The Relevant Issue
Editors’ Letters
What is relevant to me on a personal level? What is relevant on a global scale? Who defines what is ,and is not, relevant? These are all questions that I have asked myself when producing Issue Three: ‘The Relevant Issue’. As politics is a part of my degree, I think it is only natural that ‘Relevant’, to me, means current affairs and the latest breaking news story. But I think that it is important to consider how we as young people can stay relevant in a society that can often make us feel marginalised. I may be naive in believing that one singular voice can make a difference in the world around us today, but I equally believe that it is reductive to believe that you as an individual is completely powerless. When considering today’s political climate and the pressing ,and often scary, realities that we all have to face, a harsh reality has to be faced by young people: if you don’t speak against something, then you are for it. Complacency is addressed throughout this issue, alongside politics affairs and sustainability. We hope that you enjoy reading what we at The Orbital believes is ‘Relevant’ and subsequently question what ‘Relevant’ means to you!
Madeline Sidgwick- Editor-In-Chief
Evelyn Fernandez-Jarvis- Deputy Editor-In-Chief
What is relevant to you? I suppose this question could go in so many ways that are so hard to narrow down to a distinct list. This third issue took shape in an amazing way where all of our writers managed to look at a topic and make it relevant. In social media, politics, hobbies and much more, everyone has a list of things that make up what is the most relevant to them in their life. I believe for me this question came in two categories, sentimental relevancy and practical relevance. Whilst the sentimental part is pretty straightforward and is about family and loving relationships that we all need in our life. The second category was about the world around me, and how differently this takes shape for everyone, even for the people that are closest to us. To dictate what is the most relevant you have to have an opinion, as I looked through this issue it was refreshing to have so many varied opinions on different views from the ever-changing world. I guess the point I am trying to get across is as you read this issue, allow yourself to read others opinions and hopefully by the end you will have an opinion on these topics and recognise how valuable and ‘relevant’ it is to have and express an opinion.
1. Editors’ Letter
3. Editorial board - Contact Us NEWS
4. 21st Century Fascism
5. ‘A Doctor’s Oath, A Dictator’s Rule: The Making of Bashar Al-Assad’
6. “If we burn, you burn with us”
7. Ceasefire in Gaza
8. ‘Crawl Out Through the Fallout: What Would Happen in the Event of a Nuclear Strike on the UK? OPINION
9. The ‘I’m Just a Girl’ rhetoric
10. Should the Brits send Elon Musk to the Dusk?
11. ‘They’re eating their cats and dogs’: Why remembering the humanity in immigrants is more relevant, and urgent, than ever.
12. Remaining Relevant: The Quest for Connection and Acceptance CULTURE
13. Sleeper Hits: Or, the Lost Art of The Cult Classic
14. The Best Way to Crack an Egg
15. Babitz, Brats, and Bacchanalia
16. A Girly Guide to Art History: In Defence of Pinterest
18. BBC’s ‘The Hour’: Why You Should Watch and Learn
20. A Guide to Finding the Relevant Book For You
21. The Important Of Being Earnest and Swan Lake- The significance of sexuality in theatre LIFESTYLE
23. 2025: Ins, Outs and In-betweens
25. Going back to normal?
27. What’s Behind The Rise Of Celebrity Criminals? THE GREEN CORNER SPORT
29. Lacrosse in State Schools: in their own words.
31. Women’s Football between the lines: what my dissertation is teaching me about invisible history
32. From Euros to Education: How International Success is Driving Women’s Football at Royal Holloway
34. Help or Hinder? CREATIVE WRITING
35. There are scraps of paper watching me
36. Cadenza
38. how would i tell you DEAR DAVIDSON
39. Agony Aunt’s Response CROSSWORD
Editorial Board
Editor-In-Chief: Madeline Sidgwick
Deputy EIC: Evelyn Fernandez-Jarvis
Senior News Editor: Alex Robson
Associate News Editor: Sakeenah Waqas Butt
Senior Opinion Editor: Tahseenah Khatun
Associate Opinion Editor: Ella Hearn-Zhang
Senior Culture Editor: Ruby Day
Associate Culture Editor: Kiera Garcia
Senior Lifestyle Editor: Sophie Fairey
Senior Sport Editor: Issy Trapnell Hoyle
Associate Sport Editor: Harkomal Shoker
Senior Creative writing Editor: Aminah Rahman
Associate Creative Writing Editor: Ruby Saggers
Senior Agony Aunt: Ruby Caballero-Roff
Associate Agony Aunt: Keira McTernan
Head Illustrator: Isabelle McFarlane (Cover)
Deputy Illustrator: Lucy Griffiths
Want to get in contact?
You can email us orbital@royalholloway.su or message us on any of our social media accounts.
Alternatively, we have an anonymous contact form in our instagram bio @orbitalmagazine.
The views expressed within this magazine are not representative of Royal Holloway University of London, or Royal Holloway Student’s Union, or any author/editor except the invidividual who wrote the particular article.
In Fascism is a Lie, Hemingway wrote, “There is only one form of government that cannot produce good writers, and that system is fascism”. It stands for more than a political ideology: a tight-knit political allegory that is somewhat interchangeable with that of Orwell’s 1984, focusing solely on authoritarianism and the suppression of subjects and creatives within a state. Today, fascism shed much of the militaristic image most of us conjure. Instead, it thrives in the guise of populist, cultural rhetoric. Modern movements often manipulate democratic norms to their advantage, weaponising elections, judicial systems and media narratives to entrench such nonsensical power. So, what has history taught us about fascism, and why now, in our political climate, is it something to navigate? To understand such a question, one must confer with the distinct traits that are found in a fascist government:
-Weaponised Nationalism
-The death of Democracy, a concentration of power in the hands of the small elite.
-The marginalisation of opposing voices, often through the media.
-A narrative that fosters division, separating ethnic and societal groups.
Now, what is important to note is that in the modern world, no political party will label themselves as fascists to the media due
News
21st Century Fascism
By Alex Robson Senior News Editor
to its ties to fear and neo-Nazism. Its concept can often be disguised in clouds of patriotism, and so it is often difficult for one to distinguish their own political alignment under such a regime. Its multifaceted nature has somewhat swept throughout America and Europe in the last couple of years. Far-right parties, such as Reform in the UK, have gained popularity mainly through the medium of anti-immigration policies and undermining liberal values. As for the U.S., their situation grows ever more troubling; the rise of Trump has spotlighted themes of nationalism, militarism, and disdain for democratic norms, going as far as declaring that, as of 20th of January 2025, there are to be “only two genders from now on”. Now, without diving into whatever Elon Musk’s questionable hand movement may have been at the most recent political rally, it is clear that Trump is employing political power in a small elite, most of whom, like Musk, should be nowhere near it.
America’s political scene, now dominated by elitist white males, is becoming rapidly dangerous as most European media is somehow centred around the movements of the U.S. Something needs to change, that much is true, or the next era of politics will focus on fascist, patriotic and indeed, patriarchal policies, without many of a state’s subjects being aware of it. Modern-day fascism poses a troubling challenge as democracy continues to be bullied into a corner, it is now simultaneous-
ly a product of our times and a reminder of some of history’s darkest chapters. Like a shadow, it will continue to spread if its traits remain unbeknownst to us, it may possibly be even too late, as one who controls the media controls the world. However, if history has indeed taught us anything, it is the nature of humanity to crave freedom, and so perhaps fascism may fade away like a cowboy to the sunset, or maybe not. For those like us, not part of the ruling elite, it is certainly our duty to spread awareness of such regimes and reduce a government’s ability to suppress its subjects.
Foster different perspectives, we must, or perhaps, we ought to start ordering one another to have an Orwell novel in one hand, and crossed fingers in the other.
Illustration by Lucy Griffiths
‘A Doctor’s Oath, A Dictator’s Rule: The Making of Bashar Al-Assad’
The fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s 24year rule in Syria has led to widespread celebration in Damascus and in the homes of the Syrian diaspora. Following a 13-year civil war between Assad and opposition forces, the leader fled on the 8th of December 2024. Before his rule, Assad was on a shockingly different trajectory - an eye doctor in London. Before presidency, Bashar was described to be in the shadow of his extroverted older brother, Bassel Al-Assad, as people perceived Bashar as more reserved. Bashar graduated in 1988 from the University of Damascus with a degree in medicine. He then decided to pursue his residency at the Tishreen military hospital before he travelled to the UK to work. Despite his family’s involvement in politics, Bashar was not intending to follow in his father’s footsteps. Assad was ordered to return home when his father passed away and his older brother, who was meant to inherit the presidency, died in a car crash. The training ophthalmologist was consequently thrusted into the political sphere. Although this article focuses on Bashar Al-Assad’s authoritarian rule, it is important to note that Syria was already suffering under the tyrannical rule of his father, Hafez Al-Assad.
Hafez Al-Assad safeguarded his own authoritarian regime by setting up reporting lines across Syria, in other words building a police state full of espionage and clandestine operations. Bashar’s rise to presidency was almost inevitable as his father’s pervasive secret police were integral in bol-
By Sakeenah Waqas Butt Associate News Editor
stering the reign of the Assads. It was also very convenient that the Majilis al-Shaab, the Syrian parliament decreased the presidential age from 40 to 34, Bashar’s age.
With the young and well-educated Assad in power, there was a glimmer of hope for a more liberalised approach to his rule. Fresh into his role and in need to demonstrate a changing Syria to the west, Assad freed political prisoners and allowed for more open discourse. Measures were taken to encourage economic change such as the privatisation of state monopolies however, the elite who were involved with the regime benefitted the most. Syria’s GDP strengthened during the first few years of Bashar’s rule and the economy seemed to recover. However, poverty and unemployment grew significantly, heightening inequality amongst different social classes. Hopes of an improved state diminished as Assad’s government began to clamp down on those who expressed opposition to the state, resembling his father’s tyrannical tendencies.
In December 2010, the Arab Spring began with a series of protests in Tunisia, but this did not seem to frighten Assad as he believed that he could contain Syria. However, when protesters in Daraa were killed by state forces, similar demonstrations caught fire which transformed into a revolution. Civil war broke out which, according to the UN, created the world’s largest refugee crisis with millions of Syrians forced to flee.
Assad’s opposers were met with
brute force and belligerence. The regime conducted horrific and unlawful acts against its people.
The UN found that the Assad regime had used chemical weapons on civilian populations repeatedly, violating the medical ethics Assad once stood for and swore his oath under. Health-care workers found themselves criminalised and labelled as enemies of the state for providing medical care to those who were considered opponents of the regime. Public health was weaponised by the government with attacks being targeted on health-care infrastructure and medical staff killed from either torture or execution. Moreover, within Assad’s rhetoric, he weaponised his medical knowledge through dehumanising language such as equating opposition to pathogens that needed to be expunged.
On the 8th of December, Bashar was evacuated by Russian forces after the collapse of his authoritarian rule, with the Syrian rebel forces capturing the capital Damascus, after succeeding in their offensive in Idlib, Aleppo, Hama and Homs. Many families have been reunited, refugees returned, and political prisoners freed. Long live a liberated Syria.
“If we burn, you burn with us”
By Evelyn Fernandez-Jarvis Deputy Editor-in-Chief
LA has been burning now for nine consecutive days, accounting for twenty-seven deaths, with at least forty-seven lootings and twelve thousand structures destroyed in the fires’ wake. And yet when opening my social media, the most accounts about these ongoing fires is Gen Z lip-syncing to the all notorious and well known quote that came from the Hunger Games films.
“If we burn, you burn with us”
Is this okay? This quote is the statement that fuelled a fictional political rebellion, and yet generation Z are using it as a statement for the LA fires. One of the many beliefs that is circulating is that the rich and famous that live amongst Hollywood can fend for themselves. On the notion that they have millions to spend. It is clear that they are not labelled as people that are in need for help or even sympathy.
This political debate online is really fueled by people that are upset about the disparity between the rich and the poor, not believing that the rich are worthy of help. This animosity, to me at least, shows the critical rhetoric being spread about the ease in which the wealthy can overcome these tragic events, leaving the working class neglected.
We have already seen insurance firms intending to raise rates of insurance and increase the rates to recover homes that are lost during the blaze. I suppose this is okay for people that have enough money in the bank to simply just buy another property.
Many people are looking at the LA fires as a satire of revenge for the
toxic Hollywood culture that has been permeated for years, however is this appropriate with the loss of life that has been endured in these nine days. There is no doubt that the amount of money that many public figures have gained from Hollywood, can be overwhelming to comprehend, with many of us never even being able to earn half as much in our whole lifetime.
Coming to this distinct difference in reactions in accordance to the generations that the public were born in. Online, at least , generation Z have been found to make humorous videos in this time of crisis. Is this a coping mechanism response that we have created to not take into account the full severity of the situations that are presented before us? From talking about this with others in my generation, the consensus belief behind this was that all events that we have seen in our life so far have occurred without our input, thus we are not responsible for.
A lot of us now are turning into an age where we are becoming increasingly more aware of the issues that are happening around us. In the case of the war that is taking place between Israel and Palestine, there is a noticeable difference to put forward views about what generation Z believes in. The coverage from Paris Hilton’s house in LA burning down gained so much feedback by the media. And yet in this singular post we saw people asking about the destruction that was taking place in the middle east. Whilst I am not discounting the aftermath of the LA fires, the amount of destruction that has been happening for years and years in these countries is not spoken about, and seems to
be forgotten with many people in society.
The question is, are we as a generation picking and choosing what issues to speak about correctly? Surely if we have the right to talk about one issue, we now need to take a stand about talking about all issues. The answer is how exactly we are making ourselves heard and if what we are projecting is appropriate for us to be stating. With the generation that was introduced to social media as we were growing up, we can see how one post can circulate online within a matter of minutes. This means that there can be no room for mistakes online and if we decide to make a political statement that could be seen by millions of people, it needs to be backed up with evidence and not simply hate speech.
