocolates by Design why not go to their Facebook

Say it with flowers or say it with chocolate?

page @InHouseChocolates

“I’m of course going to say chocolate but we do actually have a flower shop we supply

David White

locally with the counter and branding so they can have the best of both worlds.”

39

£

£

Enterprise

£

£

£

£

T

£

The Love Business

he stereotype of ‘love’ is a huge concept that businesses capitalise on to the max. Valentine’s Day

alone costs us Brits over £1 billion every year, with one report by Ladbrokes stating it at closer to £2 billion.

Whatever the figure, all surveys show a year on year increase from 2013, with the market more than doubling in size since then. All of this, despite the fact that over

£

half of people report to it being an over commercialised waste of money. Why then, do we continue?

It seems slightly bemusing, but whatever the case

it’s a huge market and the entrepreneurs are cashing in on it.

that one of last year’s finalists ran a novelty goods business and in the final he featured a love heart ice-cream scoop in his advert and business pitch. I admit I have my

£

For our Apprentice viewers, you may remember

“Valentine’s Day alone costs us Brits over £1 billion every year”

reservations over how well it would actually work but despite this, the Apprentice candidate was onto something.

The novelty Valentines gift market is a rapidly growing industry in Britain, which is perhaps explained by the fact many find it a cheesy and over basic profiles to

£

40

£

£

£

£

Enterprise

£

£

£

£

complex “love algorithms”, some such as “Match” even

Enterprise is about capturing people’s thoughts, emo-

going as far as providing cooking classes and other real

tions and desires and persuading them that what

world match making activities as an extra service. The

you sell fulfils them - so what better a target than love?

industry is estimated to turnover £170 million in the UK

Marketing effectively creates our stereotypical image

alone, each year. With such a large market place, over

of what a cute couple is; it also persuades you they can

10% of the entire nation’s population, it is a market ripe

give you that. Valentine’s Day is the figurehead of this

to be capitalised on.

decades-long marketing campaign culminating and

£

a day that for some reason we have been led to think

The most successful online dating companies appeal to their specific target market. While many play to the idea of meeting the love of your life, others such as “Tinder”

is the day of the year we should show our affections towards our partners. Does that mean we should now take the rest of the year off? Regardless of my thoughts

play off of their image of casual, and largely young,

on Valentine’s Day, both it and the whole modern image

relationships. Some agencies choose to look to create

of love is a gold mine for entrepreneurs. From providing

£

a more sophisticated and quality feel to online dating,

the perfect gift that allows you to display your love, to

for example Elite Singles for those of wealth and power;

helping you find that love in the first place; the “love

even the Mensa ran dating site for those with an IQ

business” is big business.

over 98. However, with the national average IQ being 100

David White

it could be argued it isn’t so much a niche website as

£

they may have you believe. These more ‘luxury’ agencies may be one of the reasons that the rate of people seeing online dating as ‘an act of desperation’ has reduced by 1/3 since 2005.

41

£

Voting closes

02/Mar

Voting open on MyDundee

9am 28/Feb - 5pm 02/Mar

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Technology

Instagram likes

Right swipes From a holistic point of view, social media serves to

young people begin to socialise, converse and form

satisfy our inherent want for attention. The users are akin

relationships. The availability and proliferation of

to a peacock, ruffling its colourful feathers to attract the

information on a potential partner allows people to

gaze of those they’re attracted to. Timeline after timeline

communicate openly and see how an individual

reveals an exhibition of social prowess, how culturally

chooses to represent themselves on a public forum.

adept they are and the causes they’re passionate about.

Despite being castigated for doing so, publicising

You’re selling yourself, perhaps not intentionally, but it

our lives and relationships makes us safer and

is the end result. No photo goes on Instagram that you

hopefully – in the long run – happier.

don’t think will attain likes and no tweet is sent that you don’t think will resonate on some level. Some platforms

It’s not that there are far more happy relationships,

ensure that the sales pitch is discrete, whilst others – like

rather, there are far fewer unhappy ones. Data from the

Tinder or Bumble – are forthright and put it centre stage.

Office for National Statistics1 has shown falling rates of domestic and sexual violence across the board in the last

An entirely new etiquette has been established in the

20 years, suggesting a change in relationship dynamic.

last 10 years since the use of social media became

Funnily enough, the last 20 is when we migrated much

routine. Don’t get me wrong, I love it, it’s fascinating to

of our information and socialising online. Imbuing a level

see how each person (including myself) markets their

of transparency that undoubtedly helped foster happy

life, their looks, or their relationship. I mean, how many

relationships and avoid unhappy ones. Though not

times have you seen horrifically rehearsed squad photos

completely extinct, the days of suffering helplessly in a

or pictures of gifts with the caption: “he/she did well”.

miserable relationship are less prevalent than in the past.

