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Boomerang November 2019

Becoming Response-able in Times of Climate Change by Gerard van der Ree

Climate anxiety February 2019. It is still mid-winter, but the outside temperature is 21 degrees. The campus grounds are full of people sitting in the sun. Within an hour, I have the same conversation six times: ‘this is so nice; I am enjoying this so much!’ And then, after a pause, and in a quieter voice: ‘but it is really scary, too’. That’s when I start noting. A sense of fear, of dread. Climate anxiety - anxiety of things to come. It mostly lingers in the background, but at times it becomes acute. It raises the question: ‘what can I do?’. But it also seems to come with a sense of powerlessness – what can be done against something that is so big? And I discover it has an age aspect. The younger you are, the more intense it gets. There is a whole generation growing up in climate anxiety.

"It mostly lingers in the background, but at times it becomes acute" Climate anger Over the summer, a friend of mine tells me about her anger. She says: ‘I am twenty-five. And I have grown up with a story of what adulthood looks like. It is a story about going to university, finding a career, settling down with someone you love, starting a family, building a home. It is a linear story, a story of advancing in life, a story that plays out against a stable background’. Then she looks at me, and adds: ‘You know, it was you, your generation, that told me this story. And you could have known it was a lie. You already did know it was a lie twenty-five years ago. My life is not going to work out this way. I will most likely not have that nice family, that nice house, that stable home. I will see changes that are going to be too big. It was a lie. You lied.’ Three weeks later, Greta Thunberg says the same at the UN. She is right. They are right. I feel a need to respond. I am part of this. I cannot stay aloof, or pretend this is not my puzzle. If I am partially

responsible, I want to become what Donna Haraway calls ‘response-able’. I want to become able to respond.

Illustration © Amu Endo

Climate action It’s 7 October. I am in Amsterdam, at the Rijksmuseum. Two dozen policemen separate me from the hundreds of protesters blocking the streets. I stand in awe and admiration to what XR is doing. The way they organize bottom-up, the way they take politics back to the streets, the way they use civil disobedience. Their ability to chant ‘I love you’ while being carried away by riot police. I get tears in my eyes. I am deeply moved. Part of me really wants to join, to step in line with the protesters. I feel an almost physical urge to be part of this movement. But something holds me back. I have been in radical religious groups in the past; and those did not end well for me. XR’s truth with a capital ‘T’, its moral clarity, the intense group dynamic- it all just comes too close to those experiences for me. I also struggle with their focus on the state as the main actor for dealing with climate change. I am torn. I decide: ‘For now, I will be with XR. With XR, but not in XR’. Climate calling Together with two friends, I organise a ‘School for the Apocalypse’, a series of workshops on human/nature relations in times of climate change. We explore what needs to ‘die’ in our Western way of life’, what is being ’born’, and what living together ‘beyond the human’ can look like. With around twenty people, we share conversations, experiences, and practices. As a

result, I start seeing new beginnings. Inklings of what could be pathways for transformation, for changing human/nature relations. It is a small initiative, but awakens something in me. This starts to feel like my own ground. My own contribution to the puzzles of climate anxiety, climate anger, climate action. I don’t have ‘the answer’, or ‘the solution’. But this is a path of learning that I can develop further. I can help people to find new vocabularies, develop new practices, and discover new beginnings for a cultural transformation. I know it is limited, almost negligible in light of the vastness of the problems we face. And it will not be the only thing I do. I will contribute in other ways, too. But this is mine. This is what calls me. My response to climate anxiety.

The Climate Activism Echo-Chamber

The Black Friday Madness

XR blockade in Paris - Photo Collage

Ali Smith’s Visit to UCU

Exclusive Rebellion

Survival on a Lost Highway

FEATURE SPREAD

The Boomerang | November 2019

An Introduction to Extinction Rebellion by Tamar Goudsmit

In the last couple of weeks, you’ve probably heard the words Extinction Rebellion, Rebels Without Borders and blockade around. Maybe you’ve talked to some of us in Dining Hall, seen our Facebook posts or seen us in the news. In case you haven’t, or in case you’re still not sure what’s going on, I’ll give a quick explanation about what all of these things are. In the words of Extinction Rebellion (XR), ‘Extinction Rebellion is an international movement that uses non-violent civil disobedience in an attempt to halt mass extinction and minimise the risk of social collapse. The movement was founded in the UK in 2018 and is now active in 631 cities in 54 countries. In all of these countries, Rebels Without Borders took place in one form or another. Overall, it was an international, two-week-long rebellion. In most places, this rebellion resulted in blockades in the central points of major cities. Now you might be wondering, why have these blockades and start this civil disobedience? Why

can’t we just have a ‘normal’ protest, march, or petition? The reason for this is that those marches and petitions have been happening for over three decades and still governments are not acting appropriately to the scale of this crisis. We think that the only way to make sure we get the right response is civil disobedience, specifically non-violent civil disobedience. As explained by XR, ‘Nonviolence works because it inspires, builds trust and opens doors for large numbers of people to get involved and express themselves. It also models the world we want to live in by committing to causing no harm.’ and ‘Non-violent Direct Action (NVDA) is a strategy of organising in groups to put your bodies in direct contact with or to directly oppose a force that you see as destructive or causing harm. NVDA strategies as we know them now developed out of the non-violent campaigns to end British rule of India, most commonly associated

with Gandhi, and in the struggle for Civil Rights in the US in the 50s and 60s, most commonly associated with Dr Martin Luther King.’ To ensure that everyone who acts on behalf of XR knows what NVDA is and how to act in accordance with it, XR organizes NVDA-trainings where you learn all about what Non-violent Direct Action means and the exact possible legal ramifications of the action you’re preparing for. A final important thing to know about XR is that there is more to it than the people featured in the news, the people getting arrested. Behind all the brave and phenomenal people who are willing to put their freedom on the line for this cause, there are many people organizing the actions, offering legal support, taking care of the sick and injured, as well as helping build a regenerative culture. These roles are also known as ‘low-risk’ roles as the odds of being arrested are considerably lower than when you’re in the blockade. Without the people fulfilling these roles, it would be impossible for XR to create these big actions and grow the way it has this past year.

The Climate Activism Echo-Chamber by Maya Homsy King

White-faced red-robed protesters, people photographed mid-yell being carried away by stony-faced police, young university students staring down law enforcement holding up homemade cardboard signs; opening Facebook, Instagram, email, or mainstream news websites led to a flood of these images, especially during the week of October 7th. Since April last year, I started seeing more and more of these images and articles, and my initial reaction was happiness, relief even, that this issue was getting so much attention. But later, it became apparent that it is a selection of people, a certain demographic who join this movement, at least in Europe. I want to point out the insulated bubble that many of us have built, and are a part of, regarding the climate crisis. The first time I heard of the concept of the echo-chamber, I was struck by how widely applicable it is to the very fundamentals of so many of our opinions, values, morals, even ideas we think of as factual. A literal echo chamber is simply a place where sounds reverberate, and the metaphorical meaning is pretty much the same thingit refers to an environment in which an individual encounters only beliefs or opinions that coincide with their own, so that their existing views are reinforced and alternative ideas are not considered. UCU is a bit of an echo-chamber, XR is a bit of an echo-chamber, each person’s social media accounts work with internet algorithms to

construct personal echo-chambers. To an extent, this is natural - we are attracted to people who are similar to ourselves, who have similar morals, ideas, and interests. What matters is that we are aware of this, and that we try to combat it. Isn’t this where so many global conflicts stem from? A lack of communication, a closed perspec-

"An environment in which an individual encounters only beliefs or opinions that coincide with their own, so that their existing views are reinforced and alternative ideas are not considered' tive. WhenI have spoken to people who inform me that they are not especially concerned with climate change, who support the consumerist, avaricious societies we live in and who openly prioritise comfort, luxury and money over the wellbeing of the planet, I have caught myself simply not being able to process their opinion. My brain sort of short-circuits, and I can’t reason with them. This is the problem. It may sound cliché, but communication is the only viable way to make a change. In the words of Extinction Rebellion, the people have the power. In my limited participation in the climate movement so far, this echo-chamber is highly

apparent. The people at the Rebel Without Borders events were predominantly white, middle-class, young, and educated. They dress in thrifted, edgy-but-shabby outfits, they are usually overflowing with positive energy, they are passionate, and they enjoy chanting. I am obviously making a sweeping generalization here, but that was the impression I got. This makes sense though- students are the demographic who still have the ability to skip class and postpone obligations in order to attend protestsmost of them don’t have kids, or 9 to 5 jobs. But, if any movement should be one that does not attract only a certain type of person, it should be a climate movement. Climate change is the one issue that is not country-specific, status-specific, gender-specific, race-specific. It is every-livingbeing specific. We need to smash the walls of these echo-chambers, and reach those outside them, reach those in their own little reverberating rooms. We need to hear sounds coming back at us that are not the ones we ourselves have uttered, in order to truly make a change.