We see in this one singular event that we are taking a stance to make our voices more heard in our society, but in the case of the LA fires are we doing the right thing? Are the rest of our generation sitting at our screens and laughing along with the sound of “if we burn you, you burn with us” or are we scrolling past it because it is disrespectful?
I will let you decide Image Via Unsplash by Guido Jansen
Trigger Warning: Mentions of War and Violence
On January 15th 2025, news of a ceasefire deal being established between Hamas leaders and Israel flooded media outlets across the globe. The UK foreign secretary David Lammy was quick to issue a statement, in which he labelled the agreement ‘a moment of hope after over a year of agony, following Hamas’s appalling attack on 7 October 2023’. Yet, Israel has continued to bomb and kill Palestinian citizens in Gaza: WAFA suggests that 103 people have died in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since the ceasefire deal was announced, with a further 264 injured as of 17thJanuary. Twenty-seven of those casualties were children.
The conflict between Palestine and Israel extends much further back than 7thOctober 2023: Israel was made a state on 14th May 1948, with the support of both the British and American governments, following a civil war between the Arabs of Palestine and the Zionist colonizers. During this time, countless Palestinians were displaced from their homes. The Arab League supported Palestinians’ right to the land that had now officially become the state of Israel. Still, despite the wars that have plagued the Middle East for the greater part of the last century, no adequate peace settlement was able to be agreed upon. October 7th marked the culmination of
‘Ceasefire in Gaza’
By Isobel Carnochan Staff Writer
these historic tensions. On 7th October 2023, Hamas – a Palestinian nationalist group - launched a large-scale attack on Israel that killed 1,195 people. Israel retaliated by invading the Gaza Strip and killing tens of thousands of people. In a study reported in the Lancet Medical Journal, it is estimated that 64,260 Palestinians had been killed in Gaza as of the end of June 2024, with countless more since. That is approximately fifty three times more than the original number of Israelis killed by Hamas in the October 7th attack.
The first stage of the ceasefire agreement is expected to come into place on Sunday 19thJanuary 2025, after ratification on 17th January by Israel’s security cabinet. This agreement would see the beginning of hostages on both sides being returned, Israeli troops pulling out of Gaza, and humanitarian aid being allowed to enter Gaza. After sixteen days, stage two would become implemented with a return of all hostages and 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. According to the BBC, any Palestinian prisoners convicted of murder by Israel ‘would not be released into the occupied West Bank’. The final stage of the ceasefire would supposedly see the reconstruction of Gaza – a process that will take years.
Currently, as of January 17th, both sides are planning on proceeding with the ceasefire agreement. This
comes after the further 103 Palestinians were killed with 246 injured by the Israeli military since reports of the ceasefire agreement began to circulate on Wednesday. Benjamin Netanyahu also delayed a cabinet vote that was supposed to take place on the 16thJanuary with the intention of accepting the ceasefire agreement, claiming that Hamas was trying to impose last minute changes to the deal. But, as of the 17thJanuary, Hamas has issued a statement saying that the issue has been resolved and the ceasefire deal is set to go ahead, and Israel’s security cabinet has ratified the deal.
Still, humanitarian aid will struggle to access certain parts of Gaza due to destroyed infrastructure blocking access. The people of Gaza will continue to die from the elements and untreated injuries, following the fifteen months of homes and hospitals being destroyed by Israeli airstrikes. According to the World Bank, 64% of the population of Gaza was in poverty in mid-2023 – before the October 7th attack even took place. Evidently, this ceasefire agreement will not be enough to bring peace to Gaza; it is only the first step, and most definitely cannot be the whole solution.
‘Crawl Out Through the Fallout’: What Would Happen in the Event of a Nuclear Strike on the UK?
By Tobias Fraser Staff Writer
As a nation in possession of nuclear weapons, and a signatory of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, the United Kingdom is a prime target in the event of nuclear war. Russia’s war in Ukraine and rising global tensions has led to the largest global threat of nuclear attacks since the Cold War.So, what would happen if Russia launched a nuclear strike on the UK? For the sake of this hypothetical, let’s imagine Russia launched Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) instead of its bomber planes or submarines.
Russia launches multiple ICBMs at the UK, targeted at its major cities and military bases. This launch would almost immediately be detected by British radar systems at RAF Fylingdales, the UK’s early warning radar base. Approximately, 20 minutes remain before the UK is hit. Once detected, Fylingdales would report to Government Communication Headquarters (GCHQ) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD). The MOD would ensure that this is a genuine attack and contact 10 Downing Street to inform the Prime Minister.
To ensure this, intelligence from MI6 and other NATO nations would be needed, though this would most likely already have been confirmed as soon as the missiles were launched. The Prime Minister then gives the final heads up for a counterattack. Meanwhile across the UK, all TVs and smartphones would switch to an emergency broadcast urging people to seek shelter immediately. Very few nuclear shelters still exist following the end of the Cold War. If we assume that such shelters exist in
secret, then these will be reserved for the government and military personnel.
10 minutes now remain, and the UK would launch a counterattack.
The UK’s nuclear weapons consist of four ballistic missile submarines operated by the Royal Navy, the ‘Vanguard class’, more commonly referred to as ‘Trident’. Each Trident warhead has the ability to wipe out a city the size of Liverpool.
GCHQ is the only authority capable of contacting Trident at sea, and would send an emergency launch order from the PM. The captain of the submarine would receive a fax with the orders printed out and then give the command to fire the warheads. The submarine would perform an emergency dive to launch depth and then would launch her missiles, wiping out over 160 Russian cities and military sites.
Speaking realistically, the UK will have already been hit before the British submarine could launch her missiles; the process from receiving the order to launching aboard a submarine is strenuous. This is irrelevant for the crew as they are in a classified location and can fire missiles up to 4,000 miles away from the target.
Every new Prime Minister’s first job is to decide what a nuclear submarine will do after launch if the British government is disabled. This consists of a written note aboard and contains one of three options: scuttle the submarine (suicide), bequeath command to an allied nation (if there are any left) or surrender to the enemy. We’ll never know what Keir Starmer picked upon taking office in May 2024, but I can be certain this
would’ve been one of the hardest of his initial tasks.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many commentators believe we have entered a ‘new Cold War’. Tensions between the West and East have never been higher since the fall of the Soviet Union, though the main Eastern leader now appears to be China. Putin’s invasion has, if anything, shown the world that Russia’s military is nowhere near the standard it was thought to be, with the Russian army having to use refurbished tanks from the Second World War. Thus, a second Cold War is more likely to be between NATO and Beijing rather than Moscow.
While the world is currently described as a ‘powder keg’ in terms of foreign affairs, nuclear war shouldn’t be something to worry about. All nations in possession of nuclear weapons adopt a policy of ‘mutually assured destruction’, meaning if you fire your missiles at me, I’ll fire my missiles at you. Were Putin mad enough to open fire, he’d be assuring the destruction of himself and his nation. This is also why more funding has been allocated to our nuclear deterrent. In around 10 years, our Vanguard class of nuclear submarines, which have been operating since the 1990s, will have been phased out and replaced with brand new, state-of-the-art submarines known as the ‘Dreadnought class’. These are bigger, faster and more powerful than their predecessors and will ensure the safety of Britain from nuclear attack. Without Trident, we’re sitting ducks in a uranium-fuelled pond.
Opinion
The ‘I’m just a girl’ rhetoric
By Anna Boyce Staff Writer
At my old retail job, I commonly used the phrase ‘I’m just a girl’ when making little mistakes or doing tasks I did not want to do. In response to my lazy use of the phrase, one of my coworkers would always respond with ‘you’re not just a girl’. At the time I would brush it off and think oh Nina, you silly woman, you don’t understand what I mean, as the all-knowing and righteous sixteen-year-old I was. But upon the rise of trends in which ‘hot girls don’t know how to do such and such’, ‘girl math’ and ‘girl dinner’, I realised how right Nina was.
At first these phrases seem funny with the relatable struggles in driving or maths but on hearing them again it hurts a little. Are we reinforcing the harmful gender stereotypes that we sought so hard to destroy? By implying that women struggle in tasks where men supposedly exceed, we are helping build up this rhetoric in which we are less than men. Especially with social media, comments like these are too harmful to be trendy. I know that when I was 11, I would not have had access to TikTok or Instagram, but now, young girls are able to access these platforms with ease.
I can’t help but think of phrases you would hear as a child, such as ‘throwing like a girl’. These bring about a patriarchal view of men and women that has been plaguing us for so long. And its resurgence is not something I, and many people, want to see. This simple and funny little phrase will soon root its way in young girls’ heads as
did the phrases of our youth and encourage thoughts of not being as capable as boys. Psychologists have even discovered that the use of the phrase ‘throw like a girl’ can elicit effects that lead to poor performance in sports and other activities; thus, confirming the stereotype. And since the rise of social media has elicited strangers to comment on things they never would have before, the young women of today will not be able to escape the comments as easily as I could.
And not to mention the rise of ‘girl dinner’ which seems to me, to be a way to show off how little some women eat thus creating an expectation for so many women. The trend shows women putting together a ‘meal’ consisting of snacks or of a very small amount of food because that’s just what girls eat. As Nina would say, you are not just a girl, you are a woman. It is so unhealthy and not to mention damaging, to not eat a balanced diet or simply enough calories. Further it enforces this idea of undereating and fad dieting to young women who use these social media apps. All of this is disguised under the excuse of a funny joke. I do not think that phrases such as ‘girl dinner’ are funny, helpful, or going as far as to say appropriate. They reinforce the ‘nothing as good as skinny feels’ idea upon the world. most harmful to young women who are just doing as those older than them do.
By self-objectifying, we are cushioning ourselves for failure, but even by thinking and saying it,
the phrase is made truthful by poor performance. Furthermore, the built-in misogyny that is sewn into society may contribute to many women’s fears of either being better than men, as we are pressured to be dutiful and weaker.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a funny little joke about how hard it is to drive or do maths, because I do struggle in such aspects. But I do not think applying them to all women is good for anyone, nor is the reasoning behind the struggle being oh because we are just girls. We are not just girls; we are women who are beyond the stereotypes that are set out for us. You and the women around you are much more than the butt of a ‘bad at maths’ joke or ‘bad at driving’ comment. We should not normalise reinforcing these roles that have been set out for us because we are so much more and deserve so much more. So next time you come across a funny comment about women, stop and think how it is portraying and pigeonholing those around you.
Image Via Unsplash by Sam McNamara
Should the Brits send Elon Musk into the Dusk?
By Nikita Athwal Staff Writer
It is no secret that tech billionaire Elon Musk has a heavy involvement in US politics and his upcoming leadership role of the ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ for President Trump’s administration but now the billionaire from across the pond has decided to insert himself into British politics.
Now the current political climate in Britain certainly leaves room for outsiders to pick apart leaders, which is exactly what the billionaire has been doing on his social media platform X, previously known as Twitter. Musk’s recent tweet, of which takes a vulgar manner, accused the British Prime Minister of being ‘complicit into the rape of Britain’. Following on from tweets towards the PM, Musk has been caught in hot water by attacking Jess Phillips by describing the MP as a ‘rape genocide apologist’. Now all these accusations stem from a delicate scandal in Britain from over ten years ago and Musk has made these clearly abusive statements that poke holes at the UK government’s integrity.
Due to the toxic political discourse
that penetrates social media, a tweet from a man who has been categorised as ‘the world’s richest man’ is extremely dangerous and for most of us it adds to how increasingly difficult it is to filter through what we read on social media platforms. It is also threatening because a man like that has an immense level of supporters and when he starts to promote pattern of individuals joining and acting directly on his words.
To attack and question the leader of Britain and fellow MPs indescribably opens the floodgates for citizens of the UK to hop on the bandwagon with hating on those in charge of their country. Not only has Musk been attacking leaders on his platform, but he has also scarily been idolising the far-right which after the riots we saw in the summer is walking on a very thin layer of ice.
Now this brings up the longdebated topic as to whether public figures should have any influence or say in political matters at all despite them having no mandate to do so and certainly not foreign public figures that use their financial status to favour their
political agenda.
The British public certainly have taken a distaste for Musk’s words as seven out of ten British people say they have ‘an unfavourable view of Mr Musk’ which a recent YouGov poll reflects. It seems the British have caught wind of his distasteful nature and that his tactics are to slip in through fragmented cracks, push a little and watch everything crash to the ground. When Musk chooses a country, specifically the UK to do this to it paints a picture of a weak country and gives other external figures the opportunity to take advantage of this which could end in extremely rough international circumstances for Britain.
The British public may not agree upon Mr Starmer’s handling of affairs but the public can certainly agree on ignoring an overseas billionaire who may have wriggled his way into Trump’s inner circle but he is certainly not welcome amongst the British people. So now it is over to British Parliament to send Musk into the twilight.
‘They’re eating their cats and dogs’: Why remembering the humanity in immigrants is more relevant, and urgent, than ever.
By
Ahh, the 2020s. So far an era of unprecedented pandemics, graphic global wars and crippling economic downfalls. Oh, and of immigrants. Namely individuals seeking improved standards of living in a new location on this shared planet. Their lives are none of our business, you might say. But, somehow, these individuals have become nothing but business, becoming one of the top concerns for people in the UK and around the world. Bizarrely, the ‘solution’ against them is, for many governments, a priority above economies, health, and wars.