‘young people and their need for ‘instant gratification’’ People echo each other in what often seems like a

No matter what you hear about young people and their

competition to be validated. Each trying to show that

need for ‘instant gratification’, know that long lasting,

they have it just as good, if not better than those around

meaningful, relationships are more prevalent than

them and that they – or their relationship – are to be

ever before. People can see beyond who’s liking who’s

desired. It seems much of what people share is not with

pictures on Instagram and disregard chatter permeating

the intention of imparting value or knowledge, rather

their social circle. The modern relationship is often

they seek only to create a desirable persona.

mocked, but it will surely grow to be revered and desired over time.

This fuels the platitudes you hear from generations

Hugh Stevenson

prior about how they had to approach one another and couldn’t hide behind a screen, which seems to portray our generation as feeble or soft. This mindset understates the value added by social media to how

1

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/ crimeandjustice/compendium/focusonviolentcrimeand sexualoffences/yearendingmarch2015/bulletintablesfocus onviolentcrimeandsexualoffencesyearendingmarch2015

43

Technology

"I'm sure you've heard of ;) xxx

T

echnology has a place in every part of our

I started a discussion on Twitter about this: is VR

lives but we often forget the role it plays in our

pornography the future, or is it a little weird? My

love lives. Not too long ago, the conventional

favourite response came from a friend of mine (who

way of meeting people would be whilst out with friends

inspired the name of this article): “I’m sure you’ve heard

and being introduced through someone. Not anymore.

of Rule 34… Right?” The idea that if something exists,

With the rise of dating apps such as Tinder, Grindr, and

there will be pornography made about it... Because we’re

Happn, you're no longer restricted to those within the

all different and we like different things.

outer reaches of your friend circles: the world is your ocean and it's full of fish!

And because ‘weird’ tends to become popular through general curiosity, soon it’ll become the norm. At least

The way people explore their sexuality has also changed,

after a lot of publicity, some criticism, and maybe even

you can now use virtual reality to bring your wildest

people ‘just trying it for a laugh’. Fifty Shades of Grey

fantasies to life. And no, it’s not weird, it’s unlimited

experienced exactly this: because anything to do with

potential! We even saw some previews at last year’s

sexuality automatically becomes controversial and

Sundance Film Festival.

risqué. The start-ups in the business know this and

44

Technology

aren’t scared to push boundaries.

wrong. When done correctly

The world of virtual reality is

Various companies hire out adult

however, the final product can be

growing. It’s the closest most

film actresses for their VR sWhoots

incredibly life-like.

people can get to a lucid dream. In the meantime however, we’ll just

- and since VR can be made live, sometimes the shoots are tailored

But what about the feel of VR? The

have to keep dreaming of a

to individuals, using various

Oculus Touch and HTC Vive both

perfect virtual future.

add-on gadgets for men and

use controllers which allow users to

women alike, which help bring the

go beyond the standard audio-visual

experience to life.

experience of VR, and can even

Written by Mila Georgieva

bring your hands into the virtual One company made up of

world. Unfortunately there is no

University students in America

feedback, you can’t touch or hold

discussed their project online, where

anything in VR, everything feels the

their first test shoot took place in

same - it feels like a controller.

a dorm room! A few crazy stories later, and their idea took off. Their

Overall we seem to be a just a few

use of 360 degree cameras for the

years away from any truly human

shoots provided a wide range of

interaction through VR. This is

angles, making for a very immersive

something companies are paying

experience whilst wearing a virtual

millions for, and one way the

reality headset. But the behind-the-

pornography industry is

scenes work is not so glamorous.

growing, giving it a new

There’s usually either a 360 camera,

taste of potential which is

or a group of regular cameras in

quickly becoming more widespread.

Which also brings about even more

“The idea that if something exists, there will be pornography made about it...”

weird and wonderful gadgets such as “Fundawear” and “Kissenger”.

The former of which is a project

by Durex: foreplay underwear.