A University College Student Association Magazine

FEATURE SPREAD

Fighting in Solidarity for Environmental Justice

by Louisa Crysmann In the Netherlands we all enjoy the right to protest, but standing up for what you believe in comes at different costs to people worldwide. Depending on who we are and where we live, we face either praise or oppression for speaking up. And yet people all across the world stand up to protest, often facing violence and harsh punishment.

includes the killings that were reported and recorded (NGO Global Witness). Taking action in the Netherlands is, luckily, a lot safer, with the state protecting our human right to peacefully protest in most cases. When being arrested in the Netherlands, we are able to speak to our lawyers and are released after less than 24 hours for most non-violent acts of civil disobedience. While I don’t want to pretend that no one faces abuse while in custody here, I want to call our attention to the fact that we are living in a country that grants us basic human rights that we should not take for granted. Being arrested in the Netherlands is not like being arrested in Hong Kong, and we should be aware of that privilege and use it to fight for a better world. It’s hard to figure out how to approach this issue of environmental and climate justice. I think that our first step can be reading up on these cases and speaking out about them. If we can talk openly about what is happening, we can stand in solidarity with the many people that are already standing up. So let’s take this first step together, to continue to inform ourselves and speak up about the injustices that environmental activists are facing every day. Let’s make sure these people are not forgotten.

Questioning the Movement I Have Been a Part Of by Ann-Maj Savosnick I joined Extinction Rebellion (XR) sometime around March last year. I remember I went to one of the ‘Heading for Extinction’ talks, and was easily convinced that this was a movement that I not only wanted to, but had to, be a part of. I, along with many other people today, have been painfully aware of the immense pressure of the climate crisis we are in, and I have felt as if nothing is working, not enough is changing, and XR is the only viable “solution”. Since then, I have joined numerous actions, from die-ins to roadblocks and more recently the Rebels Without Borders (RWB). I have seen the movement grow and gain attention. And of course, with that attention, comes more backlash and criticism. More recently I have had conversations, read articles and watched videos all against XR. And I am excited. I welcome the criticism, no, I encourage the criticism. This means that the conversation about the ecological breakdown is reaching more and more people, and even though they might be against XR, they are talking about the crisis. And of course not everyone is going to agree with XR, of course people are going to be angry about the way XR goes about tackling the climate crisis or question its philosophy and principles. It is a global movement and that means that people

with different backgrounds, values and experiences are going to have different opinions. While I recommend taking some time to read about the criticisms more in depth yourself, some of the main issues follow here: People are questioning the exclusivity of XR and its class issue, the methods of disruption, the focus on mass arrests or the “science” that backs the movement. Yes, there are still many who will blatantly hate or disagree with XR on

"I am excited. I welcome the criticism, no, I encourage the criticism'" the basis of these things and there are members of XR who want to be blind to these issues. All of this attention and all of this criticism means that people are listening and people are thinking, and there are also many, like me, who want to use these points to push XR to grow in the right direction. I feel as if up until now XR has just been gaining momentum, and this attention is an opportunity to take a breath and really ask ourselves, ‘is this effective? Is this the best way to tackle the situation? Is XR ultimately flawed?’

because Extinction Rebel-

lion is far from perfect. And this needs to be acknowledged. Ultimately, we are facing a crisis, and things are only going to get worse. To effectively mitigate this, we need to be critical. I do not want people to blindly join XR; I want people to learn about XR, question XR through evaluation and critique, to be open to all perspectives and only then, decide if it is the movement for you, or even better, how you could contribute to changing the movement in a positive way. If I asked someone if they knew of XR a couple of months ago, most people would probably say “no” or “sort of”. Now, it is everywhere. Still, I think this is only a first step, and it is time to challenge XR’s claimed value on learning and reflecting. Because at the end of the day, we should not be fighting for Extinction Rebellion, we should be fighting for our planet.

Illustrations©Vedika Luthra

Worldwide, many people are already fighting the effects of sea level rise, irregular rainfall and extreme weather events. They aren’t merely choosing to fight for this cause because they fear losing a future for their children; they are fighting for their own survival, right now. To make matters worse, the climate crisis isn’t the only environmental disaster threatening vulnerable communities. Chemical pollution from factories, oil spills from extraction sites and land grabbing through legal loopholes are only a few of the ways that communities worldwide are being exploited. When they stand up, the issues they raise may be locally specific, but the systemic flaws they point out of excess environmental exploitation unify us behind our common cause for climate justice. I recently came across a case that highlights these connections. The Ogoni people from Nigeria have been subject to exploitation from

big corporations ever since oil was discovered there in the 1950s. By 1993, the oil extractions had caused pollution that poisoned the fields and rivers, destroying many Ogoni people’s livelihoods. After they organised non-violent protests against the environmental pollution in 1993, the Nigerian military government at the time used excessive violence to oppress the protesters. Many Ogoni people were killed in the following clashes, and nine men, including the resistance leader Ken Saro-Wiwa, were arrested for the alleged killing of four Ogoni chiefs. The case and its trial are internationally considered unlawful by NGOs such as Amnesty International. The nine men suffered beatings and torture in custody and were all pronounced guilty in what has since been labelled a sham trial, and then sentenced to be hanged. They were executed on the 10th November 1995. Now, Esther Kiobel, the widow of one of the Ogoni 9, is taking on Shell in a Dutch court case in Den Haag to examine Shell’s complicity in the murder of these men. Killings are not an uncommon practice in many parts of the world. Extractionism is fuelled by greed and often leads to severe oppression and violence towards those who stand up against the destruction it causes. In 2018 alone, 168 environmental activists were killed for protecting our planet. This data only

The Boomerang | November 2019

FEATURE SPREAD

For XR

by Gideon Frey

approaching. It is not something that is easy to think about and I still don’t really feel the impact of the lines I am writing, but, at least in theory, many agree that something drastic has to happen now – everything else is a question about tactics. And there is much to question; much of the criticism towards XR comes out of a clamouring to a no longer viable status quo, an instinctive dismissal towards any civil disobedience or ideal of social change that offends ‘polite society’ (as most democracies were famously

established on rights won by not antagonising). To this one can only ever ask what the alternative is. The burden lies with that person to show what else might work – what tactic has a serious chance of working? That is not to say that XR is perfect. It is deeply bound up in

its mostly white, middleclass and privileged student demographic, it can seem a bit cultish and, yes, some can forget that there are other social causes which don’t affect them. But those are calls to improve, not stop; XR is something that is necessary, and its mission has to be successful, for both their supporters and their critics.

by Nathalie Simons, Marie Cornelissen and Manar El Amrani “Act now” is XR’s slogan, illustrating the rebellion’s principal goal. By now, it is clear that climate change poses environmental risks beyond anything seen in the modern age. These people often operate under time pressure, this often results in hastened, not well-considered decisions. Hence, the slogan demanding immediate action, simply cannot be f u l f i l l e d successfully. Governments are unable to take action w i t h such

short notice, a n d although they have had a few decades to act, they have not done so. I t is clear that our entire economic system has to be revised. Government reports the possibility of a 10 percent hit to GDP because of global warming, reducing everyone’s incomes by a tenth. In reality, there is likely to be enormous variance in the economic impact people experience depending on where they live, and what kind of jobs they have.

Moreover, adaptation climate change will most likely be far harder for the poor than for the affluent. Thus, while legal methods, alongside policies and global governance, could implement solutions, doing this now seems to be an unreachable goal. One fundamental problem that undermines the whole concept of XR is their theory of change. Recent research has shown that XR is based only on a restricted and non-critical number of social science publications. More seriously, their understanding of the social science literature is flawed. We should not disregard their whole strategy, but their misunderstanding of the research is clearly seen in their inability to perceive the limitation of their movement. XR’s co-founder, Roger Hallam, has been at the centre of criticism for claiming climate change “is threatening the very existence of the human race”. Something that, according to scientists, is not supported by clear-cut evidence. The last problem that can be identified relates to the background of many of XR’s ‘rebels’. Namely, this background seems to be oddly similar in many circumstances. The rebels are usually white and from the upper-middle class. This is a problem, as the movement thus reflects the concerns, priorities and ideas of this background: those of white middle class people from rich, Western countries. Whereas it is mostly the people from the Global South who will have to deal with the effects of climate change, Extinction Rebellion is not drawing much attention to how the climate crisis is already affecting people in that part of the world right now.