Immigration is a contentious topic but there are always reasons behind why people choose to become immigrants. For many people, what disturbs them is that people are ‘illegally’ immigrating, with many entering the UK via ‘small boats’ across the English Channel. However, there are sparse legal routes to enter the UK and make an asylum claim. If you were short of pocket and fleeing persecution, then the bright promises of the smuggling gangs who operate such ‘small boats’ seems a lifesaver. Plus, more than 90% of people claiming asylum in the UK were granted refugee status in the year ending September 2024. So, in the end, most ‘illegal immigrants’ aren’t ‘illegal’ after all. But why are they coming from safe countries like France, you may ask. Well, an Amnesty International report has revealed the intimidation tactics of French police forces against immigrants in France; with some urinating on their tents and others stealing
Tiara
Ekanayake Goonasinghe Staff Writer
immigrants’ clothes, their conduct understandably compels people to migrate into England.
The remnants of English colonialism is also a reason people choose to arrive in the UK. As British colonialism spread across the globe, so too did the English language, meaning it has since become the most widely spread language in the world with an estimated 1.52 billion speakers. Also, after the Second World War, the Government openly encouraged immigration from colonised continents under the British Nationality Act 1948 to help repair war-torn Britain and support the new National Health Service (NHS); migration to the UK is a choice that exists largely due to the actions of the UK itself.
However, general misconceptions about immigration have allowed politicians to use migrants to their advantage. Take the vow to ‘Stop the Boats’, a key legacy of Rishi Sunak’s short time in office (though not as short as Liz Truss’ lettuce days). At that time, the UK was faced with the worst inflation in decades: energy prices were torturous to look at, working families were suddenly dependent on foodbanks, and many of us even refused to use heating to avoid its insurmountable cost. Yet the main thing the Government rambled on about in 2023 was immigration. The [migrant] invasion on the Southern coast, stop the boats, send them to Rwanda: everything seemed like plans against an alien landing. All this rhetoric makes people forget about the financial
insecurities the Government has failed to solve. It’s easy for them to use immigrants to mop up the blame for the failures of their administration, particularly spikes in crime and inflation. As many political commentators agree, immigration has simply become a tool used by politicians to make us feel less worse off than we are.
The more politicians use immigration to their advantage, the more crucial it becomes for us to remember immigrants are nothing more, nothing less, than people. Think back to Sunak’s floating immigration barge, that hardly anyone remembers, off the Dover coast. Not only claustrophobic, but teeming with Legionella bacteria; the place was evacuated for fear it’d turn into a death camp. And yet nobody batted an eyelid. What about Nigel Farage’s promise to ‘deport all illegal migrants’: a Reform UK pledge that even neo-Nazi Mark Collett thinks is more far-right than the British Nationalist Party’s, and one that English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson finds attractive. And still, Reform UK (a very new party) received more votes than the Liberal Democrats in the 2024 General Election. Nobody cares about Farage’s links to fascism, a fascination which started at an early age (he was reported by his teachers for enthusiastically singing Hitler Youth campaign songs). And now Trump, a man who used to sleep with a book of Hitler’s speeches by his bed. ‘They’re murderers…they’re from mental institutions…they’re eating their cats and dogs…animals…
worse than Hanibal Lecter.’ His lies are often greeted by immense applause at Republican rallies and events in scenes reminiscent to Hitler stirring up his radical crowds to scapegoat the Jews. Whilst Trump doesn’t seem set to slaughter immigrants, neither did Hitler, who only initially planned to deport Jews to places including Madagascar.
The point is, it’s no exaggeration to say that people in power can get away with murder once immigrants have their humanity flushed
out of them. Reports emerging from the Mediterranean have revealed the harrowing conduct of the Greek coastguard towards people coming to Greece for asylum. At least 43 people are alleged to have died at the hands of the coastguard according to the BBC, often by being launched back into the sea on a dinghy to be left stranded in the ocean, or even by coastguard officers pushing individual immigrants into the water and watching them beg for mercy until their pleading hands sinks
down with the rest of their bodies. Regardless of your political views, your ideas on land borders and your thoughts on immigration, surely, as a member of this shared planet, this incident alone must make you question what humanity has become, whether the virtue of humanity is something we still even have, in this increasingly dark 21st Century. Behind all the political phrases and pledges are people, and that’s something we should all be very aware of.
Remaining Relevant: The Quest for Connection and Acceptance
By Zahraa Ahmar Staff Writer
I was scrolling on social media, as one does, and within a few minutes several ads popped up for the latest magic concealer, a shirt that will transform my body, and an all-natural, all-organic supplement that will improve gut health. This is probably something that you’ve experienced too. In a world where there is a constant bombardment of ads for the newest makeup, ontrend clothing and supplements that are “guaranteed” to fix your problems, there is little space to question why we are so consumed by purchasing the most relevant product. Apps like TikTok have heavily influenced this desire, or rather, addiction. With the extremely personalised ‘For you’ page on Tiktok comes ads catered to you and your needs.
This is not necessarily always badin some cases, people find ways to express themselves more authentically by discovering a product that compliments their complexion or a clothing brand that is more inclusive of their body type. However, more often than not, companies are pushing products that do not work, nor are made well under
the guise of being the consumers’ saving grace. We’ve all seen the rise and fall of the trending green smoothies advertised by every influencer under the sun.
This clever marketing tactic is highly manipulative, particularly influencing younger audiences, who are more susceptible to harmful misinformation. Most people have been victims of self-criticism induced by the media - myself included. It is hard not to be when there is always a stage of perfection you are not reaching, wanting to purchase the newest product in hopes that it will cure a specific insecurity. Yet, by purchasing said product, we subconsciously believe that we will look a certain way in hopes of becoming more likeable or attractive. This is a futile cycle as shortly after, another product will be advertised as life-changing, leaving the consumer in a spiral of insecurities and endless purchases.
This cycle doesn’t just affect our appearance, it also affects our conversations. I think this took me a bit longer to recognise because
it’s not as physical as purchasing a product. A dialogue about a subject will circulate online and will become relevant. Oftentimes, there is a massive issue with how quickly and widely false information is circulated. However, we continue taking notice of these dialogues and interacting with them in an attempt to remain in ‘the now’- to remain relevant, using these subjects to communicate and connect with one another online and in person. These acts aren’t as simple as indulging in hyper-consumerism and being addicted to social media. We all know that with the digital age comes an increase in isolation. It has become our reality and unplugging from it is difficult so this is, albeit unsustainable, a way of attempting to restore some form of connection that our parents so passionately reminisce on. With a world that divides us in every way possible, being on trend with makeup, clothes and even discussion topics allows us to form connections with one another bridging the gap between differences. This is not to say that hyper-consumerism isn’t extreme-
ly harmful to us and the environment; there are steps we need to take to lessen the effect like using our products till they run out or investing in clothing made sustainably and ethically.
On a deeper level, the desire to remain relevant is really a quest for connection and acceptance. If we
pay closer attention to the reasons behind our purchases we may notice that we long for a feeling rather than the product itself. The feeling of being included within a community and a conversation. When we find ourselves spiraling in the trap that is hyper-consumerism we need to take a breath and ask ourselves: ‘Is this a product
that I will utilise often or is this an unchallenging way of connecting with others?’. More often than not it is the latter. With tolerance, time and effort the possibility of restoring a sense of connection with one another will become a reality.
Culture Sleeper Hits: Or, the Lost Art of The Cult Classic
By Ruby Day Senior Culture Editor
Cult Classic: noun
“A work of fiction that is extremely popular with a select audience but may or may not be successful at the time of the work’s original publication.”
Some of the best films I’ve ever seen are ‘sleeper hits’. Pieces of media that, on release, weren’t commercially profitable, but have garnered fascination and devotion in successive years. At the heart of a cult classic is unconventionality in its purest form; subcultural, hyper-specific, often anti-establishment concepts brought to life on the big screen. Other key features of the sleeper hit include distinctive aesthetic styles that dedicated fan bases emulate and relate to, original storytelling that can admittedly lead to misinterpretations, and ‘iconic’ characters and dialogue. Often produced on a low budget, the kind-of-tacky charm that many cult classics generate have also become essential. The sleeper hit is a genre of film that fascinates and entertains in ways that polished, overly marketed blockbusters do not. As brave exposures of humanity, their integrity is preserved through commercial obscurity.
And now, I want to know where the cult classic has gone.
The modern film industry seems incapable of fostering an environment that allows such films to exist. I can reel off countless critics in recent years that praise a film for “becoming an instant cult classic”, which, to my mind, is a paradoxical statement. In an industry where independent production companies like A24 are becoming serious players at the box office, the kind of film that once would have taken years to gain any sort of attention are the centres of conversations and Letterboxd reviews. In some ways this is a good thing, the ‘indie film’ is now more likely to be acknowledged for its brilliance where it might have once passed people by.
Maybe I’m an elitist, mourning the loss of some kind of intangible authenticity that comes from belated recognition. There is, however, a sense of the artificial in some of these productions. To put it harshly, they feel like the tryhards of cinema. It is consequently important to distinguish between the phenomenon and the cult clas-
sic; current studios are desperate to produce a global spectacle in ways that affect genuine freedom of expression, or “art for art’s sake”.
Yes, many elements of the sleeper hit are present in the indie film scene of today, however, a conceptual shift has occurred. Exploration of subversive themes, simply for the sake of it, no longer feels like the heart of these films. Instead, shopping around for the next big thing motivates many production companies into manufacturing a ‘quirky’ film catering to a specific audience that, thanks to the internet, will certainly be reached the first time around. The cult classic of old had an unstudied nuance to it. Modern films, on the whole, struggle with balancing a plot that means both everything and nothing at all.
For example, the 1987 horror/parody film and bona fide cult classic, The Lost Boys, has buckets of interpretable material. On the surface, it’s an 80s vampire film full of leather and big hair and sweaty California-ness, and if you want, that’s how it can stay. Or, you could watch it to death as
I have, and see the true horror of never growing up, of being stuck in perpetual, freakish adolescence. How getting older can feel an awful lot like changing beyond recognition. You can notice the importance of centralising the people who have always been important to you, for fear of losing them as a consequence of your transforming worldviews. What seems like unbearably worthy and soul-searching content is expressed through a gang of teenage vampires going on killing sprees in the fictional town of Santa Carla. This is what makes The Lost Boys a true cult classic, and what I’m missing from today’s cinemas.
I’m looking for the kind of film you have a hard time distinguishing from dreams. One that no one else seems to remember, but affected you profoundly. A film like Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, with
its cast of puppets, the set design choice of ‘more glitter’, and the occasional song from David Bowie in leggings; a film that, on paper, is completely mental and made for no reason other than, ‘why not?’. Yes, outlandish artistic choices may alienate many viewers, but it’s a risk worth taking to create those few genuine connections with specific people.
A common critique of today’s film industry takes issue with the isolation of modern consumer practices, with most new releases watched alone, off a streaming service, rather than in a communal cinema experience. These ‘instant cult classics’ cater specifically to those lonely viewers en masse, commercialising the unconventional in an attempt to be meaningful instantaneously. This scrubs unconventionality clean of its very definition, which prompts
the question of whether the cult classic could ever exist again.
There will be many ways in which I’m wrong—countless films are released almost daily, and I’m sure I’ve never heard of countless more. Perhaps in 20 years’ time, I will look back and be pleasantly surprised at the number of sleeper hits created when I was young. Here’s to hoping that time will tell, and we remember the lost art of the cult classic sooner, rather than later.
Image via Unsplash by Noom Peerapong
The Best Way to Crack an Egg
By Kiera Garcia Associate Culture Editor
*Spoilers Ahead*
Back in October, I had the opportunity to see an advanced screening of We Live In Time at the London Film Festival and since then I have been unable to stop telling people to see it.
We Live In Time follows the lives of Almut and Tobias, two 30-something year-old Londoners, as they navigate the ups and downs of their relationships together, specifically as Almut is diagnosed with Ovarian cancer. The story is told non-chronologically, jumping between the early stages of their relationship and what could be considered the present day, where Almut is struggling between her diagnosis and wanting
to still do things that matter to her in the time she has left.
The film gives you the feeling that you have been dropped into life beside them as they navigate the challenges that come along in ordinary life. It is not a story of wondrous adventure or high stakes action, but one of understanding and appreciation for the human condition and the want to be remembered. One of the ways that it does this is by allowing the film to be funny and playful, while still acknowledging the difficulties that come with a diagnosis. Much of the film is not about Almut’s diagnosis and instead about the memories that carry forward, such as their
first date, the birth of their daughter, and their everyday life in London.
The scene that has stuck in my mind since the first time I saw this film is when Almut forgets to pick up their daughter from nursery school. She has been busy training for the Bocuse d’Or, an international cooking competition, something she has been hiding from both Tobias and her doctors. Tobias gets angry at her knowing that her participation and the stress that comes with this contest could be the deciding factor in her survival. It is here that Almut delivers a beautiful, but frustrated monologue filled with grief for the
time she has left and the way she wishes to be remembered when she is gone. She says that she does not just want to be remembered as someone’s dead mum. She wants to be remembered for her accomplishments and her passions, not for wasting away in hospital.
The film also abides by Almut’s wishes as it does not show the viewer the end of her life nor does it focus on her sickness as the defining factor around her. There is no scene in a hospital bed and there is no funeral shown. Almut participates in the Bocuse d’Or, gaining some sort
of peace once she is finished. Although it isn’t explicitly stated in the film, this is likely one of the last days of Almut’s life, and she has managed to accomplish the one thing she felt she needed to do before she passes away. The film refuses to pigeonhole Almut as a patient or someone who is suffering, instead focusing on all of the fantastic years of her life she had with Tobias and the memory of her that carries on.
It goes to show that, yes, the large accomplishments of a person’s life are remembered but it is the small things that endure beyond them. Towards the beginning of the film
Almut shows Tobias ‘the best way to crack an egg’, a scene that is then replicated at the end of the film with Tobias and Ella after Almut has passed. She is remembered for her accomplishments as she wished to be, but she is also remembered through the everyday things that persist within in her family’s life.