Controlled by a mobile app, this set of fancy pants provides the sensation of touch via sensors and receptors in the fabric. Kissenger

a circle, to enable to multi-angle views. (Apparently Go-Pros are great for this - what can’t we use Go-Pros for?) Angles are important too, distortion or pixelation can occur due to a bad angle - resulting in someone appearing cut in half if they lean too far one way, like a panoramic photo gone completely

by Lovotics on the other hand (which has absolutely nothing to do with American politics) is a kissing middle-man for long-distance couples: it replicates the kiss from one person to the other via the mini robot head… which is shaped like a pig (again, no political connotations).

45

Technology

Loving your computer

Computer being slow? Struggling to play a movie? Coursework taking longer than it needs to? Maybe it’s time for an upgrade.

Part I - RAM

Part III - Storage

The first thing people tend to upgrade is their RAM: this

These days if you don’t have a solid state drive (SSD)

is where all that romantic thinking is taking place. Ran-

instead of a hard drive, I urge you to get one! This

dom-Access Memory (RAM) is one of the fastest types

is where all of your cherished memories are stored.

of memory in a computer. It works by organising all the

Storage speeds were neglected for over a decade and

stuff you turn on most often so it can be more easily ac-

SSDs are becoming faster and more affordable each day.

cessed by the processor. Problems arise when the RAM

Your workloads will become a lot faster, your computer

is too small and gets full: forcing it to start putting lesser

will boot up in seconds and all applications will load up

used stuff back on the hard disk in virtual memory;

almost immediately. Whilst they are often smaller and

which is very slow. Imagine you need to make a split sec-

more expensive, they do tend to be a very worthwhile

ond decision whether to take your significant other to

investment. If you’re just looking for a bigger hard drive

the beach or on a picnic - you’ll need to consider more

you might want a 7200rpm drive as your primary and

factors than if only one of these scenarios presented

5200rpm drive as your secondary. Laptops just need to

itself. General rule of thumb these days is to have 8GB of

get 2.5” drives.

memory, but heavier multi-taskers might opt for 16GB. Part IV - OS Part II - Processor

If your computer is getting more sluggish, it might

The central processing unit (CPU) is the very heart of the

just be that your operating system is cluttered with all

computer. CPUs are relatively simple, in that you only

kinds of leftovers and junk from those movie nights and

have to click with the right socket in terms of compati-

adventures you had with your computer. In this case, the

bility. The CPU beats with every clock, and the more the

best thing to do might just be making a fresh install. This

merrier. Don’t worry, it can’t get a heart attack (most

process is made easy by the - simple to follow - instruc-

of the time). More cores are going to make things a lot

tions at every step. Despite this, remember to backup

smoother as well. Typically, laptop users can’t upgrade

those folders filled with lovey-dovey pictures and poems.

their CPU as it is soldered to the motherboard, so you’re stuck with what you have.

46

Erik Jeny

nting e R d e e p

S

date your way to a new ʈ m a t e ! d e at e Sp

m Friday 10th Feb ruary / Air Bar fro m 7p

Do you need to meet a suitable person to live with?

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Science

2017 AND THE FUTURE OF SCIENCE

Things getting warmer under President Trump. –

one exception, as the stars that are furthest away move at

President Trump has made his feelings on Climate

the same speed as the centermost ones. If current rules in

Change apparent, claiming that it is a “hoax”. This comes

physics were being followed these stars should be flying

after The American Association for the Advancement of

off into space. So scientists theorize that there must be

Science stated that denying its existence is like denying

something in place to account for the extra gravity - enter

gravity and a group of scientific bodies penned a letter

dark matter. There have been many theorized sources of

to the American congress about the importance of

dark matter and all of them have been discounted, except

recognizing and acting on climate change. President

for WIMPS (Weakly Interactive Massive Particles). Current

Trump’s choices for cabinet also reflect this as both

theories state that WIMPS form rings around galaxies and

the Head of the Environmental Protection Agency and

provide all the extra energy needed to hold the heavenly

Department of the Interior have a history with the fossil

bodies in orbit. But with 3 decades of research and no

fuel industry as well as having publicly denied any

positive results to show, some think that research into

concrete evidence of the existence of man-made change

dark matter should be coming to an end as we know

to the climate. A sentiment shared by the Head of the

more about what it isn’t than what it is.

Department of Energy, former presidential candidate Rick Perry. The next four years will be crucial in regards to the policies that will come into effect. With the USA being one of the largest contributors of Carbon Dioxide will any positive change be made? Forecasts look doubtful.

The next four years will be crucial in regards to the policies that will come into effect.