Illustration ©Summer Gadd

Any discussion about Extinction Rebellion must begin with two simple facts. Firstly, that we are in the midst of a sneaking climate crisis. Even conservative estimates demand fundamental changes to our society that go beyond noble life changes such as cycling, recycling or other alterations in consumer behaviour. Secondly, governments, for a myriad of reasons, have shown an inability or even unwillingness to start even a fraction of what would be necessary to ensure a stable environment for our near future. Neither technological innovation, going vegan, voting green or traditional forms of advocacy have worked – we have failed and as of now there is no light at the end of the tunnel we’re fast

Against XR

A University College Student Association Magazine

FEATURE SPREAD

“Rebel Rebel, you’ve torn your dress” by Kathi Elshorst

Illustrations©Vedika Luthra

Here I was, huddled together on the floor, my head on a friend’s lap, amongst the most incredible, outside-the-box thinking people I could wish for, in the secret XR back-office, no phones allowed, provided to us by a sympathetic organization with fancy desk spaces. There I was, after our main plan of the blockade in front of the Rijksmuseum, months of work, had fallen apart in front of our eyes. It had made headlines in the biggest national newspapers, TV shows, had gotten international attention. And now, it was on us to organize the new big action that was going to end rebellion week with a bang in only a couple of days. The pressure was real. After waking up at 4am on a Monday morning, starting the blockade, coordinating the whole day through, being bussed away to the edge of Amsterdam. And then coming back and spontaneously coordinating the second blockade, just to be carried away by the police again 10 minutes later, seeing my friend being treated horribly by the officers, ending up at the edge of Amsterdam again. And the next day finding myself in a bunker in a park, discussing our next steps in emergency mode, coordinating a whole plan for an action, having to overthrow the whole

plan because there was a police informant in our midst. Going to plan B, gluing my hand to my buddy’s hand, running up to an energy company that has specialized in greenwashing and gluing my other hand to the entry of their building. Police showing up, negotiations starting, singing and chanting, being fed by strangers and getting a massage from friends. And at the end of the day, trying to dance it all out with a pianist at a train station piano. Yes, the pressure was on, and it was only day three. So, on Saturday, I was biked to Blauwbrug, seeing XR flags in the distance and only a few police cars. As soon as there were more people, more police vans showed up and we knew it needed to happen now. Overcoming that one anxious moment of stepping onto the street but then seeing everyone follow and taking the bridge together. All I felt was gratitude and happiness. Dancing to ‘Rebel Rebel’ by David Bowie and jumping into the arms of all the people who had been working their butts off over the last couple of months. I locked arms on the front lines and sang with the crowd. The police had to leave their family and be here on their weekend. I felt sorry about the fact that the government sent them to us

rather than owning up to their responsibility of protecting the citizens of the Netherlands and everyone else who lives here, and accepting the demands we set them to protect the life on this Earth. The preparations for Rebel Without Borders were stressful and exhausting but so rewarding, and the process forged so many great human connections. The protests of Extinction Rebellion might be controversial but I think there is one thing we can all agree on: We can’t continue emitting CO2 into our atmosphere and destroying our biodiversity. Something needs to change, otherwise we could be facing catastrophic consequences that will affect us all, within our generation. I believe in Extinction Rebellion and what it stands for. I believe in the power of the people and that change for the better is possible. We can change the course that our planet is on and we can create this community that looks after each other as well as the environment. I’ve seen the first glimpses of that future with Extinction Rebellion.

Thoughts and Feelings of a Climate Activist by Inѐs Stamatiadis

“We are with you! We are with you!”. The words echo in my ears as I am sitting in the rain on the wet hard concrete ground of the Blauwbrug bridge. They tell me that another rebel is taken, and the second bus of arrestees is quickly filling up. I tighten my grip on my neighbors’ arms and legs in a desperate attempt to solidify the weakening barricade, as I now find myself in the first line: I know it’s only a matter of time before the police take me too. The second city bus leaves and there is a brief moment of relief while the police wait for another one to stack us in; the vans are no longer big enough. Suddenly, the officers get back to work, approaching rebels and trying to intimidate them, before taking them away by force. They work their way from the sides of the bridge, until they finally reach me.“People gonna rise like the water”– I sing at the top of my lungs, trying to ignore the officer talking to me in dutch – “we’re gonna face this crisis now”– two more policemen approach me – “I hear the voice of my great grand-daughter” – they grab me by my arms and legs and start carrying me

away – “singing climate justice NOW”. I don’t stop singing until they drop me at the feet of two other officers who take my information and search me. I was prepared for this moment, yet my hands shake as I hand them my ID. When I walk into the bus, I see familiar faces and I’m greeted with warm smiles, food and drinks. On the way to the police station the chants continue, people are laughing and passing around cookies. Who knew getting arrested could be so fun? I think to myself as we pull into the parking lot of the Station Bijlmeer. But the police are overwhelmed, and what began as fun soon becomes the opposite. We are kept in the bus with no heating and little seating for over an hour, before finally being processed in groups of 4. A makeshift processing station was set up outside i n an attempt to keep up with the unusual number of arrestees. After a very low-cost mugshot (taken on the police officer’s phone) and a quick legal check, we are rushed into the station and I am brought to cell 513, my home

for the day. I sit down on the single mattress exhausted from my long day… it’s only 13:30. My cellmate is also French, and we hit it off right away. She can’t tell me her name because she’s keeping her anonymity, but she tells me to call her “orange bear”. After a while (we have no way of telling if it is minutes or hours later), a third person is added to our cell, and we are now three in a room designed for one. Despite our long insightful conversations, I start feeling anxious. The room looks smaller than it did before, almost as if the walls have been closing in. The more I think about it, the more anxious I get. I am panicking because of the unknown. I don’t know where I am, and when I will be back home. I don’t know how long I’ve been in here for and for how I will remain here. But more importantly, I don’t know if my efforts will pay off, or if getting arrested is so insignificant that it won’t change a thing in the world. I am panicking because of the uncertainty of my future, because of a feeling of hopelessness and uselessness. I am panicking because of the global environmental crisis, and how little is being done to combat it.

FEATURE SPREAD

The Boomerang | November 2019

XR: Personal Anecdotes by Gideon Frey

It’s 4 am and the train to Amsterdam is slowly filling with people carrying camping equipment, wearing a mix of tiredness, excitement and, at least for me, not so well-hidden nervousness on their face. We are getting ready for the Extinction Rebellion protests in Amsterdam; preparing to act in civil disobedience to push the government to seriously face global warming as a crisis these are some of the stories and impressions of UCU students at Extinction Rebellion’s Rebels without Borders week. What did you do there? Kathi: I was only supposed to be a normal participant but since a lot of my friends were coordinators of the blockade, I took over one of the walky talkies when plans eventually went wrong, and started coordinating and sending people around the blockade. Eventually I sat in with them and just chanted at the top of my lungs. Dutch protesters are quiet protesters but to keep the spirits high it’s more fun to sing loudly and passionately. After I was bussed off, we heard that the first blockade was down but that there was another spontaneous blockade on the east side of the Rijksmuseum. There, one of the coordinators came to me and told me that it was too dangerous for him to stay there (mind you, if you’re an ‘organizer’ of an illegal action it’s much more dangerous if you get arrested because the penalty is much higher) So he asked me to take over the blockade. So that’s what I did…on the first day. Anonymous: I was there on Monday, got arrested and spent most of my time that day in a single cell until I got released at 11 in the evening. Ada: I was there for two days, doing Arrestee support. That means ensuring that when someone was released from police holding, they were greeted and had a friendly atmosphere around them – that mainly meant lots of giving hugs, food and love. What’s your favourite memory? Anonymous: In the blockade there was this almost magical feeling of togetherness and I just instantly made friends with this stranger just because we were standing next to each other – everywhere you would look, people would always smile back at you.