The movie deals with death as something that is not some large, unnameable thing, but an eventual experience we will all go through. Not an end, but a step in life, for as long as memories live on those who are no longer with us will too.
Babitz, Brats, and Bacchanalia
By Isobel Carnochan Staff Writer
This winter marked three years since the death of Eve Babitz, and for me, consisted of my nose being buried in Slow Days, Fast Company: The World, the Flesh, and L.A. Whilst the cold winter air and dreary green monotony of the English countryside lay just beyond the window of my childhood bedroom, my mind and my soul were preoccupied with the blistering heat of 1970s L.A.
Eve Babitz, the ultimate ‘It Girl’ of 70s L.A. and inspiration to L.A. Woman by The Doors, did not receive much attention for her literary work within the active years of her career. Yet, the past fifteen years have seen a resurgence in the popularity of her work; this may be due to the persistence of journalist Lili Anolik. After a freak accident in 1997 left third degree burns over half of Babitz’ body, the libertine life-of-the-party turned into a withdrawn and reaction-
ary recluse practically overnight. Lili Anolik, however, eventually became one of the very few people trusted by Babitz and subsequently released a biography entitled ‘Hollywood’s Eve’, a play on the title of Babitz’s own work ‘Eve’s Hollywood’, depicting the life and legacy of Babitz, guiding her into the pop culture zeitgeist where she always belonged.
Slow Days, Fast Company is not the only work of Babitz’ that I’ve read, but is arguably her best. Written in a desperate attempt to get a narcissistic and elusive lover to read her work, it details ten anecdotes from Babitz’ life. From vineyard getaways, drunken nights spent dancing with mysterious men, and three-day benders in the Chateau Marmont, Eve Babitz depicts a life of revelry and freedom in almost bacchanalian proportions. Glitz and glamour are laced in every other page, heartbreak
and nihilism in the ones between. But, above all else, there is one thing Babitz is concerned with: fun.
Unlike her contemporary Joan Didion, known for her precision and mastery of literary skill, Babitz was free in every sense of the word. And, as a result, sometimes sloppy. She throws so many names at you throughout the course of the book that by the end I couldn’t remember if Mary was the cocaine sniffing socialite or the agoraphobic wife to one of LA’s wealthiest lawyers (after a quick skim, I can confirm that the latter was called Nikki: Mary was, indeed, one of Babitz’s bender buddies). Ultimately, though, it adds to her charm. Encountering name after name and story after story is somewhat reminiscent of wandering through the rooms of a house party in which you were a plus one, losing your friend and
the only tie to your ordinary life along the way. You can’t help but get lost in the revelry.
It pains me that Eve Babitz is not an even bigger name than she already is, and I’m convinced that the masses would be as captivated by her works as I have been. After all, with Charli xcx’s dominance over both the music billboards and our lives last summer, with her groundbreaking album brat and all its reiterations, its apparent that we’re making a cultural shift from the idealization of the clean girl to something more authentic and messier. With Babitz, fun is to be found in the messiness of life.
I think that the coup against the clean girl is something we’re all craving more with each passing day, and to me Babitz is part of the answer to that problem. She is, perhaps, one of the most artistically relevant authors for our generation even fifty years after her works were written.
Illustration By Lucy Griffiths
A Girly Guide to Art History: In Defence of Pinterest
By Rhian Kille Staff Writer
One thing about me is that I love going into an art gallery, seeing a painting from the 1890s by a mentally ill Norwegian man, and saying to my friend: ‘that’s sooo girl-coded!’ For some of you there is no convincing needed (the photo dumps look lovely by the way) but for others I think it’s so easy, when approaching ‘fine’ art or art history, to worry that you just don’t ‘get’ it. A similar mystique exists around poetry – these artistic mediums have gained a reputation for being inaccessible and pretentious. Especially since there is often a financial cost to galleries making this intangible barrier, well, tangible.
People don’t look for fine art outside of galleries because the spaces seem elevated and impenetrable. The physical isolation associated with fine art puts the separation from daily life in people’s minds – this is product of
the ‘art world’ being notoriously steeped in elitism. This makes it difficult to feel at home among this kind of art, or to worry you haven’t got anything smart to say. It is important to remember that there is nothing to ‘get’. It’s a trap to think otherwise.
It’s easy to see traditional mediums like painting and sculpture as having fallen out of modern life, replaced by technology and its accompanying forms of media, from TV to TikTok. I’d like to talk about the ways technology can actually increase access to traditional art and work in tandem with it, rather than existing purely as opposition. I’m going to take you through 5 of my favourite artists and their paintings as a place to start if you are looking to learn more, from someone who also doesn’t know very much.
In the 21st century, we have
access to years of art history, as well as contemporary work, so learning about any of it can be overwhelming. Everything is submerged in historical context or placards explaining artist’s intentions that are difficult to keep up with. So I don’t. Not all of the time anyway. My favourite way to approach art is instinctual, I look for something that I understand or something I really don’t, a look in a portraits eye or the pure romance of lovers clinging to each other. It’s self-involved. I shamelessly walk through galleries using paintings as windows to reflect on parts of my own life as well as obviously taking the opportunity to learn about the experiences of others. Thinking big thoughts comes secondary to connecting to a piece of work, in whatever small way that is. We live amongst an abundance of art, and this allows us the luxury of zoning in on what we are interested in and what makes us feel any small
something. If you needed permission from someone to go to a gallery and stare at the one painting you like, here it is. Here are 5 artists and their paintings I love to get you started (my apologies, my love of oil paint and self-portraits really shines through - I have a type).
Edvard Munch:
I’m sure you’ve seen ‘The Scream’ (1893) but Munch’s life’s work fills a whole 13 floor museum in Oslo, dedicated solely to him, that I was lucky enough to visit. I fell in love with his paintings of lovers and his awe-inspiring ceiling tall landscapes. I love Munch’s ‘Love and Pain’ (1895) and ‘The Sun‘(1909). Or if you like ‘The Scream’ I’d recommend the unsettling ‘Anxiety’ (1894).
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec:
If after Munch you’re looking for more poignance and melancholia, Toulouse-Lautrec offers an illustrative and Parisian artistic variety. He made posters for the 19th century Moulin Rouge and his depictions of theatrical Paris are contrasted with his more intimate, quiet portraits; most famously ‘In Bed’ (1892). ‘In Bed The Kiss’(1892) is its twin. His isolation and loneliness, a craving for human connection, colours his work.
Frida Kahlo:
You know her, you love her. She’s that girl. Unsure where to start with Kahlo? I would point you towards: ‘The Two Fridas’ (1939), ‘the Broken Column’ (1944) and ‘A Few Small Nips’ (1935). In the last she processes her husband Diego’s affair with her sister, depicting Diego standing over her having
stabbed her (TW: blood) – and I think we can all say, she’s so real for that. Frida Kahlo is the definition of ‘just a girl’.
Camila Salinas:
If you like self-portraiture, search for @caamileon on TikTok. A contemporary oil painter with large social media following, Salinas is currently 20 years old and attending art school. She makes photo realistic oil paintings with very light surrealist elements. She often paints several co-existing versions of her “self” divided into different forms. My favourite of hers is Lucky Number Four’ (2024) which shows four versions of the artist as she breaks into a smile.
Monica Sjöö
My final pick is a wildcard, if you want something weirder. I saw an exhibition on Sjöö’s cosmic femininity in Oxford’s Museum of Modern Art last year. Sjöö was an eco-feminist active in the 1970s women’s liberation movement. Some of her paintings portray a divine feminine connection with the natural world, as she was a pioneer of the Goddess movement, and others depict rage at women’s role in society. Her painting ‘Housewives’ (1975) has the same rageful emotion as Paris Paloma’s viral song ‘Labour’ and ‘Mother Earth in Pain, Her Trees Cut Down, Her Seas Polluted’ (1996) speaks so perfectly to climate panic and panic that it may as well have been painted yesterday.
it beyond repetitive trips to my single local gallery-museum (I love you always National Museum Cardiff). Naturally, I looked to my phone, and to the magical wonderful app that is Pinterest – every English student’s mothership and an application I’m sure you’re all intimately familiar with. I filled my feed up with the couple paintings I knew of and liked (essentially establishing nothing more than my preferred colour palette) and let the algorithm do the rest. From there I only found more things that reflected more of my emotions and tastes back at me. I then made an A3 collage which are now like aesthetic time capsules of when I made them. Another learning opportunity the internet gives us comes from art accounts on social media that spotlight different artists, painters, sculptors, performance artists, living or dead, niche or world-famous, and specific works of theirs. The one I follow is @theartrevival_, my favourite account on Instagram, and probably my most worthwhile follow.
Recently, to fuel my growing interest in art history, I have been trying to find ways to increase my exposure to it; I craved more opportunities to interact with
These things let me keep contemporary fine art and art history relevant and accessible through modern technology, lowering stakes and allowing for more simple and playful engagement instead of displacement. If you’re a creative person who prefers another form of art, maybe music, film or theatre, I’d implore you to look for art that gives you that same feeling. Or if you already have your favourites, have a conversation with a friend and trade back and forth, it’s a gift, one that can allow you to learn more about someone in a really special way. I love that one person can make art about something so specific, and someone else will be able to
see their reflection perfectly in it, maybe in a different way entirely.
This has been my case for filling up your life with art. While it certainly can be that deep, it certainly doesn’t have to be, and any engagement with the art that we are truly so lucky to have is better than none.
(Top Left) Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Le Lit (In Bed) (1892)
(Bottom Left) Edvard Munch, Love and Pain (1895)
BBC’s ‘The Hour’: Why You Should Watch and Learn
By Madeline Sidgwick Editor-in-Chief
‘The Hour’ is one of those TV series that has you intrigued immediately; combining a Russian spy mystery, romance, and the impeccable aesthetic of journalism in the 1950s.The shows two seasons revolve around a fictional current affairs program, The Hour, at the BBC in the 1950s-60s. Journalists aspiring for more, Bel (Romola Garai) and Freddie (Ben Whishaw) work with the smooth talking Hector Madden (Domonic West) to expose alleged government corruption and, as they argue, essential censorship that the BBC is under at the hands of government. The show also follows the mystery of a professor stabbed on the London Underground, but I will allow you to watch the series for yourself to find out where that leads.
Despite facing negative reviews for being slow paced or incomplete in plot, ‘The Hour’ presents the traditional trajectories of the struggles of being a woman in a male dom-
inated field, or the feeling that you cannot express your opinion on an issue because of the social group or institution that you belong to. In addition to being easy on the eye, the two seasons of the show introduces audiences to the pressing current affairs issues of the time period: the 1956 Suez Crisis, The Hungarian Revolution and the rise of the far right and race riots in the 1960s. In making the series historical in these aspects, although not always accurate, ‘The Hour’ also makes clear to audiences social issues that are still relevant today. Thus, I argue that the BBC’s ‘The Hour’ is more than a television series that revolves around a fictional current affairs programme; it raises questions on have we really developed as a society as much as we think since the 1950s.
When relating the 50s to 2025, it is important to think about how much we REALLY know about government actions,specifically
from a media perspective. Take the role and rise of Elon Musk as a political figure in the past year; the richest man in the world suddenly gains a voice over political discourse, and this voice seems to be becoming more omnipresent by the day. The role of ‘X’ as media platform plays a significant role in Musk being capable of controlling political conversation. Returning to ‘The Hour’, Freddie fights to have the Ruth Elms case, that is tainted by suspected Soviet involvement. In a dramatic episode 6 monologue Freddie attempts to uncover government corruption before being taken off air. The issue of media control has therefore not been left in the 1950s, or isolated in only ‘un-democratic’ countries, it is an issue that affects us all in 2025—specifically X users.
This example of symmetry can be extended to the race riots that arose out of far-right populism in the 1905s. Reflecting on the
(Above) Frida Kahlo, The Two Friends (1939)
race riots that occurred in summer 2024, it cannot be denied that the shock factor far-right discourse perpetuates has, regrettably, remained timeless. In the hour, Freddie invites a supporter of the British Union of Fascists (BUF) onto the program in an attempt to put such ideas under media scrutiny when coming from a member of the public rather than an established political leader. Throughout last summer, an amalgamation of voices were put on display and analyzed by journalists and the
public. However, the modern world has succumbed to isolationism, especially in the media. Specific voices and ideas are heard in specific areas, often where they will receive the most views or support or even cause the largest media storm. This issue becomes apparent throughout the television show, when ‘The Hour’ falls victim to censorship at the hands of corporate schemes.
Despite revolving around a fictional current affairs program, ‘The Hour’ very much so ad-
dresses issues that are relevant today. So, whether ‘The Hour’ is your next Netflix binge or not, I encourage you to pay attention to the media you consume, how relevant it is, and how it relates to the world that exists outside of your screens.
Illustration by Lucy Griffiths
A Guide to Finding the Relevant Book For You
By Jessica L. Smith Staff Writer
Choosing the right book to read can be hard. Really hard. I’ve been an avid reader since I was a little kid, so you’d have thought it would get easier picking my next read, but often that is not the case. It can feel overwhelming, and like there’s too many books to read, and not enough time. So, how do you find the relevant book for you?
To start simply, you have to read what you like, which relies on genre. Finding a book that appeals to you largely depends on the genres you’re interested in. This can be impacted by your current situation. Maybe you want to forget your reality and become engulfed in a fantasy. Maybe you’re feeling passionate about something and want to read a collection of non-fiction essays. Maybe you’re craving a feel-good romance that will have you kicking your feet and smiling at the page. The problem can be the wide variety of book genres, which makes it overwhelming finding the right book for you.