Dark matter. What is it? Does it exist? – Nobody knows…yet. However with over 30 years of investigation and billions of pounds in funding being expended, our

Fake news epidemic now spreading to medical

chances of finding out are looking unlikely. The concept

literature. – It can be argued that democracy cannot

of dark matter was theorized when it was observed that

function fairly without a well-informed and educated

stars appeared to move slower around the center point of

populace; making our news media extremely important

their galaxy the further away they were from the center

to the democratic process. For this reason, fake news is

- like the planets that orbit around our sun. This rule has

extremely dangerous. This effect is amplified in regards

48

Science

control and no longer poses a major threat.

to science. Journals are the single most important way to discriminate information to the scientific community at

•

The World Health Organization has declared

large. To have work published it must make it through a

Polio as eradicated, with only 7 cases this year.

rigorous process where it is questioned and criticized by

A disease which two generations ago was

a group of academic peers. This system exists to protect

responsible for the death and mutilation of countless children is now all but gone.

the reputation of science as the truth indeterminate.

But with the recent and very worrying trend of journals

•

In addition to this, Guinea Worm is going the same

seeming to not publish peer-reviewed literature but

way. Guinea Worm is an example of a Neglected

material that resembles real scientific research even

Tropical Diseases - a group of diseases that affect

though is not based in the realm of fact. They promote

roughly 1 billion people worldwide. NTD’s are

ideas like faith healing and homeotherapy as alternatives

responsible for crippling industrial development

to medical treatment in cases of severe and life

by causing a variety of different, horrible chronic

threatening diseases. They are very dangerous and could

problems to people living in the most remote

result in the unnecessary loss of life. They need to stop.

communities where medicine is not readily available. These include blindness, loss of limbs,

The redeeming qualities of 2016. – Between the

chronic pain and developmental disorders.

plethora of beloved stars dying unexpectedly, giant humanitarian crisis’ that have bene poorly dealt with by

All of these great milestones are the result of an

the appropriate authorities and global political upheaval,

unfathomably large effort by huge groups of people and

2016 has not been anyone’s favorite year but there is a

though the immediate increase in the quality of life for

bright side and here is why:

a huge percentage of the world population is brilliant,

•

Thanks to the brilliant work done by medical

the effect it will have in the world economy and the

researchers and various humanitarian group,

stabilization of the world’s poorest economies will be felt

2016 has had the lowest rate of child mortality in

for generations to come.

recorded history.

•

Ebola is gone, except for a few outbreaks. The

by James Russell

disease, which was able to claim the lives of over 11,000 people in Western Africa, is now under

49

Science

SEX & CHEMICALS #

+

+

?

THE SCIENCE OF L<3VE

+

50

%

#

?

Science

“I hate to break it you, but what people call ‘love’ is just

The biological and psychological processes are extremely

a chemical reaction that compels animals to breed. It

complex and under researched to form any true

hits hard…”

conclusions about love. But there are two chemicals you Rick and Morty (Rick Potion no#9)

should be aware of - Dopamine and Norepinephrine.

These two chemicals are responsible for the best and

Have you ever had that insanely overpowering feeling of

worst feelings in your life. They work by acting on a

being with someone with whom you share romantic love?

part of your mid brain known as the Ventral Tegmental

You know the feeling: stronger than anything you have

Area. This relates to the pleasure centers of the brain

ever felt before, excitement, heartbreak and fear. All of

which in turn create the racing heart and sexual arousal

which come hand in hand with being in love.

experienced by people in love. Dopamine is actually a precursor for norepinephrine, meaning it can actually

All of that is just a bunch of chemicals flowing through

form norepinephrine with some changes to its chemical

your brain. Chemicals that have been incorporated as

structure. Once again, the stimulation of the pleasure

part of your evolutionary line, as a driving force causing

centers of the brain by dopamine is similar to the

both you and your forbearers to have lots of sex so that

biochemical pathway of some narcotics. Love is addictive.

you can proliferate your genetic information and form strong social bonds within proto-primate communities.

Romantic, isn’t it?

Ke$ha had it right, love is like a drug. Romantic, isn’t it?

Saying that, this does mean you are an extremely lucky individual. You are part of an unbroken lineage of people who managed to copulate to produce you, a lineage that

Another interesting feature of your brain chemistry is

stretches back approximately 300 million years.

the presence of a neuromodulator called Oxytocin. It has been associated with commitment because of its effect

Love makes you an obsessive addict that may remain that way for the rest of your natural life

on mammalian brains in reinforcing social bonds. This neurochemical tends to be more present in mammals that mate for life, particularly voles. Its concentration in human brains remains something that is hotly contested.