Ada: I don’t have a single best memory, it’s all just a big blur of hectic and chaotic stuff happening but I just met a lot of interesting and cool people. Gideon: Before being led into the prison we waited outside for about 1-2 hours and so we just decided to play games and sang in a cannon for 10 minutes straight – that felt magical. Kathi: I was one of the people who glued themselves to the entrance of the Vatenfall energy company. I sat there for several hours unable to use both of my hands but the support of wellbeing and my friends made the whole experience lovely even though I was in an uncomfortable position. I was given massages; people came around with water and food every couple of minutes. That is no over exaggeration; I was fed countless cookies, mandarins, soup and tea. Someone came by with their dogs, who also gave us a cuddle and a lick. Everything is always made better if you have a great buddy who you are glued together with and you sing together and lean against each other for all the support. How was the atmosphere? Ann-Maj: Atmosphere of power, passion and togetherness. Anonymous: Unified and powerful. Gideon: Magical and wholesome with a constant feeling of genuine and unconditional love around. How did people you know react to you going to an illegal protest? Anonymous: I live in a bit of an environmentally-conscious bubble so most reactions were very positive and supportive. My parents were really proud of me. Gideon: My family gave me a huge virtual high five, except now some friends and my grandparent think that i have been radicalised into a militarist cult... Ada: Most people were curious and supportive but some got very defensive and argumentative. The police at some point also started to put people on busses and bring them far away, how was that? Ann-Maj: Being bussed away was also a very intense experience, in a really good way, it was

a bus full of energy and spirit. What was being arrested like? Ann-Maj: Honestly, I would give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars. The arrest felt quite disorganised, it was boring at times, but still kept the sense of togetherness with all the rebels also arrested. Anonymous: The staff there weren’t disrespectful or rude but still it was just not something I was mentally prepared for. It’s an eerie experience being treated as a criminal and as someone who has broken the law even if that is what I did – it was definitely not a nice experience for me. It was also this strong contrast between how powerful, warm and unified we felt during the blockade, and how lonely you are being alone in a cell for 8 hours where suddenly your freedom is taken away for a bit. Suddenly you are powerless, cold and isolated – for me that was a very confusing opposition. Gideon: As a mostly well-behaved middle class kid you don’t really expect to see the insides of a prison cell, and I was hit with strong cognitive dissonance between a strong bourgeois moralism that made me feel like I was a bad person and a strong feeling of having the moral high ground. It would have been an incredibly shitty experience if I weren’t constantly surrounded by supportive and loving people. Kathi: Going to prison is an experience that really highlights my privilege as a white middle class woman – for the most part it was a great, the staff laughed and talked with me. We joked around with them, we chanted on the bus and even refused to leave the bus when we arrived but they never harmed me and when we waited to get processed, they brought us coffee and snickers. I mean, it doesn't get more privileged than that. But on top of that, I was anonymous, so they could have kept me there for 21 hours but they only kept me for 7 which also would definitely have been different if I looked anything but European. Ann-Maj: Overall it was also a time to reflect and think about not only what was going on but also why, it’s easy to get caught up in the action itself and not concentrate on the climate crisis that we are fighting for.

Comic © Annelise van den Akker

A University College Student Association Magazine

XR Blockade in Paris Photo Collage by Meike Eijsberg

It was around 5PM that the French Extinction Rebellion blockade began. People of all ages flooded towards the busy Place du Châtelet. Within an hour, a total of seven streets had been blocked off, and the square had been transformed into a fully functioning camp. Everything was there: tents, toilets, hammocks, libraries filled with eco-literature, and even a little medical wagon. At sunset, energy levels rose. Choirs chanted, trumpets blasted, and everyone danced. The Pont au Change became an open-air club, with DJs playing the new tune “Plus chaud que le climat,” as a human-sized balloon, with the words ‘Give a fuck’, bounced around. The blockade remained in place for a week, after which they moved West, towards the Assemblée Nationale. It’s safe to say that the French Rebels succeeded: they left no trash, only an impression. Instagram: @photographybymeike

FEATURE SPREAD

The Boomerang | November 2019

The Ultimate Sustainable Fashion Guide by Melissa Watt

that for a reason. Brands are pumping out 52 micro-seasons a year, producing 80 billion pieces of clothing, placing a huge strain on the earth’s resources. The most sustainable garment is actually the one already hanging in your wardrobe! Social media is fast fashion’s greatest ally, as it thrives off materialism and low self-esteem. It creates a pressure to stay on trend and avoid “repeat outfits”. And let’s not forget the greatest fashion sin known to man: uploading an outfit pic more than once to the gram. When you stop buying from fast fashion brands, you become more attached to the clothes already in your wardrobe. You take the time to hang them up and read the washing instructions. You find new, versatile ways to style your clothes, so that each wear holds a new memory. Above all, embracing repeat fashion saves you time, energy and money. Parting ways An easy mistake to make is to suddenly throw out all of your high-street branded clothes out of shame. Sadly, too many clothes are finding their way to a landfill or incinerator, so try to donate unwanted garments to a clothes bank near you. If you’re trying to be more conscious of what you own, a brilliant place to start is decluttering and reorganising your wardrobe. Knowing exactly what you own maximises your outfit choices and reduces repetitive purchases. You’ll probably find pieces you forgot you owned, pieces you can alter and pieces you want to give away. You could swap clothes with a friend or at a swap shop for something new. Alternatively, you could upcycle or repair your old clothes, or rent them with apps like Hurr. Or you could simply sell any unloved clothes on Depop for some extra cash. Shopping second hand Talking of Depop, shopping second hand is sustainable fashion in a nutshell. You’re giving a new lease of life to a pre-loved garment, and although thrift shopping is a bit of a treasure hunt, the prize is always worth the journey. If you’re after something more specific, Ebay and Depop are great places to find stylish, branded

pieces without directly funding the fast fashion industry.

" And let’s not forget the greatest fashion sin known to man: uploading an outfit pic more than once to the gram'" Considering your purchases We do, however, ultimately need to be more vigilant with our purchases. The next time you find yourself in a changing room, ask yourself these three questions: do I really need new clothes? Will I get enough wear out of this and do I (or a loved one) already have something similar in my wardrobe? Challenge yourself to leave the store empty handed and, if you’re still obsessing over it a week later, go back and buy it. We should only purchase things we truly love and need. Supporting ethical, sustainable brands If you’re really after something new, try to support sustainable, ethical brands and independent designers. Some people are put off by the larger price tag, but it’s not that sustainable fashion is necessarily expensive; fast fashion is just dirt cheap. It boils down to us not valuing our clothes enough or the time and effort that went into making them. With greenwashing on the rise, it can be hard to determine whether a brand is genuinely sustainable. Some useful things to look out for are the materials a brand is using, where their clothes are made and the cost of their garments. It’s also worth looking out for certifications (like Fairtrade, the Fair Wear Foundation or the Soil Association) or a concrete Social Responsibility Policy. Sustainable brands will always be open about their supply chain. If you’re really unsure, contact the brand for clarity and campaign while you’re at it! Useful Resources Fashion Revolution: a global organisation striving for a more transparent industry. Good on You: a mobile app which filters brand based on your own ethics. Slow Fashion Exchange: a Facebook forum for like-minded consumers. The True Cost: a must-see film about the clothes we wear and the people who make them. To Die For: an eye-opening read on the impacts of fast fashion.

Illustrations©Vedika Luthra

In a world of fast fashion, we’re continuously judged for the way we look, dress and what we own. Dig deeper and you’ll find polluted rivers, underpaid garment workers and human rights violations. It’s this which remains removed from our everyday lives, overwhelmed by the affordability and convenience of high street fashion. But if we take a second to consider where our clothes come from, the reality is quite unsettling. How exactly can mainstream brands justify their low prices? Through exploitative cheap labour, unsafe working conditions, long working hours and poor environmental output. Slow and sustainable fashion may just be the antidote to this. Sustainable fashion is a movement dedicated to making more environmentally and socially responsible fashion choices. Simply put, it’s all about getting the most out of our clothes. It’s about reducing our environmental footprint in the manufacturing, transportation and purchasing of clothes; it’s about reducing the number of garments that end up discarded in a landfill after just a few wears, and about supporting businesses who truly care about the planet and their employees. Sustainable fashion attempts to right the wrongs of fast fashion, which is a polluting and wasteful industry. Environmentally, fast fashion is a key driver of land degradation, water pollution and global carbon emissions. But our fast fashion addiction also comes at a terrible human cost. The majority of our clothes are made in developing countries where garment workers often have very little rights or say. They labour in unsafe conditions for an average of 90 hours a week, barely earning minimum wage. Old clothes, fresh perspective At the heart of slow, sustainable fashion is rediscovering the clothes you already own. There’s a common misconception that if a garment is made from sustainable materials by workers earning a living wage, we can continuously buy from these companies without harming the planet. Fast fashion is called just