Maybe then, we need specific methods of finding a relevant book. One way could be asking a friend for recommendations. An old friend once lent me their copy of ‘Jane Eyre’ right before we finished a year at secondary school for summer break, which swept me up into a whole summer of reading and re-reading Brontë’s life-changing novel. I cannot thank my friend enough for that recommendation. Yet, from personal experience, friends aren’t always the best in giving recommendations. Sometimes the best book that your friend has ever read will not be the best book
that you will ever read. It perhaps, then, works best if you and your friend are into the same genres.
Now, we have to talk about it. ‘Book-Tok’. For me, I seem to have spent so much time mindlessly scrolling that I have curated the perfect ‘For You Page’ where like-minded people talk about the kind of books that I love to read, which has become a brilliant way of finding books relevant to me. Take Eve Babitz’s work, for example. Without ‘Book-Tok’, I might not have her dreamy books sitting proudly on my bookshelves after devouring them all. Maybe I would have stumbled upon her work eventually, but ‘Book-Tok’ sped up that process. Whilst I won’t name and shame some of the books that have become popular on ‘Book-Tok’, albeit controversially to give the platform its mixed reviews, there are some brilliant creators recommending brilliant books on there for you to get your hands on.
It might sound a little absurd, but publishing companies can also be a great way of finding a relevant book. You might want to collect all the special editions of books that they publish, like the beautiful Penguin clothbound classics. Or, you might look to some independent publishers, who have a great selection of published books. Take the Fitzcarraldo Editions, who publish contemporary fiction and essays. Personally, I am obsessed with their editions. I know, don’t judge a book by its’ cover, but this is a publishing company who just gets it. The aesthetic simplicity of their blue and white covers is perfect. Their relatively small col-
lection of published books thus far is a great curated list to get your hands on, such as their collection of Annie Ernaux’s work, or the popular novels of authors like Olga Tokarczuk, who was recently included in singer Dua Lipa’s monthly book club. Fitzcarraldo Editions also offer subscriptions, in which you receive a set amount of their new publications throughout the year, which is a great way to discover new titles and authors.
Both Ernaux and Tokarczuk are Nobel Prize winning authors. This raises the question of whether we should look to the award system to find relevant books to read. Whilst critical opinion isn’t the be all and end all, if a book has an award, it is bound to be an interesting read. The Booker Prize Award, which has been around since 1969 to celebrate contemporary fiction, is one I personally love. The 2024 Booker Prize was awarded to Samantha Harvey’s ‘Orbital’, and whilst I am yet to read this (with it currently being sat on my overwhelmingly huge to-be-read shelf), Harvey’s writing is said to be beautiful. Back in 2019, I was captivated by the joint Booker Prize winners of Margaret Atwood, for ‘The Testaments’, and Bernadine Evaristo, for ‘Girl, Woman, Other’. The judges couldn’t decide on one winner, so both authors were awarded the prize. I read both of these novels and loved them, so perhaps the award system is a good way to find some relevant and captivating books.
We seem to be finding lots of ways to find curated lists of relevant books to read. Another place to
find these is through bookshop’s curated tables. These range from tables of classic fiction, romance, popular contemporary, or even ‘books we pretend that we’ve read’. Unless I’m after something specific, I find that I often spend most of my time in bookshops browsing these tables, mentally adding books to my to-be-read list, or excitedly picking books up and telling my friend (who isn’t bothered) that I’ve read it before. These tables can make it easier to
dive into a bookshop and pick out a good read, instead of becoming lost in a sea of books.
If you’re in education, ask your teachers or professors for recommendations! They’re bound to have an endless list of recommendations like the curated bookshop tables, particularly if they specialise in literature. If you don’t want to ask them personally, check your course reading list for extra recommendations alongside the
set texts. One of my teachers got me into Virginia Woolf, naming ‘The Waves’ as one of her favourite books of all time, which I am now inclined to agree with.
There’s a plethora of routes and ways to find relevant books to read. It’s all about finding the right way for you. Once you find it, you’ll never be lost choosing your next read again.
The Importance Of Being Earnest and Swan Lake- The significance of sexuality in theatre
By Verity Stow Staff Writer
There is nothing more relevant than the discussions of sexuality taking place within society today. I will review Max Webster’s production of Oscar Wilde’s Importance of Being Earnest and Bourne’s Swan Lake to showcase how theatre is embracing ideas of sexuality. I will ask the question, can productions like these change people’s opinions of the LGBTQ+ community?
To say that Max Webster’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest is flamboyant would be an understatement. The astounding Ncuti Gatwa, possessing without doubt the best stage presence I have ever seen, opens the play sparkling in a shocking pink dress, showcasing boxers and a garter. A colourful and gender-fluid opening dance prepares the audience for a joyful production, coupling modernity with Wilde’s timeless sharp wit.
Having seen Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands I knew to expect a captivating and contemporary interpretation of the Swan Lake story, but it surpassed expectation. It ended as the best performances do, with holding back tears and a standing ovation. Mostly from me. The music and choreography were perfection. Bourne’s adaptation centres around the emotional turmoil of a prince whose dreams are haunted by images of mesmerising and terrifying swans. All male and contrasting that of the feminine ballerinas that used to accompany Tchaikovsky’s music. In a moment of despair at a lakeside, he is captivated by these very same swans, who spurn him at first, until he is accepted by their leader.
Neither production shies away from, well, simply put, queerness. The Importance of Being Earnest includes an ad-lib about Algernon’s post being that of a London
gay club. Later the search for the army lists spell out, in perhaps too forced a manner in this case, the letters G-A-Y. Although the play is superficially centered around the pursuit of women, its farcical nature makes room for this ad-lib, and the queer interpretation in no way feels forced or out of place. The breaking of the fourth wall, and indeed even such modern liberties as the brief inclusion of James Blunt, fail to feel incongruous.
Before the interval of Swan Lake, the audience sees the prince in a pas de deux with the lead swan, who cradles him as he surrenders with deep vulnerability, accepted by this profound new love.
An open and inclusive theatrical landscape today could lead one to believe that here in England, we live in a socially progressive environment. I admit that I
myself have made that mistake. But would you believe me if I told you that many people I have met at university are religious and think that acting on being gay is sinful? It’s true. Many activists have argued for inclusivity within their religion, but others don’t feel this inclusion to be natural when met with their own personal religious viewpoint. There is no complete and unified approach to the LGBTQ+ community. It seems that social progress does not align with the beliefs of the individual, and gender-neutral bathrooms and rainbow flags feel worthless if you don’t feel accepted or understood by your peers.
So, is this kind of theatre changing anything? We cannot force people to think differently. To see their religions differently. But the world that these plays now exist in has changed, and their meaning and influence has changed with it. First airing in 1995, Bourne’s Swan Lake was released into a society reeling from the AIDS crisis and the homophobic discrimination it perpetuated. It was known as ‘the gay swan lake’ and many walked out of the production because of it. Bourne was told to tone down the performance when it went to Broadway and was hesitant about claiming it as a homosexual story. In a BBC culture article by Emma Jones he stated that he knew that the gay love story was there, and that the prince being ‘embraced by the swan’s wings was the heart of it,’ but stated ‘I was wary of going too far with it at the time, and thinking of everyone’s comfort.’
Now however, there is no repression of queer expression within the story, it is represented clearly and to an audience at a point where, according to Bourne, ‘it’s not seen as controversial anymore’ and he can ‘openly celebrate that.’ The audience knows that whilst the whimsical style of Webster’s production is in keeping with Wilde’s humour, it is still a unique and contemporary show. It feels as if justice is finally being done. Whilst so many productions can capture the genius of Wilde, this gives it the joy it deserves. The gayness it deserves. Its writer, who spent two years in prison for his sexuality, received his posthumous pardon, albeit only in 2017. But now his performances exist in a space where the queer is not covert but championed. It is both bringing the original text to life, and embracing queerness, that makes it the perfect homage. The truth is that people can think what they like. There will be some engaging with these productions because of the queer expression, but others for the script, acting and dance etc... But queerness is intrinsic to these contemporary theatrical interpretations, and the question we need to ask is do these shows exist with a political aim or are they just a reflection of the social consciousness. Do they exist to change people’s minds? Or because people’s minds have already changed?
Bourne’s Swan Lake is dark and unsettling. The prince ends up in an asylum, and dreaming, his swans return to him. They are
consumed by anger at the closeness of the prince and their leader and attack him. The lead saves him and embraces him, but in turmoil is later killed. The prince is overwhelmed by grief and collapses in bed. Soon after he is found dead. The ballet closes with a moment of stillness, where we see the prince in the swan’s embrace. This time however, it is in death. The connection, vulnerability, love, support, and despair, takes on a whole new depth. Centre stage and in darkness, this singular lasting image felt like it was demanding a recognition of this love as more important than anything else. I don’t know if theatre can change people’s opinions. Of course, for people to be able to see that joy and humour are enhanced by the expression of queerness, and to see a tragic story with love at its heart as something with inherent value, rather than a debate about the inclusion of the homosexual, would be instrumental in affecting how people understand and accept the LGBTQ+ community.
But perhaps all that theatre can do is do what it does best. Bring joy. It cannot be debated that what these two productions express and value is of social and political significance. But if they can’t change people’s minds, then perhaps they can at least represent the minds that have already changed and give a space to those that were marginalised. I hope for more. But for now, that’s pretty damn impressive.
Lifestyle
2025: Ins, Outs, and In-betweens
By Sophie Fairey Senior Lifestyle Editor
3… 2… 1… Happy New Year!
When the countdown chimes and the fireworks go up, we all embrace joy, love, excitement for the year ahead. We cheer, sing, dance, hug, kiss. It is a celebration of a year and the mark of a new one. While people around the world rejoiced for their achievements in 2024 and began striving for betterment in 2025, many, as they do every year, woke up tired and hungover on New Year’s Day, all plans of self-improvement and productivity postponed again.
This was me, too. I woke up at midday and had McDonalds for dinner. But it brought me joy, more so than waking up early and pretending to have the energy to be productive. If I had tried to write an essay or go to the gym with heavy eyes and a headache, it would have been pointless. Giving myself time to rest and recover, and setting out my goals and vision for the new year was, in the end, the more productive and kinder thing to do for myself.
Still, the frost and grey skies without the backdrop of Christmas lights is disheartening. No one is alone in feeling the weight of that. After the high of Christmas and New Year, January tends to fall flat. While it is a new start, it is also a cold, harsh reality check. Work starts back up, deadlines loom ahead, and the air is somehow even chillier. I found myself yearning for spring and summer, forgetting the darkest depths of winter still lay ahead. It is hard not
to wish half the year away when you’re fairly convinced that winter is meant for hibernating like hedgehogs. January at least admits that it is the worst month of the year. It’s February that always catches me out. It forces me into thinking pessimistically because I’ve always thought of it as the Tuesday of the year. You think the worst of it is over but the light at the end of the tunnel is not quite in sight yet. What I mean to say is, for those of us who thrive in the summer, starting a new year with a stretch of grey months can feel a little relentless.
But it doesn’t have to be that way! First of all, finding ways to romanticise the colder and darker parts of the year is so important when there aren’t festivities to fall back on. It doesn’t mean that you can’t still curl up with a hot chocolate and a book, or go for a frosty walk and feel the rosiness return to your cheeks. Why wait for summer to make a bucket list of fun plans with your friends? Why not dress up and go out, or stay in and bake cookies, host a cocktail night or a Harry Potter marathon? And if the short days and chilly air make you want to stay inside all day, I don’t see a problem with that every once in a while. I recommend getting a sunrise lamp or clock: it works wonders for brightening both your room and your mood. Just remember, these are the days for slowing down, savouring the quiet moments, appreciating time to ourselves, and taking the time to really tend to close connections with those around us.
Secondly, I think a key reason January comes with such a sting is that we can put too much pressure on New Year’s Resolutions, like somehow a new year is so much more than just another day, and is the only time, every 365 days, that you are allowed to make change and improvement in your life. With so much riding on it, it is incredibly difficult to stick to one big New Year’s Resolution, especially when you wake up on New Year’s Day and realise that it is not miraculously special. You are exactly the same person as the day before. I have been guilty in previous years of wanting to rebrand myself, but this is unrealistic and not beneficial to you or anyone. I’ve learnt it’s best to focus on learning more about yourself and doing the things you most honestly and genuinely want to do. I find that writing in a journal helps me to understand what I really think and feel and want.
I also love the idea of listing ‘Ins’ and ‘Outs’ for the year, however big or small. Instead of setting one goal and giving up after a month because it feels like a chore or instruction, it is so much more fun to curate the little things you can do to bring more happiness into your life. They don’t have to be momentous tasks, just things that you think are going to make you happier, and you don’t have to resign to a goal if your motivation wears thin, because you’ve just provided yourself with so many other things to live for. And you don’t have to do this at the start of a year, this is something you can
do whenever! Here are some my goals for 2025 taken straight from my notes app:
Ins:
- Keeping fresh flowers in my room
- Treasuring the quiet spare moments (journaling, baking, going to yoga and pilates classes, walking in nature, reading for fun)
- Setting boundaries
- Actually watching films that are recommended to me
- Beaches and sea swimming
- Earl grey and iced matcha
- Selling and donating old clothes
- Listening to new music
- Making plans with friends (dinner parties, walks, picnics, coffee dates)
Outs:
- People pleasing
- Comparison
- Screen time and doom scrolling
- Putting time and effort into people who drain you
- Overthinking and worrying about what other people think
- Procrastinating
- Fast fashion and microtrends
- Glass-half-empty mindset
- Cancelling plans when I feel anxious (9 times out of 10 it will not only be okay, but you will actually have a wonderful time)
Some things are simple, some might be ongoing for the rest of my life, many are easier said than done, but this year is not about how we can make ourselves better, it is about how we can make ourselves happier. That way, the things you want to do don’t feel like chores. And if, like me, you use Pinterest religiously whenever you want a little inspiration, then making a vision board also makes the new year feel exciting instead of daunting. You can see your poten-
By Ian Schneider
tial future right before you. Maybe it’s cute workout sets, places you want to visit, foods you want to try, cozy desk set-ups for studying, corporate outfits that you’re going to wear to your dream job, or hobbies you want to try. A collage of ambition to remind you what you want to work towards and what you’re passionate about.