The brains of people who suffer from obsessive Who or what should you thank for this? For the most part: chemicals. Particularly the ones in your brain but also partly the people who made you are to blame.

Ke$ha had it right, love is like a drug. More precisely,

compulsive disorder and those in love both show low levels of serotonin. This is thought to be responsible for the obsessive nature of infatuation suffered during the “puppy love” stage.

a class of drugs known as stimulants that work in the exact same way as the love chemicals. They do this by attacking the pleasure centers of the brain, causing a lowering of the threshold needed to fire the signal. This

The effects of these chemicals can be seen in the brain decades after “first contact”, with activity seen in brain of older couples who have been married for over 40 years.

will result in the perception of pleasure. Anytime during physical and sexual contact this can occur but also even just seeing the image of a loved one can trigger it. People experiencing this chemical reaction can have a higher threshold for pain and begin to ‘romanticize’

The diagnosis appears to be chronic. Love makes you an obsessive addict that may remain that way for the rest of your natural life and I personally feel there is something quite beautiful about that fact.

visual stimulation, such as seeing something that creates thoughts about the object of their love.

by James Russell

51

Community

CAN I FIND LOVE IN

DUNDEE? Within a city of around one hundred and fifty

whether you are looking for something casual or

thousand people and a statistic of around 20% of

something more serious, both are possible online

students meeting the love of their lives at university,

and offline in Dundee.

it’s likely you’ll find love during your time here in Dundee. For those of you who are unsure or who are

However, if this type of platform for relationships

looking for encouragement, we wrote this; our little

doesn’t float your boat, as the saying goes: stop

lover’s guide to romance in the city of Discovery!

looking for love and let love find you. If you throw yourself into a sport, a music group or a community

First off, we encourage you to read this with a pinch

project that you are passionate about, you are likely

of salt, if you aren’t doing so already. Love has so

to meet like-minded individuals that you will have

many meanings and connotations. Some people like,

plenty in common with and perhaps you’ll even

whilst others hate, its concept. It really depends on

connect with them on another level. Even if you

what you are looking for in a relationship.

don’t find the love of your life, you will definitely pick up some fantastic friends along the way.

For those looking for love, a bit of fun, or even just

52

an ego boost post-break up, online apps like Tinder

If you are looking for friendship, then there are

have the ability to give you any or all of the above

certainly plenty of ways to make friends in Dundee.

thanks to the twenty-first century technological

Whatever you are interested in, there will be a group

sphere we inhabit. Many laugh off Tinder as a one-

out there for it. If you like sports, whether intensive

stop shop for casual sex, but a surprising match and

or relaxed, best check out the ISE; there are so

I’m over two years into a relationship with the only

many sports clubs at the university, you will be hard

person I ever met from the app! Like we said, it really

pushed to decide which one to join! Fan of drinking

depends what you are looking for in a relationship,

tea or making cocktails? There are societies for these

Community

too. There are many benefits to this, as you are more

different tastes - just go out and see what you can

likely to meet people with similar interests to you.

find to suit you. One thing however that should be acknowledged is that for many of us who are

But what if I’m an introvert, you might ask? Despite perhaps not being very outgoing, there are many ways to connect to others, whether romantically or for friendship. By utilising apps like Bumble - a friend orientated Tinder-like app - you can find people who

millennial, we live in a world of instant gratification.

An annual rise in global meat production will cause severe problems.

are equally introverted. Equally, you could put your self out there; challenge yourself to get out of your

Most satisfaction comes from the Internet, instantly.

comfort zone and try something new. Open ocean

Love however is something that takes time to build

swimming at Broughty Ferry perhaps?

up. In many cases it is not instantaneous; and, if it doesn’t work out, then please don’t feel

Those in the LGBT+ community regularly organise

disheartened. Just take every step as a step forward.

get-togethers to meet people with similar

And if you are scared of regret, understand that life

experiences. Jennie from the Dundee Trans

is full of it. Just know that all you can be is you; and

Collective told us how over the years they have

you can be loved for that. To quote Kierkegaard:

arranged nights out for those in the trans

“The most common form of despair is not being who

community to socialise. “We regularly get together

you are.”

in pubs and clubs, but now and again we arrange walks, shopping and museum trips plus many more

If you have any love stories or experiences with

events.” She emphasised that these social events

romance in Dundee, then we would love to hear

allow for support as well as the development of

them. Feel free to send them either to our email or

many close relationships, giving people the

to message us on our Facebook. Our opinion section

opportunity to interact with other members from the

is just waiting for your interesting stories.

trans community they may not have had before.