A University College Student Association Magazine

FEATURE SPREAD

Exclusive Rebellion by Mathilde Panis-Jones

Illustration © Sofie Ryan

The more I read up on the progress Extinction Rebellion has made in terms of not only its methods of activism, but also its inclusivity, the less I think I should be on the criticism side of the argument. But I do believe that, as with all institutions, and especially an ever-expanding activist group like XR, some time should be taken to criticize its ways in order to become even more fruitful in the accomplishment of its goals. The activist group has laid its foundations, and has done a great job at that, but now it needs to grow – and the only way it can do that is by broadening not only its message, but also the reach of this very

message. Even though the people most affected by climate change aren't wealthy or white, the world's biggest climate crisis movement doesn’t feel all that inclusive. Civil disobedience for decarbonization of government and lifestyle should strive to to be linked with, framed around, and built upon issues of equality, justice, migration, and international struggle. The willingness of XR’s participants to get arrested displays a feeling of safety around the police, a privilege many people of color do not have. They’re protesting in a way that’s culturally relevant to them, just not to everyone else who would like to participate. Perhaps their over-reliance on peaceful arrest as a non-violent tactic displays a sort of insensitivity to the institutional racism of law enforcement across the West, and many people of color’s awareness about the disparate risks they face dealing with the police is not acknowledged. And it might feel, rightfully so, like white folk are using their privilege to benefit a good cause, making it their role to stand up for people of color, and take the lead. But shouldn’t a strategic, well-organized aligned action like that of XR involve people of color at the start

of the decision-making process? Extinction Rebellion emphasizes the fact that the climate crisis goes beyond personal and global politics: the issue must be depoliticized. Fair enough. But I’m not sure that’s entirely truthful. At least not in the world we are living in today. It is political when certain groups are affected more than others, when it is seen as a privilege to worry about the environment, when ongoing wars are displacing millions, and when governments need to get involved. While XR’s attempt to depoliticise is noble and logical in an aim to reach a broader range of participants, it still manages to exclude key members of the community, and especially those most affected by the climate crisis. And while it seems to be more of a result of ignorance than malice, I believe XR might need to steer away from away from its sterile and privileged foundations in order to grow. The climateshaming and (inadvertent) exclusion must be remedied with a willingness to encompass new attitudes, new methods, new voices. And this is not to say that the work of XR isn’t extremely remarkable, virtuous, impactful, and successful. It truly is. And I’m genuinely so thankful for it. But progress is always feasible and should be strived for; and in this case, it seems essential.

Dearest Campus, I hope you have been surviving the approach of winter; your freezing cold hands gripping your bike’s handlebars because you forget to buy gloves every year, walking home from your afternoon classes in the dark, keeping the radiator on for unsustainable periods of time… Speaking of sustainability, I would like to very smoothly transition into introducing you to this month’s Boomerang. Inside, you will find a rather large feature on activist group Extinction Rebellion, an article on how to shop more sustainably, and an exploration of the emotions attached to climate change. All of this quite conveniently coincides with Sustainability Week here at UCU, so if anything, let us try to at least be more mindful of the impact we can have. For example, when you’re done with this edition of the Boomerang (printed on recycled paper using wind energy printers), maybe recycle it instead of throwing it away. Or, even better, reuse it! Instead of stealing toilet paper from the academic buildings again, try using the Boomerang; it might be a bit uncomfortable, but at least it is sustainable, and we don’t mind, honestly! All jokes aside, I have been feeling very disillusioned because of climate anxiety recently. I believe that the only way to tackle disillusionment is through becoming more informed, and in that way, learning what it is we can do about it all. We hope that this edition can accomplish that a little bit for you, but if not, at least you have gained the equivalent of a couple rolls of TP. Yours always, Saskia Vrensen Editor-in-Chief

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The Boomerang | November 2019

“You wouldn’t get it” JOKER reviewed by Harry Mills

Ìllustration © Sofie Ryan

Since before its release in early October, “Joker”, directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck/Joker, has been mired in controversy, with critics lampooning the movie for its social irresponsibility. By humanising its protagonist, critics claim, the movie appears to justify and even glorify the violence he commits, and risks empowering incels and others who feel that they too are marginalised by society to commit similar acts of violence (read: mass shootings). I argue that such criticism is not only misguided, but underlies far more profound structural problems within US society. First off, the movie’s humanisation of the Joker’s character, although controversial, is ultimately beneficial as it gives insight into the experience of similarly marginalised people, and thereby challenges dominant, yet inadequate perceptions of their motivations and behaviour. An example of such a flawed yet pervasive way of thinking is offered by a Time critic who argues that “it’s not as if we don’t know how this pathology works: in America there’s a mass shooting or attempted act of violence by guys like Arthur practically every other week.” I would argue that the fact that there are such acts of violence every other week in the US precisely demonstrates that the pathology of their perpetrators is not adequately understood, or that at least there are no effective measures in place to address this issue. I think that this dismissive criticism, which seems to imply “we already know these people are just fucked up losers,” is overly simplistic, marginalising, and deterministic. It completely ignores the entire point of the movie, which shows that Fleck, an already disadvantaged indi-

vidual as a result of his mental illness and poverty, is driven to despair by the brutal and sustained marginalisation inflicted upon him at the hands of individuals and structures within society. At any point, he could have been averted from his tragic trajectory by an act of compassion or effective institutional help. Thus, such dehumanising criticism runs counter to the movie’s call for understanding, and can in fact be

seem so hauntingly realistic if pharmaceutical companies did not have unchecked lobbying power, or if the US had an effective and affordable healthcare system, like practically every other country in the developed world. Surely the idea of the poor rising up and killing the rich would be a far more ridiculous concept if the US had a tax system that effectively redistributed wealth, instead of giving billionaires

Agony Aunt Dear agony aunt, A lot of my unitmates are Dutch, and this means that at the weekends, the unit is almost always empty. I am a homebody and love being at home, but do you have any tips on how to make an empty unit less lonely? Dear Anon, Now this is a very obvious point, but I would really suggest trying to make friends outside of your unit - preferably non-Dutch as they are less likely to leave so frequently - as you can always pop over to theirs when your unit is abandoned for much needed human interaction. Taking this to another level, try and organise a few trips! I’m not saying you should be hopping on international flights every weekend, but even going for a day trip to other places around the Netherlands could be a fab way to fill your time whilst raking in those culture points. In terms of making an empty unit homely, my number one tip would be to kill the silence. Invest in a speaker or simply place your phone in an empty cup (#lifehacks) and play your music loud and proud; the best part is, it can be any music you want - because no one is there to hear it. So blast out those cheesy hits without shame my friend, it’s your inner singer’s time to shine. Dear agony aunt, I went on a date with a Dutch guy, and I sort of offered to pay for dinner, but he gracefully paid the bill. The next morning, I woke up to a tikkie notification for half the dinner - should I be offended, or is this normal?

seen as perpetuating the same cycles of marginalisation and retaliation it purports to condemn. In addition, I would argue that fear and concerns that a mere movie could have such dire and destructive repercussions in reality underlies more profound structural problems within US society. Surely this fictitious portrayal of gun violence would be less threatening if the US implemented anything that even faintly resembled effective gun control. Surely the prospect of a drug addled Fleck, addicted to medication for his mental illness, would not

tax cuts and further perpetuating gross inequality. Thus, I would argue that critics of “Joker” oversimplify and mischaracterise the movie’s central message and that, far from being socially irresponsible, the movie helps challenge dominant assumptions, with the potential to spark conversation and societal change. Idealistic maybe, but that’s life.

Dear Anon, I have to get it out there - I am all for splitting the bill and think the notion that a man should pay is outdated and pretty patronising to be honest BUT - the fact that you did offer to pay, he denied that, and then sent you an online request for the money without so much as a message first, is kinda off. I don’t think you should be offended, as I highly doubt he meant it as a reflection of your date, but I also don’t think it’s exactly normal. It might be weird to bring things up now, so the only thing I can really suggest is that if date number 2 comes around, make sure to have that ‘who is paying this thing’ conversation. Even though it may be awkward, it won’t come close to the awkwardness of that post date notification.