Even saying this, January is, after all, a month just like any other, and there is no rule that says you have to set out visions, ambitions and goals. It can be fun and helpful to do so, but perhaps it can also be another form of pressure for productivity and betterment when January is already one of the hardest months of the year for many people.
Whatever difficulties we may face this year, no one is alone in it. It is important to remember the positives, all the things you have to look forward to (and to occasionally wallow with sad music and a lot of chocolate when needed). So, be kind, keep loved ones close, and fuel your body and mind with lovely things- here’s to 2025!
Image via Unsplash
Image via Unsplash
By Myriam Zilles
The Telegraph says that the nation is the happiest since pre-covid levels, with 58% of the population reporting feeling happy at the start of this year. After Covid-19 swept through the globe, it is safe to say that things were far from normal for a long time. Not a single person was left unaffected, but now, half a decade later, according to those numbers, it seems that we are finally healing.
In 2019, the last time the country’s happiness peaked, Ariana Grande was taking the charts by storm with hits like ‘thank u, next’ and ‘7 Rings’, and Billie Eilish was gaining huge popularity with ‘Bad Guy’. And now, Ariana is back in the charts with ‘Popular’ from the 2024 musical adaptation of Wicked, and Billie Eilish is still going strong with ‘BIRDS OF A FEATHER’.
Even fashion trends came and went. 2019 saw ‘mom jeans’ taking over; now there are signs of baggy jeans dwindling back into straight leg. From pop music to the redemption arc of skinny jeans, it feels like a full circle moment. If the Wicked soundtrack is in the charts, we can’t be doing too badly. Perhaps we are getting better at finding the joy in life now that lockdown feels more like a fever dream than a reality.
Nevertheless, it was, unfortunately, an all too real reality. Covid inflicted damage on many people, lockdown tampered with young children’s social development, teens’ mental health, and the whole world as we knew it for everyone. It was like a moment in a science-fiction movie, a pandemic rampaging through
Going back to normal?
By Sophie Fairey Senior Lifestyle Editor
the planet as we locked ourselves inside, deprived of social interaction and feverishly disinfecting every reachable surface. There was a unique quietness, deeply unsettling but strangely peaceful.
2020 has become a kind of checkpoint that we have started to measure time with. At the very start of the year, one of my first thoughts was ‘I can’t believe it’s been almost five years since lockdown.’ It was like a shift in time. Everyone downloaded Tik-Tok and started making whipped coffee, then stood outside their front doors in the evenings to applaud the NHS even though many had little comprehension of the real dangers and stress that doctors, nurses and all kinds of professions were placed under.
There was a stark disconnect from those suffering, overworking, losing loved ones without being able to hold a proper funeral, and people throughout the country like me who with GCSEs cancelled, spent my days baking banana loaves, reading the Harry Potter series and going on sunny walks. Part of me was devastated to be leaving school without an official goodbye, prom, or post-exams holiday with my friends. Part of me enjoyed being in lockdown during the summer, completely separate from the rest of the world. But this did not end up being a good thing.
At the time I was perfectly happy to spend my time with myself and my family mostly in the house or in the back garden mostly. There was a lack of stimulation but I didn’t find myself getting all that bored. Instead, I got used to
having no commitments or pressures of the outside world without realising it.
The skies were blue and cloudless. No hustle and bustle, no planes decorating the empty sky, no summer parties echoing from down the street. I appreciated that this was a completely unprecedented event, where I had no work, deadlines, responsibilities, only a summer stretching ahead of me to fill with reading and relaxing, maybe trying to learn to paint, cook, play the ukulele, or honing other wholesome skills that I otherwise might not have bothered to try. Facetiming friends and relatives became a weekly norm, wearing masks in supermarkets, social distancing on walks, searching for new obscure hobbies to fill the time- all experiences from the recent past that are tinged with an eerie nostalgia I’m sure many of us would rather forget.
We put our lives on hold for a year and were then expected to just carry on as normal once restrictions were gradually lifted. And when they were, many people just didn’t know how to go about daily life as if it was never interrupted. After months of enjoying the quiet of my own home, I began to feel lost in social situations and anxious to go out with friends.
It has taken all these years of learning to deal with this new layer of uncertainty, looking back and grieving the teenage years I could have had. By the time I was almost 18, I had never been to parties or experienced going on holiday with friends. I felt like I was playing catch-up, never feeling my age, stuck at freshly 16
I ended up cancelling plans for nights out and wishing I’d had more experiences instead of going from being stuck at home in the summer to being taught A-levels from a teams call in the spring.
Even if it might not have seemed much like it, lockdown affected everyone in different ways. I would argue that absolutely no one came out the other end for the better. We had to get used to everyday life again and come to terms with whatever lockdown left us with. And it seems we did just that. It’s been a while since we’ve had to social distance and remember to bring a face mask to every
social setting, and we’ve settled back into normality.
Perhaps it is just because I have gone from 16 to 21 and feel more excited about the future now, but I can definitely feel more optimism in the air than there has been since the Covid era. But why is that? I am not convinced that there is much rhyme or reason as to why now, specifically, we are so much happier. There are still, if not more so, horrific and devastating events happening all over the world. Is it a darker sign that we have become desensitised to it all? Or is it just that 5 years is the perfect amount of time to recover from an unprec-
edented national lockdown and learn how to balance living our lives contentedly alongside what we see on the news everyday?
Maybe the Wicked movie has something to do with it. I can’t think of one single time listening to ‘Popular’ didn’t significantly improve my mood. Whatever it is, the mentality that things cannot possibly get worse than they have been actually seems to be working. The only thing that’s apparent is that things are finally feeling back to ‘normal’ again, so I’ll take that as a sign that time really is the greatest healer.
What’s Behind The Rise Of Celebrity Criminals?
By Eleanor Harvey Staff Writer
On 23rd December 2023, a 32-year-old woman from Louisiana was released from prison having served eight years for second-degree murder. Originally sentenced to ten years imprisonment, she pleaded guilty in 2016 for conspiring to kill her own mother with her then-boyfriend. On 10th June 2015, she let him into their house, gave him a knife, and stood aside whilst he carried out the attack. She and her boyfriend then stole thousands of dollars of their victim’s money and absconded. Her name was GyspyRose Blanchard.
But the chances are you already knew that, possibly from the very first sentence. In the twelve months following her release, Blanchard didn’t exactly disappear from the public eye into a normal life; instead, she became a minor celebrity. Just like any regular influencer, her relationship woes and cosmetic surgery journey ended
up being followed enthusiastically by scores of people. Her Instagram account gained a peak of 7.8 million followers before she deleted it, citing a desire for privacy. She had her own reality series on post-prison life, did multiple interviews on TV and with celebrity magazines like People, and even cameoed in an episode of The Kardashians. If you want to find her on social media now, she is back on Instagram and TikTok—or you could just follow one of her many fan accounts.
It may seem strange to those less up to date with celebrity trends that a self-confessed killer could inspire this level of online following. But Blanchard is just one of a small but intense new category of celebrities who have gained renown off the back of serious crimes. Just a few months after Blanchard’s post-prison lifestyle started hitting the headlines, Dancing With the Stars—the US
version of Strictly Come Dancing—caused controversy by announcing their 2024 series would feature con artist Anna Sorokin, also known as Anna Delvey. In 2019, she was found guilty of multiple counts of theft, having defrauded the rich and famous of New York City whilst pretending to be an heiress. By the time she appeared on the show in September, she was still wearing an electronic ankle tag decorated as just another fashion accessory.
But Blanchard and Delvey are both made to look like relative amateurs compared to the most recent example of this phenomenon: Luigi Mangione. On 4th December 2024, 50-year-old Brian Thompson—CEO of American health insurance company UnitedHealthcare—was walking to a meeting in New York when he was shot and killed. Five days later, 26-year-old Mangione was arrested and charged with murder,
which he denies. Yet the facts of the case have arguably become secondary to the online response to him. A topless photograph of Mangione went viral, accompanied by endless memes about his attractiveness, and his alleged assassination of Thompson was celebrated in some circles as a symbolic protest against the USA’s brutal private healthcare system. In one of the stranger indications of the level of fandom Mangione has inspired, hundreds of students at the University of Florida participated in a lookalike contest based on him on 12th December—just eight days after Thompson’s death.
So, what lays behind this peculiar new trend of hero-worshipping criminals? Firstly, it appears, the victims have to be considered unsympathetic. For Sorokin and Mangione, this means leaning into an “eat the rich”–style narrative. Sorokin stole from people who were considerably richer than most of us will ever be, whilst Mangione is accused of killing a man many would say got rich off of the suffering of the much less fortunate. It’s hard to square this in the end with Sorokin making herself incredibly wealthy off the back of her crimes and reports of Mangione’s own privileged background, but as a superficial image it works. Meanwhile, Gypsy-Rose Blanchard’s mother Dee Dee had Munchausen’s by proxy syndrome, meaning that she deliberately made her daughter ill and pretended she was severely disabled for attention. Essentially, it appears in all three cases that, if you have a good enough motive for your crime, you can be forgiven.
Secondly, it needs to make a good story, ideally one that can be monetised within an inch of its life. Undeniably a canny operator,
Sorokin made herself even more famous from prison by selling the rights to her story to Netflix and Shondaland for $230,000. The resulting 2022 smash-hit miniseries Inventing Anna ran to nine episodes and set a record for most viewing hours for an English-language series in a week after being watched for 196 million hours. Meanwhile, Blanchard’s fame was bolstered by the soap-like twists and turns in her post-prison love life, as she split up from her husband, got back together with an ex-fiancé and had a daughter with him within 12 months of her release. Her social media activity, reality series, and book deal have since allowed her to accumulate an incredible net worth of around $3 million. If you know how to spin it, crime clearly does pay.
But there may also be darker reasons behind why we find certain perpetrators strangely alluring and others simply abhorrent. At its most innocuous level, it points to a phenomenon known as “pretty privilege”: literally, the somewhat controversial idea that conventionally attractive people do better in life by essentially all measures. So much of the buzz around Mangione has focused on his looks that it’s somewhat hard to deny its influence in his case, whilst Sorokin’s Instagram—where she has 1.1 million followers—more closely resembles that of a model than a convicted criminal, with its many shots from fashion photoshoots and brand collaborations.
However, commentators at publications including The Guardian have drawn attention to an even more troubling trend driving the Mangione craze: that white male perpetrators are often judged far less harshly in media coverage than women or people of col-
our. Relatedly, critics of Sorokin’s appearance on DWTS questioned why authorities allowed her to take part in the show when legal battles are still ongoing over her planned deportation to Germany. At a time when conversations around immigration and extradition are more toxic than ever, it’s not hard to surmise that someone who wasn’t rich or famous and didn’t look like Sorokin would not have been treated with the same lenience.
Clearly, then, there is not only a right type of crime, but a right type of victim and criminal. Except, when you put it like that, it is so clearly wrong. None of us would like to think that we would be treated differently in a courtroom based on how we looked, or that if one day we were killed it would be treated as anything other than a tragedy. The multimillionaires Sorokin conned may not be perfect; Dee Dee Blanchard and Brain Thompson certainly weren’t. But there is always another side to the story. Thompson had two teenage children. Blanchard was severely mentally ill. Sorokin’s victims… well, they didn’t really do anything except be born lucky. But whatever your stance on any of these people, it shouldn’t actually matter. If we want to think of ourselves as part of a compassionate, just society where everyone is treated the same, it’s time this truly disturbing and utterly bizarre trend of hero-worshipping criminals got killed off.
As a student it is important to do our own individual bit for the environment, from reducing waste to recycling we can make our lives a bit more sustainable and even cost efficient, so here are 5 tips for how to be sustainable as a Royal Holloway student! By Lucy Griffiths
Buying local produce
When purchasing your fruit and vegetables make sure to get the loose items to minimise your useage of plastic packaging! Not only does this promote healthy eating ,but it is good for the planet and can save you some pennies, meaning less waste and a chance for your body to be happy! If you fancy some very nice artisan bread, you can visit the Friday Market and you may even come across various sweet treats. For the avid meat eaters of Englefield green, go to Ansel’s Butchers! They sell affordable and good quality meat free of industrial farming. I got 3 chicken breasts for 6 quid- a right bargain! Ansel’s Butchers address: 42A Bond St, Englefield Green, Egham TW20 0PY
Get the Bus!
Fed up of walking up Egham hill and spending money on Uber? Well get the bus! I have to admit, the bus can be slightly confusing to begin with, trying to find the times, but there are many ways to combat this by simply looking at the timings at the bus stop, or getting various bus apps. There’s the 441 white bus for Englefield Green, that mini bus one with the funky lights for campus and Hoxpark, and many many more... But remember to always ask for a student ticket on the white bus, as you get a good concession. The bus not only saves you a lot of money, but reduces your carbon footprint. And if you do happen to have a car, well car share! This is very good for those who have housemates, you can do a big shop altogether.
Learn how to recycle
This is for those who live in student housing: please recycle! Firstly check if you have an outdoor recycling bin, all landlords must provide one, if you don’t have one, contact them or your local council. Secondly, get an indoor recycling bin, this could be as simple as a shopping bag or plastic box container, it’s up to you. Thirdly, before putting your recycling in their designated spots, rinse your waste out as the bin men won’t take dirty recycling. Remember you can recycle plastic, cardboard, packaging, glass and anything that isn’t food. And if you do live on campus, student accommodation provides recycling for a reason so be wise and use it!