If you are thinking of ideas for dates, then Dundee has a lot to offer in terms of romance. If you are

Hannah Perrie and Alastair Letch

thinking of going for a walk, then you have the Law or many different parks - Camper down, Baxter or Magdalen Green to name a few. Fancy a meal out?

There are hundreds of options catering to all

53

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Community

Kink Society Expose-d IT’S NOT FIFTY SHADES OF GREY. IT’S SO MUCH MORE.

55

Community

T

o many people, the expression

abnormality has been treated harshly

and acknowledgment of “fetish”

by society, we now fortunately live in

can be alarming, astounding and even

the 21st century where we are starting

arousing. However, contrary to popular

to become a more accepting culture.

opinion, kink communities are a lot

In the same sense that LGBTQ+ socie-

more intricate and diverse than you

ties are created and celebrated, so too

might think and they go beyond the

should the kink and fetish communi-

‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ cliché. Given that

ties, through educating and raising

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, we

awareness.

thought we’d explore the wonderful theme of kink and get in touch with

The kink society provides various

DUKS; Dundee University’s very own

workshops and activities, including:

kink community.

rope workshops, safety workshops, impact safety workshops, massage

“KINK AND FETISH-RELATED CONTENT IS OFTEN PERCEIVED AS A NOVELTY”

“I think our main goal is to create a safe

workshops, trans workshops (along-

space; as there are so many stigmas at-

side the LGBT Society), a polyamory

tached to kink,” the president of DUKS

seminar, burlesque nights and- most

said. The society itself is relatively

importantly - aftercare workshops.

young, starting around 2 years ago. It

All of the sessions are to help discern

was established for students in Dundee

areas of concern that people will have.

as the city lacks larger groups for

For instance, when discussing wax

students specifically. On top of that, the

play - a subcategory relating to BDSM

society seeks to educate people on the

- it’s important to only use paraffin

varying topics associated to kink.

candles as opposed to beeswax, which is usually far too hot to make

To many, kink and fetish related content

contact with skin.

is often perceived as a novelty, being the butt of many jokes. However, what’s

I found however that when discussing

worse perhaps is how people within the

mental health, there was a great level

kink community are so easily misunder-

of knowledge shown around the topic

stood or trivialised- being constantly

by the society members. When dis-

criticised and judged for having unique

cussing the importance of aftercare,

sexual interests. An article from the

there was a clear need to encourage

Guardian last year (Nichi Hodgson,

a safe space: “It is the responsibility

2015) discussed how misguided people

of the Dom (dominant) to provide for

are about fetishes and how a person

the welfare of the Sub (submissive), as

with a kink is not psychologically dis-

the Sub has trusted the Dom to do. It

turbed because of it.

is also the Dom’s responsibility after the scene to help the Sub to return to

Where in the past, sexual deviancy or

56

Community

‘Vanilla space.’ This entails providing both physical and emotional assurance to the Sub, until the Sub regains their sense of self, and is known as, ‘aftercare’.”

Subspace; the state of the Sub’s mind within a ‘play scene’ was a theme I was new to, prior to meeting with the society. A Subspace state is described as having a “euphoric” effect on the Sub, yet also potentially impairing the sub’s ability to rationally think. It’s within this state, that people are most susceptible to harm, as the person may or may not be aware of potential physical, mental or emotional abuse. Moreover, if a person has recently adopted the submissive role - whether in a BDSM or kink context - then they are even more at risk, as the feeling of subspace is unfamiliar. This creates an importance on the Dom (dominant) to look after the Sub for the benefit of their wellbeing and care.

“To instil an awareness of the boundaries between kink and abuse, and the importance of recognising said boundaries,” is critically important, and is also a main aim of the Society.

Where perhaps I assumed that the society would be centred on kink; focused specifically on the eccentric nature of sex, I now see a much clearer picture. While it is often simple, if not easy to picture sex as something concrete, this society presents the many intricacies of intimate, and kinky, relationships and how to appropriately manage situations as and when they occur.

The society itself gathers regularly for ‘munches’ (a low pressure, chill gathering to get food), which anyone can get hyped for whether a lover of food, kink or both equally. On top of that, the society has an ambition to develop, allowing for more workshops and trips (even to the torture gardens of Scotland).

If you are interested in getting involved, send an enquiry email to duks@dundee.ac.uk or find the DUKS Facebook page.

NICOLE HARRISON & ALASTAIR LETCH

57

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02/Mar

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9am 28/Feb - 5pm 02/Mar

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