A University College Student Association Magazine

CULTURE The Black Friday Madness and its Economic Theories

Ìllustration © Sofie Ryan

by Natalie Borcea, for EconCo

We have all either heard of, seen or participated in Black Friday: slowly, this day happening right after Thanksgiving in the US, has spread out to other countries in the world too. Stores sell a huge variety of products for the lowest prices imaginable and people rush to the shops or even line up outside of them the night before. But beware, Black Friday is not without risks; the count of deaths recorded due to Black Friday madness has counted 10 people in the last 10 years (in the United States). Because of the violence of this day, articles have been written about ‘black-eye Friday’, while companies are simply cashing in the huge profits they make. But how does Black Friday drive up the profits that much? Why do people keep falling for these sales and keep rushing to the stores? First of all, we should give an explanation on how companies make these insane profits while handing out discounts left and right. The idea is that when we go to the store to buy ourselves a new laptop for Christmas, no one will actually leave the store with just that laptop. Have you ever been to Ikea just to buy some plants, and found yourself at the register with said plants

AND coloured pillows AND a new tea-pot AND new Christmas lights? This is exactly how Black Friday works. While you are being lured into the shops by huge discounts on big items that you wouldn’t just buy at any time, you also need to look for a laptop case, but maybe you also want a new mouse and a mouse-pad… and suddenly you see many other articles that you didn’t come for. Many people simply cannot resist. This economic theory is called the ‘loss leading’ concept. The discounted laptops that these companies are selling you might not give them that much profit, but they make up for it in all the additional, smaller items every customer adds to their list. Secondly, every company has a broad range of customers. The economic theory of price discrimination states that while the companies enjoy profits due to their regular customers all year round, Black Friday is the perfect opportunity for other customers to come in, and spend the amount of money they think

is worth the purchase; the product’s price but discounted by like 70%!! Another thing, is that when Black Friday started in the US, it was perfect timing; people would have the days after Thanksgiving off and would actually have the time to go shopping. And, what was even better was that Christmas was right around the corner! So everyone would get ready to find those perfect (discounted) Christmas gifts for their friends, parents, grandparents, cousins, nieces, nephews… maybe even neighbours, since everything was on sale anyways. Since so many of these products were gifts, it also made returning the products way harder; a gift is a gift and no matter how much you dislike it… you will not go to the store to return it. So all in all, while Black Friday drives most people crazy (what if this product will never be THIS cheap AGAIN? I have to buy it now!!), and while it has blown over to many other countries, now that you know what lays behind it, you might think twice about whether you really, really need another set of fairy-lights for your room or if your dad really wants another pair of Christmas socks as a gift. Even if they are on sale.

The Holy Grail of Nuclear Energy by Julie Clar In April, French scientist Gérard Mourou presented a technique that could reduce the radioactivity of nuclear waste from a million years to just a few minutes. He received the 2018 Nobel Prize for working on a high-intensity laser that was initially limited to eye surgery. If the intensity of the laser were to be further increased, it could potentially eliminate nuclear waste in the coming decade. Mourou believes that this laser, which produces the shortest and most intense laser pulses ever created, could indeed revolutionize nuclear energy forever. Despite its controversy, nuclear energy is responsible for around 14% of the world’s electricity. Many countries are building increasingly more nuclear power plants, especially China is aiming to become the world’s leading nuclear energy producer. As a result, handling nuclear waste has become a focus of international research. Nuclear power is produced by breaking strong chemical bonds that hold atoms together. This releases energy, which in turn generates heat and strong radiation. This heat

is then directed to a cooling agent, usually water, which produces steam that spins the turbine of a generator, thereby producing electricity. Some consider nuclear energy as a long-term solution to climate change while the majority

"The shortest and most intense laser pulses ever created, could indeed revolutionize nuclear energy" forever." is wary of the risks associated with its use. Although nuclear energy is not renewable, it is more environmentally friendly than coal or gas as it does not rely on fossil fuels. In fact, the amount of greenhouse gases have decreased by almost half due to the prevalence of nuclear energy. Renewable energy sources such as solar or wind have not yet proven themselves as viable solutions to meet wide scale energy needs. Conversely, one of the most appealing reasons

for nuclear energy is its high energy density. The energy released through nuclear reaction is 10 million times greater than the energy released by fossil fuels. However, many cannot overlook the devastating consequences of a nuclear accident such as Chernobyl or Fukushima. Additionally, no country claims to have found a long-lasting solution for managing toxic waste, which remains radioactive for countless years. As of today, nuclear waste is stored somewhere underground or in water in order to contain its radioactivity. The most expensive part of nuclear energy is waste storage, estimated at over $100 billion. If its disposal was facilitated by Mourou’s laser, nuclear energy would also be much cheaper than its alternatives considering the low operating and maintenance costs of power plants. Upgrading Mourou’s laser remains a dream for the time being, but its development could pave the way for a more sustainable world.

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The Boomerang | November 2019

Stan’s Sad Boy Songs :(

The End of a Decade by Stanley Ward It’s been a decade. 10 years. The 2010s are coming to a close, and as we stare, like a deer in headlights at the oncoming year of 2020, we ask ourselves the most important question - what’ve we been listening to? In no particular order, here’s my abbreviated list of favourite albums released this decade. Turn up the stereo, make a cup of tea, and ride out the last few weeks of the 2010s listening to some real good stuff. 5. Car Seat Headrest - Twin Fantasy (Face to Face) Twin Fantasy is my favourite example of a good rock record that still feels relevant and innovative. While Teens of Denial, the band’s breakout album, was more tightly structured, the choice to follow up with an album of re-recorded older material serves to provide a really strong emotional core to the album. While the bulk of the album remains the same as the 2011 version, the 2018 release has reworked more mature lyrics, and an incredible improvement in production. Twin Fantasy is both epic and sprawling in scale, while remaining incredibly intimate. 4. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly No best of list is complete without Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 masterpiece. To illustrate, in his book Perfect Sound Whatever comedian and music lover James Acaster begins his thesis that 2016 was the best year in music history by coining what he calls the “To Pimp a Butterfly Effect.’ This is the idea that because TPAB was so incredibly executed, that after hearing it many musicians delayed their 2015 releases to further perfect them so as not to be left behind.

It’s a densely instrumented, genre-bending opus beloved by anyone that hears it. 3. Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop - Love Letter for Fire A collaboration between Iron and Wine’s Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop’s Love Letter for Fire is not only an amazing alternative folk album, but an example of how two artists can push each other to create something greater than the sum of its parts. Beam benefits from Hoop’s more experimental approaches to rhythm and melody, while Hoop’s more angular and harsher songwriting and lyricism is perfectly complemented by Beam’s softer sentimentality. On the track Chalk it up to Chi, the pair make use of having two singers to create a theatrical exchange between two clashing personalities. Finally, Hoop benefits from working on a higher budget project, just in terms of recording quality - the recordings on this album are for me the best representation of her amazing live performances, and the production is interesting and beautifully understated. 2. Matthew E. White - Fresh Blood / Natalie Prass - The Future and the Past I’m grouping these two artists together as they are both part of the incredibly tight Virginia-based label Spacebomb, where everything is done in-house. It’s likely that the same musicians played on both of these albums, and Prass and White are frequent collaborators. And I like a list of 5, OK? For me both Prass and White embody classic songwriting styles that can only age well. On Fresh Blood, White’s gentle but soulful

voice is accompanied by beautiful and tasteful instrumentation, with excellent horn, string and woodwind arrangements. It showcases multiple songwriting styles and has a timeless feel. Similarly on Prass’ patriarchy-smashing The Future and The Past, Prass combines her delicate high vocal range with both deep grooves (Hot for the Mountain is a personal favourite) and powerful slow numbers. It’s an excellent record about a country in crisis, while also paying homage to Prass’ musical influences. 1. Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker What do I like more than songs about being sad? Songs about death. Leonard Cohen knew death was imminent, and created one of the decades’ most poignant and poetic records. This man knew how to say goodbye. The record is both funny and heartbreaking, reflective and also carefree. While the opening title track, with its haunting choir and thumping bass is powerful and assured, the album’s tone changes each song, finishing with a reprise of the album’s second song, the heart wrenching Treaty. On the lighter numbers, the strings are elegant and dignified, and the guitars are subtle but still biting. Throughout the whole thing, the signature sound is Cohen’s voice-its signature gravel is the deepest, lowest and roughest it has ever been. This album stands as a marker in time - an ‘I was here.’ As time leaves us behind, and this decade closes, as will the next, what more is there to do.

The Stewdent Chef Recipe: Broccoli Stem Soup by Michelle Verstraaten I once bought a head of broccoli, used up all the florets in stir-fries and was left with a bare stem. I became curious about whether that could be eaten too. After a little internet research, I discovered that a soup made from the stem of a broccoli was a feasible option, so I proceeded to cook that without following any particular recipe, as I like to do. Now you might’ve known for ages that the stem of a broccoli plant is edible but I certainly didn’t, so for those of you who need some tips for reducing food waste, here’s how I made the soup: Ingredients Stem of 1 broccoli (with dry ends removed), sliced or chopped ½ onion, sliced or chopped ½ clove of garlic, sliced or chopped 1 small potato, sliced or chopped About 250ml water Cream or coconut milk (optional) Vegetable stock and salt to taste

Directions 1. In a saucepan over medium heat, fry the onion and garlic for a few minutes until translucent and fragrant. 2. Add the potato and broccoli stem. Season with salt and vegetable stock, stir, and continue to fry for a few minutes until slightly browned and softened. 3. Add hot water and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for several minutes until vegetables are tender. 4. Blend with a hand blender until smooth. Adjust seasoning and thickness as desired. If you have cream or coconut milk on hand, you can stir in a little of that too. Enjoy with toast or sautéed potatoes. Serves 1. Note: If you can’t get hold of a hand blender or prefer not to use one, just chop up the vegetables into small cubes and simmer in stock to make a broccoli broth.