Coffee cups
If you’re a keen coffee or tea drinker, think about getting a reusable coffee cup or flask, fill it up with a hot beverage and it can last a longer time than a paper coffee cup. Can’t resist Starbucks, crosslands or Boilerhouse? Well you’re in luck, as they can fill your cup up, which could save you some money too. I recommend the STOJO coffee cup which is collapsible too, so no need to think about having not enough space in your bag! But say if you do get an odd coffee now and again, remember to separate the cup and the Try batch cooking
Fed up of constantly buying food and then resorting to a ready meal? Well try batch cooking. Pretend you’re cooking for a family, and just multiply your usual intake, leave the rest in tupperware and put it in the fridge/freezer. I usually do this for pasta sauces, and stews/curries so whenever you are sparse with choice there is always a nice little meal to defrost- zero effort and 10 times more sustainable!
Sport Lacrosse in State Schools: in their own words.
By Issy Trapnell Hoyle Senior Sport Editor
After interviewing the President of our own Lacrosse Club here at Royal Holloway for our previous print issue, I widened my inquiries to find out if, and how, Lacrosse is being taught across the State Sector.
My research disappointingly led me to largely unsurprising conclusions, Lacrosse is mostly not taught in any developed manner within the State Sector. When held up against the greatly funded and structured tournaments and training of Private School Pupils, the pop-up P.E sessions most commonly seen in the State Sector do not seem to stand up to scrutiny.
There are, however, exceptions to this generalisation. A key one being found in the unassuming market town of Newbury in West Berkshire. While conducting my research a key school that came up was St Bartholomew’s School in Newbury. Unlike many other State Schools, it seemed St Bartholomew’s had a developed Lacrosse Club that had operated at the school for many years. After reaching out to the school, I was lucky enough to speak with Mr R Wilson who, while being a Mathematics and Business teacher, is responsible for running the Lacrosse Club at St Bartholomew’s School.
I was intrigued to know how he came into running the club and having such a passion for the Sport, he then explained to me it was it time at university where his passion for Lacrosse began.
Wilson explained how when he started playing Lacrosse at the University of York in 2014, he found ‘it was such a great environment, because particularly with boys Lacrosse, where it is not well established, there was a real opportunity to start at a similar level to others.’ and when he ‘started running the club, there was a real opportunity for individuals not involved in ‘mainstream’ sports to try something new.’
After graduating from York, it is clear Wilson took his passion for the sport into his career in teaching, developing the Lacrosse Club at St Bartholomew’s. I asked what it was he enjoyed about running the club and he explained how, ‘Running Lacrosse has given me an opportunity to share everything I love about Lacrosse with the pupils, to be able to do my part in growing the game. I have had students that are brand new to Lacrosse, and to sports in general, that have found a real passion and even join the local Phoenix Lacrosse Club, set up to be able to help St Bart’s compete with other schools’.
Running the Lacrosse Club at St Bartholomew’s School has, however, not come without it’s challenges. I wondered how running a Lacrosse Club without the funding a Fee-Paying School would offer differed to that run in the Private Sector, Wilson explained how, ‘There are many challenges that we face in state school. From my old school, where I started the
Lacrosse club, we had access to old, wooden sticks. No goals or no designated field. The funding in state schools for activities outside the curriculum is very limited and with the start-up costs of Lacrosse being high, this makes it a challenge to help schools geetting started.’
He was, however, optimistic about the offerings at St Bartholomew’s, discussing how ‘At St Bart’s we are in a very fortunate position where Lacrosse is on our curriculum, and we have fantastic resources. I have found the main challenges for us are the volume of training that private schools receive, the timing of the games, and also the travel. Games are often played midweek or on Saturday’s, therefore not allowing the school to help’ and explaining how many of the students have gone on to achieve great feats within the sport, ‘getting involved with international trials and Lacrosse camps’.
As someone with first-hand experience with the challenges that can occur operating Lacrosse Clubs in the State Sector, I asked Wilson what more we would like to see England Lacrosse and national sports governing bodies do to support the growth of the sport. He explained how ‘Funding into state sector for schools without the resources will help to grow the game and give other schools the opportunity to get involved in such an incredible sport. This will help to give schools the opportunity to compete with other schools
and therefore grow the game.’
Wilson acknowledged as well how, without teachers with knowledge of the game, it is difficult to grow the sport, ‘I have noticed that Lacrosse is often in schools where there are teachers that have exposure to Lacrosse. Therefore, it makes it tricky, as teachers will want to teach their sports. Being able to find teachers that do have experience of Lacrosse, that would be willing to start a club in their schools would make a huge impact.’
Overall, he was, however, optimistic about the future of Lacrosse within the State Sector, ‘Hopefully with more teachers being involved, we can start to open a link between schools, to be able to set up games more locally, or a state school competition to be able to expose our pupils to the fantastic game.’
It is clear that, while the State-Sector is undoubtedly disadvantaged when it comes to Lacrosse, there are individuals passionate about the Sport and driving it from a grassroots level. With Lacrosse on track to enter the Olympic Games in LA 2028, could this perhaps be the decade that puts Lacrosse, and widened participation in the Sport, on the map?
Image (Top Right), Liberty Simmons
Images (Middle and Bottom) Issy Trapnell Hoyle
Women’s Football between the lines: what my dissertation is teaching me about invisible history
By Issy Trapnell Hoyle Senior Sport Editor
In the digital age, everything is recorded. From match highlights to WSL player edits, the continued rise of Women’s Football is documented over the expanse of the internet. As an aspiring journalist who is guilty of plastering both their written and photographic work across Instagram, I have no doubt I’m contributing to the great pool of resources evidencing the success of Women’s Football across the web in the digital age. In contemporary society, this pool of digital resources is not novel; however, as a final year History Student, I have quickly begun to realise how, before the digital age, so much of the rich history of the Women’s game is almost invisible and hidden amongst archives.
Until very recently, my use of the university library was almost exclusively online. I have made many jokes about how I need to thank my Kindle app when I cross the stage at Graduation, and not without reason. However, after choosing to focus on Women’s Football in the late 20th Century for my dissertation, I realised I would have to brave academia without my Kindle. My search led me to a lot of screaming at my laptop and, eventually, the British Library.
In the interest of self-preservation and not getting accused of self-plagiarism in my own Disser-
tation that is already causing me enough stress, I will not specify which archives I was headed into the British Library to access. As I feel, regardless of the content of the archive, my feelings about it are the same; while we think we know what has happened in women’s football in the last century, so much of it lives in unbound and hand-written obscurity.
I perhaps was naive about what to expect on my first trip to the British Library after disembarking the Northern Line at Euston, expecting it to be an easy and straightforward endeavour sourcing Primary Sources. I was, undoubtedly, a little too optimistic. After the Cyber Attack that hit the library last year, the whole process has been slowed down. I was first guided to the basement to gain a reading pass that felt far more official than anything I was anticipating and then, after parting with all my belongings that had to be left in the sub-basement lockers, I made my way to the reading rooms.
After being handed my folders that had been meticulously pre-ordered, I was gently informed that I could not photograph the files, instead being fated to copy out each document by hand. While the task was no doubt tedious, it occurred to me I had a far easier
job than others. For, had a few select individuals not put time into carefully curating meeting minutes and letters, I would have nothing to copy out. I wondered if the curators of these files had imagined where their voluntary handywork would be in 30 years’ time and what had guided them to keep notes so maliciously. It also occurred to me how these pioneers, who have come a mere few generations before me and my own teammates are perhaps disappearing into obscurity outside of the pursuits of a narrow group of Historians and Volunteers.
Having attempted to contact governing bodies about their own archives to no avail, I have begun to feel we owe those who both came before us, and documented it, more than a place in the Manuscript Basement at the British Library. The basics of the history of Women’s Football is undoubtedly documented to a usable degree. However, with so many players having used pseudonyms and others simply not being traceable outside of team sheets, it seems a lot of female footballers are at risk of disappearing between the margins of history. I hope to write a dissertation that may shine light on some of these individuals. I cannot help but wonder, however, if this is enough?
From Euros to Education: How International Success is Driving Women’s Football at Royal Holloway
By Emma Green Staff Writer
Growing up, playing football as a woman meant playing with many different people and in various environments. From struggling to be fully accepted playing in a boys’ team, having difficulty finding a local girls’ club, to finally finding my home team, I am not shy of looking around for the ‘right’ team. Despite any challenges faced while growing up in football, it is clear that Royal Holloway Women’s Football has been a huge part of my sporting life, and I know that is the same for many of my club members. Today, as the women’s game is continuing to see unprecedented growth, it is hard for me not to reflect on my own journey and that of the club over the last few years due to the game’s growing popularity.
In 2022, the club was relatively small, with just two competitive teams and a recreational third team. The third team did not partake in competitive fixtures, hosting the occasional friendly game. The fourth team existed in name only, with just three honorary members who joined in with the third team for training sessions. That year, however, was one to remember. The third team finally solidified itself as a competitive presence, and the club reached its highest membership numbers in RHWFC history.
Somehow the 2023-24 season managed to trump the last, marking a clear turning point for the club. Its membership numbers, participation levels, and support for the recreational game were phenomenal, and it is primarily down to the international success
and broadcast of the women’s game. Following FIFA’s findings, due to the Lionesses’ winnings of the 2022 Euros and the 2023 Finalissima, the participation of women and young girls increased by 2,270% in the UK alone. It can therefore be deduced that the 2023 Australian Women’s World Cup that took place after the study was released had the same effect. This statistic was reflected in our own women’s football club ar Royal Holloway . The club saw an unprecedented number of over 100 trialists, the third team entered the recreational LUSL league, participating in competitive fixtures, and the fourth team became solidified in the 2023/24 season. Due to the overwhelming number of newcomers, President and Fitness Secretary of that season, Megan Young and Anjeli Valydon, also worked hard to establish the Learn2 programme. This programme aimed to assist beginner-level players to progress into the club’s accredited teams by providing training sessions run by an experienced and dedicated committee member.
Building on the great work done by previous committees, this year has seen a further rise in club numbers, with around 90 consistent members. Fitness Secretary, Jessica Gavin, has worked hard to solidify the Learn2 programme and keep it a safe, comfortable, and productive space to improve individual skills of both members and non-members. Fourth team captain, Megan Whitby, and coach, LibbiAddams, have worked hard in supporting the fourth team in their first competitive
season in the history of Royal Holloway Women’s Football, which is a huge milestone for the club. The growth in the previous year allowed us to forecast the current year’s growth and thus prepare for the support required for new footballers to participate in the competitive LUSL environment.
This year, I conducted a short survey of RHWFC members about their footballing experience, history, and how they became a part of the club. Here are the results (based on the results of the 25 members who completed the survey):
What team are you in?
1s - 41.7%
2s - 20.8%
3s - 16.7%
4s - 16.7%
Learn2 - 4.2%
How did you join the club?
Through trials - 91.7% Through the Learn2 scheme8.3%
Please answer the following about your footballing history?
Have played competitively in an outside team/academy my whole life - 25%
Played only at school, and joined university straight away - 4.2%
Played at school, stopped, and then restarted at university29.2%
Have had no history of football until university - 29.2%
Played for a club, then stopped, then started again at university12.5%
While most of the club members have joined through trials, it is clear the Learn2 scheme has still assisted some students in joining RHWFC, and of course, this question does not take into account the number of frequent participants across the university who attend our session each week. The fact that only a quarter of our club has been involved in previous competitive football outside of an academic setting is astonishing, with 29.2% of individuals having no previous experience in the game at all before joining the club. The fact that RHWFC can be a comfortable place for women and non-binary people to explore their interest in football no matter their sporting background is something the club has always been proud to facilitate. This rise in interest in the women’s game, as shown by FIFA’s study, has been a key factor in the growing membership and diversity of our club.
Despite praising our diverse sporting backgrounds in the club, we are currently struggling to receive support for the recreational game from higher powers. The league that the third team participated in during the 2023/24 season, the Recreational League, has since been disbanded. This means all teams that previously participated in that Recreational League, as well as new teams that formed this
year - like RHWFC 4th Teamhave been integrated into the competitive leagues with more experienced teams. Third team captain, Issy TrapnellHoyle, said that ‘it’s a shame in the sense it’s getting rid of what was a really good space for newer players’, and that ‘the opportunities for new players seems to be going backwards’ in terms of recreational support. We hope to raise this concern further with LUSL, and help with the reimplementation of the recreational, or some form of development, league to support our members on game days as well as at training.
By encouraging more individuals to participate in women’s football at Royal Holloway, the success of the Lionesses has not only provided members with the competitive experience they set out for, but also a family. Competitive accomplishments aside, football is often a refuge to many, and the club’s welcoming environment has succeeded in allowing members to feel safe, supported, and distracted from their stresses outside of the sport. The fact that the club can double as this outlet for students is fantastic, and even without coming forward to our Wellbeing officer, people can take a break from any struggles they are suffering with outside of the club purely
For these reasons, university football is different to that of competitive clubs. It constantly welcomes a diverse range of abilities, experiences, and backgrounds, with team members changing across the years, as individuals graduate and progress through the teams. It allows for the opportunities to play with different people, make new friendships, and develop your skills both individually and as a teammate. The fact the women’s game is ever-growing and is receiving such international competitive success and coverage clearly inspires young women and non-binary people to kickstart their footballing journey no matter their experience. The ability to do this is incredibly inspiring and goes to show how important having role models in the women’s game is - their increased presence on our TV screens, our news, and our hearts continue not only to increase the growth of the international game, but also grow grassroots and university football as well. This growing space not only physically accommodates players, but allows us to grow funds for equipment, facilities, and our RHWFC Bears family.