A University College Student Association Magazine

CULTURE

Ali Smith’s Visit to UCU

by Saskia Vrensen

This year’s One Book One Campus selection, Autumn, is part three of a quartet written by Ali Smith. The campus-wide initiative, organised by our very own Agnes Andeweg, was a huge success this year, ending on a reading and Q&A in front of a full auditorium. She also conducted a session with some UCU literature classes, which I was lucky enough to attend. When Ali Smith walked into a literature class in Newton C, she seemed rather unassuming. You probably wouldn’t guess that she is actually a successful author of short stories, novels and plays. She has been referred to as “Scotland’s Nobel laureate-in-waiting’, and my mum was incredibly jealous that I could meet her. My mother’s jealousy was well-founded; the intimate discussion session that I attended, during which we discussed Smith’s novel Autumn, was thought-provoking and I was utterly star-struck by Smith’s intelligence, imagination, and her ability to verbalise both. Smith never has particular intentions for the novels she writes, or for how they should be interpreted; in her words, “books choose us”. Autumn chose Smith during the turmoil of the Brexit referendum, and it quickly became coined as the first post-Brexit novel, despite the B word not once being explicitly referred to throughout. The first scene of the book, in which sunbathers watch on as bodies get

washed up on the shore, speaks of the departure from hospitality that Smith has noticed in Britain. This quality that was once held so dear decades ago has disappeared, and in its place is graffiti reading ‘Go Home’. Smith questions how we got here, a place where blind eyes are constantly turned, and she calls for a return to human decency; “if someone gets washed up on a shore and you don’t help that person: shame, shame, shame”.

"All of the lives juxtaposed and repasted, here, together" Autumn is not only about Brexit. It is about an older man named Daniel Gluck (pronounced gloock, rather than gluck, just so you know) and a young girl named Elisabeth Demand (adapted from the French du monde for ‘of the world’, just so you know), and their friendship. Reading their witty dialogue makes me feel instantly more intellectual, and I even caught myself feeling a bit threatened by Elisabeth’s intelligence and imagination. The concept of a ‘collage’ came up frequently in the book and in the discussion session. The book itself is a sort of collage, with frequent time jumps while the storyline still feels like it is happening all at the same time. Smith says the novel became a collage as soon as the friend-

ship between Daniel and Elisabeth was created, “if you put two things together, you get a collage immediately”, and that two things put together automatically create something totally new. This abstract and stimulating discussion led to someone pointing out that UCU is a little like a collage. In fact, this whole collage concept was introduced in the book by Daniel in response to Elisabeth wanting to go to college and study anything and everything; she craved knowledge and wanted to absorb it all. Instead, Daniel suggested what she really wanted was to go to collage. UCU is like a collage in so many ways; our self-built curriculums, the activities that we stick together to fill each day, all of the lives juxtaposed and repasted, here, together. Smith praised our little collage here, expressing how lucky we are. There are so many more themes that run through Autumn, which is the first novel of a seasonal quartet. I will not be able to do them justice in the way that Smith did on her visit, so instead I urge you to read the book. Try to read it while there are still orange and yellow and red leaves fluttering on the trees, while your breath has started to make clouds of smoke but being outside is still manageable, and while the sun still has the power to fight against the cold and warm you up a little. I would offer to let you borrow my copy, but I already got it signed for my mum.

Important Opinions on Important Movies by Sam de Visser Silent movies are boring. Some sections may be fun, or exciting, or interesting, but generally? Boring. Silent movies literally miss one of the fundamental aspects of what makes a movie according to me: sound. For the most part, they are two-hour snooze fests, desperately trying to tell a story that they often can’t fully convey as they just don’t have the means to. I’m not trying to shit on those who like silent movies - if you do, that’s great. But for me, no matter how pretty they may look, I think they’re boring simply because they lack sound. Silent movies are a direct result of their limitations, yet somehow, we put them on an almost mythical pedestal within film history precisely because they managed to do something despite those limitations. That doesn’t take away that 99% of all the silent movies would have been better with sound. For me that’s not even a question: every time one of the dialogue cards breaks the flow of the story to insert some ham-fisted dialogue, I get more convinced. To properly tell a story within a movie, you need sound. All this said, silent movies can still be worthwhile for reasons that pseudo-intellectuals who claim to enjoy sitting through two hours of piano music, wonky frame rates and underdeveloped,

whiplash-inducing stories may not mention: I think there is nothing that makes history more tangible than an old silent movie. The 1902 movie Le Voyage dans la Lune (Georges Méliès, A Trip to the Moon) is the perfect example of this. Made almost 120 years ago, Le Voyage has often been described as the first blockbuster movie, the first film to really be that what cinema is, for me, all about: trying to tell a visual story.

"Silent movies are a direct result of their limitations'" The movie itself isn’t all that special - it’s a fifteen-minute science-fiction space exploration movie, in which a group of French astronauts travels to the moon, fights some aliens, then travels back home. What makes the movie so interesting, for me at least, is the fact that it was literally made in 1902. That is a long, long time ago. It is a movie that provides an insight into what French people thought the moon would be like at that time, a strange projection of the future made by people who are long dead. When Le Voyage dans la Lune was made, Adolf Hitler was a teenager; half the world was still under

British rule; Russia was led by a tzar. The world of Le Voyage is a world in which there had never been a World War, a world that we almost can’t imagine - yet here is a movie, made in that world, starring people from that world, with a story aimed at the people from that world. That’s where I personally think the true strengths of the old silent movie lie. Of course there are many masterpieces that don’t contain a single word of dialogue - Modern Times and The Passion of Joan of Arc come to mind - but if you’re purely watching for enjoyment, I feel like silent movies aren’t worth it. However, they make our history tangible, show us the narratives that all those people from the past could relate to. A 1902 space exploration movie may not be that interesting, but what’s interesting is how we can see the hopes and dreams of the people from 1902. Whenever I see them walking around on my screen, it reminds me that time travel may not be real, but this kind of ancient cinema just might be the closest we will ever come to it.

14 CULTURE

The Boomerang | November 2019

Powered by n! Town & Gow 16 December // YES Theory Party @ Bassment Utrecht ~ 20:30 to 03:00 Yes Theory is a YouTube channel whose aim is to get people to “seek discomfort” whether that be in challenging their fear of heights, running marathons or putting themselves in uncomfortable yet rewarding social situations. Their ideology has inspired people all over the world and there’s even some Yes Fam in Utrecht! Join this group of open-minded and spontaneous people for a party, and surely make some new friends! 7 December // Expressive Arts Play Session: Paint, Move, Write, Explore @ Pandora’s Playspace ~ 10:00-13:00 Pandora’s Playspace is having a public event and inviting any of you looking for an opportunity to let all your creative juices flow! They will guide you in your

exploration of many different ways of being creative including painting, writing, and even moving. 11 th of December // Harry Potter Film Quiz @ Filmcafé ~ 19:00 to 23:00 Are you a raging Potterhead, who knows all the tiny details of the movies and books? Your friends may be tired of you talking about the Harry Potter world, but this event will be your time to shine. Not only will this be a nice opportunity to meet some other avid Harry Potter watchers and readers in the area, but you can also prove that you are the biggest Harry Potter fan in all of Utrecht. 7, 14, 21 December// Taste Before You Waste @ ACU Live Music Venue ~ 19:00 The amount of perfectly good food wasted on a daily basis would shock you, this group is combatting