Many people feel that today, we are increasingly becoming a ‘nanny state’. We aren’t allowed to travel in a car without a seatbelt, we can’t enter a building site without having to wear a high-vis jacket and a hard helmet and we can’t go to a water park without filling out an accident form. Is this having an impact on the way we enjoy watching sport? Through the evolution of sport, we can clearly see that the safety surrounding it has massively increased. Of course, safety in sport is absolutely paramount and it is essential to take all the necessary precautions to ensure everybody’s wellbeing. However, when we constantly hear updates about new rules and regulations that governing bodies are introducing to different sports, it does beg the question of are they perhaps hindering the games more than helping them to be better.
Take rugby for example. We’ve heard of stories in the past of the consequences of a lack of safety regulations put in place. For example, Steve Thompson, England’s hooker during the 2003 Rugby World Cup has come forward to say that he has now ended up with a vast amount of brain damage due to the constant
Help or Hinder?
By Maddie Perry-Smith Staff Writer
hard-hitting scrummages and tackles. In 2013, a man during a charity rugby match died at the bottom of a scrum. Rules have been put in place in order to prevent these events from repeating, however, one could argue that too many rules have now been introduced and are having a negative impact on the run of the game by slowing it down, making these moments of the match long and tedious to watch.
Football is another example. There has been a lot of talk about the ban of headers in the sport due to the damage it is causing to the players. Whilst this is very important to examine and research into, one might argue that this might hinder the game as a lot of spectacular moments have come from headers, moments that have saved nations from being eliminated in certain tournaments. For instance, during the 2024 European Championships, England captain Harry Kane kept England in the tournament with his last-minute header that won them their Round of 16 match against Slovakia.
Boxing; another hugely physical sport. Although no legislation has
been passed to ban it, healthcare experts are coming forward and emphasising the longer-term dangers of the sport. Even though medical cover is a legal requirement at all matches, healthcare experts are urging the sport to reconsider the notion of implementing more safety precautions and whether athletes should participate in matches at all. What will this mean for the sport? So, we keep adding these rules and regulations. Will they help prevent accidents from happening due to the matches taking place in a safer and more controlled environment? Yes, and as already stated, player and athlete health and wellbeing are of vital importance. However, have we potentially gone too far and have we become too comfortable in this ‘nanny state’? Are these vast numbers of rules and regulations causing too much disruption to the flow of play in certain sports and therefore, having a negative impact on the way we enjoy watching sport? Is there a way in which we can still uphold the necessary level of safety whilst making sure we don’t hinder the development and progression of sport in the process?
Image: Issy Trapnell Hoyle
Creative Writing
There are scraps of paper watching me
By Ruby Saggers Associate Creative Writing Editor
There are certain things staring at me, making me feel insignificant. So small. The things that I collect as I pull myself through another week – the receipts, the little orange vintage books, the oat milk stickers, the toilet paper stuck to a shoe, frantically waving my foot around to avoid the looks and the “HAH, she has toilet roll stuck to her!”
Somehow, a small accumulation of bits and bobs seem to me far more significant than I, myself, may be. Who on earth am I to say that my towering over these little things makes me significant, and worthy of throwing these things away? When I have done little more than write in my silly little books and ponder over the silly (though rather grand) issues in this silly little world, what more am I compared to that bit of toilet paper stuck to a shoe?
These bits and bobs scattered amongst some larger bits and bobs – a piteous, pretentious assortment of Nietzsche and Joyce and Chaucer and Twinings tea – are STARING AT ME. Why are they JUDGING ME. They are watching me crumble and pick myself back up and crumble once again. They are watching me grieve and worry and talk to myself as I am the only one that can make sense of it all – other than those stupid bits placed amongst my room as though I put them there to watch over me, make sure I’m living properly. They know me best. They have known me from the moment I picked them up. They most likely saw me coming, actually.
These little scraps of paper shoved inside my copy of Colm Tóibín know the words I am reading; the influence they have on me. Only these little scraps have the power to sit with these words in my battered, soggy copy longer than I do; as I place her down, droopy eyed, it is time for those scraps to bathe in the words I will inevitably ruminate on in my uninspiring sleep. And when I wake once again, whether I like it or not, I must listen to this silly little bit of paper tell me all about those words on the pages I gave up reading the night before.
Without that bit of paper, I lose my place in the story; without the receipts, I forget what day I am on, or what money I have thrown around thinking so hard about it that it is as though I never really thought at all. I could stick all of these in a pretty little notebook and you could read it and know everything there is to know about me. The titles of the books I buy, the concerning theme of grief and plague and profundity that consumes me, the recent photographs of a family with an aching gap between them, and the old photographs - the gap filled with a face we strive to keep familiar as the years mould an unbearable distance between us, the losses I have mourned and the gains I have fought for. I have found that without my accumulation of scraps and books and notes I am nothing more than a silly whirling bunch of atoms. It seems material is the adhesive to my knowledge, my medley of thoughts and emotions that I would very easily lose sight of if I were to let them slip from the grasp of ink on paper. [Meditations written on a receipt from my usual trip to the Fitzwilliam Museum – oh god, how pretentious am I]
Cadenza
By Phoenix Malone Staff Writer
Everything hurts.
She could remember a time when life was airy, where her fingers flew across the ivory keys with glee, the music swirling around her. Every note was perfect; they complemented her natural state and aura that drew people in like she was a magnet.
But now, the music felt more along the lines of a thunderstorm, not leaving her enough space to breathe as the notes crammed themselves close to her. The music sounded beautiful still, but it sounded wrong.
No song she played was ever the same, and she was a different person every time she sat on the tattered leather stool. The notes from her last song buried themselves deep in her mind, slowly editing everything that she knew about life.
Her once blonde hair that had cascaded down her back was now turning darker, the choppy cut a cry for help. She had done it herself, hoping someone would understand. But no one did. No one ever understood.
Her blue eyes that once sparkled with an appreciation for life now seemed a stormy grey, glossing over everything that was thrown at her to read or work on. The only thing she could focus on was the piano, the piano that had taken up most of her life.
Even her skin had changed. From a pale pink that often flushed from smiles to a pallor white that made her face gaunt, the bruises under her eyes only so much more visible.
It was as if her very life force was being pulled away from her, and no matter how hard she reached out for it, it was always just out of her grasp.
And with her life force went her colour that once intrigued anyone who saw her. Instead of people wanting to talk to her, people only wanted to talk behind her back.
She never listened to their words, for she couldn’t hear their voices over the eternal music that never stopped playing, the music that plagiarised her mind.
It drove her insane. She could never stop it, for the song never ended. She had forced herself into a corner, and she didn’t know how to break free.
She no longer cared for her schoolwork, as the music always distracted her, taunting her with its ever-changing melody.
Once, a lifetime ago, she had clung to her grades, never letting them slip out of her arms. But now?
She wasn’t strong enough to hold them up, the letters scattering on the ground as she tried to wish the music away.
It wasn’t her fault. She wanted to keep a tight hold of them, her future depended on it. Yet every time she managed to hold onto the slightest hope that she had finally got ahold of them, they went and tumbled out of her hands.
Her dreams used to be her escape, a chance for her to finally embrace the pretty music that rung faintly in her ears. Oh, how she wished to hear the music louder.
She imagined that she could fly, and every time she flew a little bit higher the music became a little bit louder. So she kept flying up, never wanting it to end. How foolish she was back then.
Now, her dreams were a prison. Even in her sleep, the music never stopped. She had flown so high that she could sit on the clouds, but as soon as she sat to rest and enjoy the music, she could no longer fly.
She was stranded. High up in the sky, with no way to get down. Nothing worked. She tried to jump, but she was caught by another cloud that seemed closer to the source of her misery.
When she woke up, not much was different. The music played on, and the only way that she thought she could gain control was by playing more.
It had started when she was young, her father had brought it home one day, and then he had left. Never to return.
She thought that it was her fault. That he had left because she couldn’t play something that was beautiful.
So she sat on the leather stool and poured her heart into it, every note reflecting how she was feeling. Her fingers would split, the crimson blood a nice comparison to the white and black.
But still, she never stopped playing. It had to be right, and it wasn’t yet.
She became a music prodigy, her teachers struck with awe at the girl’s talent, her fellow students jealous at the grace she had.
But still, she never stopped playing. Tears would stream down her face when she realised that she could never play well enough.
Long gone was the girl that brought happiness to everyone near her. Long gone was the girl that had a heart as pure as gold.
In her place, was another girl.
A girl who cried herself to sleep, just praying that the song would end.
A girl who played and played and played, her only escape slowly becoming tainted.
Her bones slowly became visible under her skin, her hair began to fall out in clumps. She became too weak to scream, to even try and drown the music out with noises of all around her.
Everything hurt her.
But the show must go on.
Her hands gently pushed the piano cover off, dust quickly flying into the air, finally settling on whatever it could find.
It had been a while.
Pressing a lone key down, she sighed in defeat, thinking that she knew how to end the music.
Without much thought, her fingers began to run up and down the tattered keys, the melody out of tune, but still right.
She had done it.
She had perfected her song.
Not stopping, she began to grin, the simple action leaving torturous pain behind.
The melody was slow, almost like a heartbeat as she played exactly what she was hearing in her head.
Never before had she played the music that she heard constantly out loud, but she knew that it was right.
Her body grew weary, but she couldn’t stop playing, for she knew that the song would never end.
And she had to keep playing until the end.
But, the song had other ideas; it drastically slowed down, gradually getting quieter the slower it was played.
Not only out loud... but also in her mind.
Until finally, there was no music.
There was no song left to play. No song left to spend.
The silence was haunting.
And that’s when she realised.
How sad she would be without it.
how would i tell you
By Lena Zeller Staff Writer
that my love will not follow you, nor leap ahead, will have always been where you walk, will soften step by step
how it will receive your drifting heard, will be the scratchy fabrics and the splinters, will go down like pocket candy or sour wine
will have stretched around the globe before I was an egg in my mother’s mother’s womb, will outlive my hands and mouth
how all my dreams are love letters to you who lie unseeing. and all my teeth are pearls for you to pry loose one by one, from behind the soft oyster of my tongue
that when the tide turns for a final time and sinks the moon to sea, I will have loved you down to its depth and back up again
Dear Davidson...
“I feel like a lot of people at uni have very tight knit friendship groups but I’m friends with lots of different people individually and sometimes it seems like I’m missing out when I see them hanging out in larger groups. What can I do to deal with FOMO and is it weird for me to ask to hang out with them more?”
Making friends for life at university is one of those things that feels compulsory in order to have a good experience. We all hear stories from much older people who say ‘the friends you make at uni are the friends you have for life’ or a bundle of other anecdotes from the time they spent at university. We’re all in the same boat and we know making friends when you’re older becomes more difficult, but that doesn’t mean you should put a lot of pressure on something which should happen naturally. Speaking from my own experience, my first year was scary, everything was new, and I too felt the need to make friends, but I also didn’t know how! Friendships in primary school, secondary school, and even college were always straight forward but now I had to make an effort to make friends and …I was stumped. It was not until my second year that bonds started to form, this was the main result of being proactive socially and joining societies.
It sounds great that you have many little friendship groups already as that is one of the hardest parts. It does seem daunting going from just hanging out every now and then to forming and securing that position of ‘close friends’ but I would suggest maybe organising something to do such as going out shopping or if there is an event at the SU that sounds fun then ask to go together, going to a quiz night, the pub or a wholesome movie night might be all it needs to secure those inside jokes, Banta and closeness of a friendship which you desire.
Try not to be afraid of putting yourself out there and asking to hang out more, it shows you are confident and everyone loves to hang around with confident people, the worst they
would say is no and that’s not that scary.
I know, I know, it’s easy for me to sit here and tell you that everyone is in the same bought when it comes to friendships at university - but it is true. Everyone’s university experience is different, some live with their parents and commute, some live on campus surrounded by teenage boys while they’re cramming for their final year exams, and some do everything they can to form lifelong friendships that just can’t seem to stick. Yes, right now it feels awful seeing and hearing everyone dress up and get ready for a fabulous night out while you are binge watching repeat episodes of your comfort show on a Saturday night but what’s happening right now is not what will happen forever. So, please listen when I say that everyone, yes I mean everyone has experienced this at some point throughout their studies and even though you are seeing them hanging out in larger groups that doesn’t mean they aren’t going home and wishing that they too had more friends. Asking them to hang out is definitely not weird but it is definitely a message that everyone wants to read so do it! Send them a text or wait until the next time you see them and make plans for the following week, there isn’t much to do in Egham on a Saturday night so the likelihood of them being free and wanting to make plans is very high.
Ah FOMO, it’s a dreaded thing but quite funny really, it leaves you paranoid in the most bizarre circumstances. All of your flat mates randomly left the house together? You’ll start to worry thinking they’ve gone to have the best day out ever …without
you! But seriously, look around this is Egham and they have probably just popped to Tesco. FOMO is hard to deal with especially if you’re starting to get hit with those January blues where loneliness is beginning to kick in so don’t overthink or stress about making plans with your friends. But do remember once you get the ball rolling with night out ideas and weekend shopping sprees you will soon be praying for a lazy weekend where you don’t have any plans and can just be by yourself, but don’t dwell on that or let that deter you because you need to find that balance for yourself and I am confident that you will.
Remember that pressure to find a close friendship group is not compulsory to be successful or to enjoy your time at university. If you graduate with being friends with many people individually like you are now that is still perfectly okay, you have the rest of your life to find these close friendships and these few years at university is not a determinant of the friendships or people you will be with for the rest of life, despite the old anecdotes which people like to tell. It is great to have friendships but it is not a must, put yourself out there and see what happens!
Written By Ruby Caballero-Roff and Keira McTernan
Crossword