What’s the Buzz with Bets

by Betsy Middleton

Welcome to the Culture Column where I will would be a perfect way to start this column. attempt to give you the ins and outs on local cultural events and hopefully inspire you to The exhibition is a beautiful, collaborative set foot outside the bubble for some wholesome curation of design, urban history and modern culture buzz! art. Floor to ceiling shelves of gleaming ‘50s furniture, a mock Hoog Catharijne ‘70s window In Sheffield, the city where I grew up, there display and vibrant Phillips commercials for is a huge listed building: Park Hill Flats. The ‘modern’ appliances are gracefully interspersed vast council flats were once hailed as a revolu- with historical and architectural features and tionary architectural undertaking in providing personal testimonies from old and new resimodern social housing and creating commudents of the two neighbourhoods; “I can’t nity through design. After initial say anything bad about Kanaleneiland” success in the late 50’s and an elderly woman murmurs out of a 60’s, they fell into disarray television screen as she reminisces and became known for knife about watching her children learn crime and junkies. Recently, to ice skate with the neighbours in they have been renovated into the square beneath her first apartapartments and are one of ment. The optimism of the post-war the most iconic buildings in generation beams from the picture the city, proudly dominating of a smiling housewife leaning on her the imposing skyline. The gleaming new washing machine, but it exhibition Dromen in Beton is clear that the beauty of the original (Dreams Cast in Concrete) at design for the Kanaleneiland was the Centraal Museum is advertised community it created. as an exhibition “About the City. About past and present. Homage is paid to conflict in the two About harsh realities. About areas. The controversy surrounding dreaming of a better future. '' Hoog Catharijne’s development that It takes visitors through the arose amidst the counter-consumer turbulent history of Utreculture in the late ‘60s lead to riots cht’s Kanaleneiland and Hoog over the demolition of historic art Catharijne. I couldn’t help but draw parallels nouveau building ‘De Utrecht’. Kanaleneiland’s between the story of Kanaleneiland and that of more recent turbulent history is also explored Park Hill and decided, in light of recent campus through how the area is presented in Dutch events, the connection between people and place media, but personal testimonies tie the eclectic

curation to tangible experience and emotion. Unfortunately, the tribute to Hoog Catharijne ends with a movie feature in which elderly residents are given selfie sticks and a green screen, supposedly as a commentary on the ‘Progression and Regression’ involved with development of new technologies. Although vaguely bemusing, the videos of their left nostrils and lower earlobes floating in CGI coffee cups and across cartoon scenes of the Eiffel Tower does not add much to the otherwise moving curation. More than 60 years later, community remains the redeeming feature of both neighbourhoods. The final room of the exhibition surrounds visitors in sheets of newsreels dating from the year Kanaleneiland was built to the present, and pays homage to the current residents: a diverse community largely consisting of immigrant families of Turkish and Moroccan origin. Particularly moving was the interview with two current residents, an elderly Dutch man and a middle aged second generation immigrant. The two friends discuss the effort they’ve put in to revive the neighbourhood rose garden, keep public spaces clean, and foster a sense of unity. The message of the exhibition seems clear to me: it doesn’t matter where you live, whether that be Sheffield, Utrecht, or our own dear Campus, it is the attitude of a community that allows a design to become a place, that becomes a home. ‘Dromen in Beton’ is on display at the Centraal Museum in Utrecht until January 2020.

A University College Student Association Magazine

WORLD

Hitchhiking: Survival on a Lost Highway

by Artöm Obenko This year I spontaneously decided to go on the hitchhiking trip. Initially, everything was going well: we got 5 rides, received a huge chocolate cake from strangers in Nijmegen who mistook us for other hitchhikers, and caught a ride in a Tesla Model X. I think to understand the extent of the difficulties my team went through afterwards, it is worth to start off with the first place we looked for a car. After having split in different directions from the quad on campus, everyone was aiming to find the best spot for their first ride. We ended up splitting our spot with the Big Blanket Burritos at the entrance of the highway. The most ironic part was that we managed to catch a car together but in the end, we gave them the ride. It turned out that these guys reached Krakow within 20 hours, enjoying the beautiful city and lovely sunny weather while our journey was just beginning… Even though we had very kind and open-minded drivers at the beginning, we were super unlucky with the inconvenient drop-off spots. Our first driver was a woman from Utrecht who dropped us off on the outskirts of Nijmegen, and our second driver from Portugal dropped us off at another gas station on her way to Malden. That was the place where we met three guys who came up to us and asked if we were the hitchhikers for some sort of Treasure Hunt game. As it was not us, and these guys were surprised to discover other hitchhikers from a different city, they offered us a huge yellowish oval plate with a chocolate cake. Very sadly, we couldn’t take it since we didn’t really have space for such an unexpected gift.

After our sweet lunch, we had to walk 40 minutes with heavy backpacks to get closer to the highway since no one wanted to pick us up. There, we found a Dutch father of a 17 year old daughter who dropped us off on the DutchGerman border. He had a dubious appearance: black sweatpants soiled in white paint, cigarette butts lying around next to candy wrappers. After that, much to our surprise, we got a ride in a Tesla with a very sketchy German guy who told us he would drop us off at Krefeld in Western Germany. This never became a reality. At some highway intersection near a very small town called Goch, the driver opened the wings of his electric car and said “That’s the best way to Germany”, hinting that we needed to get out of the car. We were not even legally allowed to stay at this intersection, as there were no pedestrian crossings or places to stop for a car. We were desperate, and thought no one would pick us up at this random place, especially since it was already getting dark. At the behest of fate however, some local guys in a minivan with two crates of beer in the back drove us closer to a highway and kindly offered to let us stay overnight in their house. Luckily or unluckily for us, we managed to get another ride using dance moves and flashlights. Unfortunately, they couldn’t drive us to a big city so we were again dropped off at another random intersection. That’s where we found a weird guy with a hippie hat who had a bunch of boxes with pet food in the back of his minivan. He listened to Arabic music at high volume and smoked cigarettes

while we were sitting with three huge backpacks in the front seat, trying to take short naps. Eventually, that guy dropped us off at a big Shell gas station close to Dusseldorf. This gas station had been our home for 20 hours. Our expectations were high when we arrived, as it was the biggest gas station we visited. However, only 3-4 cars passed every 15 minutes during the late evening. We approached drivers in the hopes that someone would pick us up, but after tens of attempts we realized that our hope was beginning to fade away. Meanwhile, we played harmonica and discussed where to dig our graves. The big windmill on the hill behind the gas station seemed like a good spot. Throughout the night, we were taking turns to sleep so that no one would steal our stuff. The next morning, we had a lovely breakfast at a nearby Burger King and went to another gas station on the opposite side of the highway, but unfortunately it did not give any results either. In the end, as we also wanted to see Poland and hear what other teams went through, we ordered a BlaBlaCar and made our final way to Krakow. From what I heard about other teams' experiences, everyone seemed to have their own little story full of both hilarious and challenging moments. I don't regret for a second what I went through. Moreover, I would definitely encourage everyone not necessarily to participate in such a trip but at least to take into consideration that sometimes it really is worth trying out something new for yourself, and to leave your comfort zone for a second. That's how we learn not only more about the world in which we live, but also more about ourselves and the people around us.

UCU Global Mental Health Project in Jamaica by Aysu Amaha Öztürk, edited by Julie Clar Last year, I accidently walked into a presentation. Robert Dunn and 8 students were talking about their trip to Jamaica under the title “Global Mental Health Project.” The project was organized with the University of the West Indies and focused on the role of culture in the treatment and diagnosis of patients while providing hands-on experience in the field of mental health. To be very honest, I was confused about how it would all work out but I did apply, and in the beginning of this semester, I found myself sitting every week with 10 people I didn’t really know listening to Robert discussing articles. The first couple of days were dedicated to learning about the culture. We talked to friends of Robert’s who are local Jamaicans. They tell us about the history, traditions, and we started understanding how open Jamaicans are, and what values they live by. There is a strong emphasis on healing from the trauma of slavery and displacement by reconnecting with their African heritage. Religion, for example, is a blend of beliefs from Christian and African descent such as Zionism. It is an essential part of

their culture, as Jamaica has the most churches per square mile than any country in the world. It’s not only a relationship with God or Jesus, but it is a lifestyle that connects the community. We actually went to a service and witnessed their style of worship which was vibrant and booming with dancing and singing. We met with experts, psychology students, medical students and, finally, patients. Interviewing schizophrenic, autistic, severely depressed patients helped us understand mental illness from a human instead of medical perspective. We also met Dr. Abel, a Jamaican man who has dedicated himself to improve the life of fellow countrymen by raising awareness about mental health. We threw questions at him eagerly, and he was patient and kind as he started to tell us the fascinating mental health story of Jamaica. He discussed the challenge of adapting and combining Western medical notions with local Jamaican context and culture. A quarter of the patients seek the help of a traditional healer before consulting a psychia-

trist, a concept which was alien to us. For Jamaicans, the distress they feel can be linked to a dark spirit visiting them rather than just a “chemical imbalance.” We also met addicts, and it turns out 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous do not work out very well for Jamaica, due to privacy issues and to the existence of a strong support group within the community.

" It’s not only a relationship with God or Jesus, but it is a lifestyle that connects the community" It was only 10 days, but we filled our time with so many questions and answers about Jamaica and about each other. Now it’s time to digest it and see it from a more global perspective and perhaps compare it to what we have in our own countries, our own lives. If you are interested in this, we will be giving a presentation around April again, which hopefully you will accidentally walk into like I did.

16 QUAD QUERIES

The Boomerang | November 2019

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Boomerang uses wind energy printers The Boomerang is a periodical newspaper. It comes out eight times a year.