The Gaudie 17th February 2022

The Haunting of Filmhouse Campaigning begins in Hungary's parliamentary election Features Newspaper p.6 International Newspaper p.10 The Geek Bar pandemic Science & Environment Newspaper p.8 iV magazine inside Vol 88 No 7 - Thu 17 Feb 2022 If Unite goes, Starmer should too Opine Newspaper p.12 Ranking the 2022 Oscar Best Picture Contenders Highlighting the best from a strong year of contenders by Amy Smith Last year, I ranked all eight of the Best Picture contenders at the Oscars. With no bad films in the line-up last year, it was a great list and a lot of fun to do. This year, the Academy expanded the category so that there would be a guaranteed ten films to make it into Best Picture and for the most part, I am pleasantly surprised. I’m not going to lie, I was expecting Being the Ricardos or, and I would have hated this, House of Gucci to make it into the top ten. Instead, the Academy went for films with higher critic ratings and stronger word of mouth which has made for a list that I am very happy about. I have had the chance to see all ten films now so I am going to rank this year’s list and tell you where you can watch the films if you are interested in catching up. Read more on iV page two. ‘Mandatory’ consent workshops proposed for all students CASE will survey student population about experiences of sexual violence The Aberdeen Consent, Awareness and Sexual Education group CASE will be running a wide- ranging survey on students’ experiences of sexual violence later this month. The student group is hoping for up to 1,000 students to take part in the survey, which Davide Bonne, the convenor of CASE, says is focused on trying to “better understand the sexual violence and harassment experienced by students.” Bonne, a fourth-year psychology student, added that one of CASE’s key priorities was to use “the data to lobby for and achieve change within the University.” “We need to try to make sure that as CASE, we are meeting the needs and expectations of all students,” said Bonne. The new survey, which is independent of the University, is due to be fielded later this month. The student group has guaranteed that the results will be made public, possibly by this summer. When CASE conducted a similar survey in cooperation with the University in 2018, there was a row over the University’s decision to initially “withhold” the results, with CASE threatening to publish the “raw data” at the time. Eventually, however, the survey feedback was made public. Bonne also emphasised that there was “a lot of behind the scenes work that takes place at the university that is not visible to students until it happens”. Maria Cacho Barraza, CASE’s treasurer, told The Gaudie there had been some changes to the questions from the previous survey. “We changed some of the questions and some of the language that was hindering the responses. One of the old questions was, ‘have you experienced sexual violence or harassment at university?’ and most of these things are not going to happen within the University, rather at clubs and so on. “So we changed it to ‘during your time at university,’ which I believe better encompasses the actual problem”, said the PhD student. The survey also asks students whether they believe ‘mandatory’ consent workshops should be implemented for new students, with CASE advocating for making them mandatory for all students. Cacho Barraza said that the consent workshops would be a way of bridging a knowledge gap, “because in high school, our sex education was not focused on consent, it was it was based on STIs and how to prevent pregnancy.” Convenor, Davide Bonne, added that the people who turned up to workshops voluntarily were also the most aware and also “the people that actually don't need to attend.” Asked whether they supported the idea of mandatory workshops, a University spokesperson told The Gaudie it was “continually reviewing” its approaches to gender based violence while “working with AUSA on consent training options, though at this stage we are still exploring these.” AUSA’s vice president for Welfare, Ivana Drdáková, voiced her support, saying: “The data that shows rising cases of assaults on campuses all over the UK is worrying. It’s really important to educate our students on what consent is and how to ask for it.” “Mandatory training would ensure that all students start their studies with the same expectations and knowledge and hopefully use it at the University and beyond. AUSA, in partnership with Rape Crisis Grampian, is planning on providing consent and first responder training to Committee Members. CASE’s consent training will also be available on the Skillshub.” In November of last year, Drdáková secured a £1500 grant from AVA, with the money earmarked to provide students with consent training to be delivered by Rape Crisis Grampian. by Anttoni James Numminen Convenor, Davide Bonne, added that the people who turned up to workshops voluntarily were the most aware and also “the people that actually don't need to attend.” Photo courtesy of Aaedan Brenan When CASE conducted a similar survey in cooperation with the University in 2018, there was a row over the University’s decision to initially “withhold” the results

p.2 30.10.19 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF ([email protected]) Anttoni James Numminem Amy Smith NEWS ([email protected]) EDITOR: Mireia Jimenez DEPUTY EDITOR: Olivia Mackenzie Smith FEATURES ([email protected]) EDITOR: Zsófia Kiszely DEPUTY EDITOR: Skye MacDonald INTERNATIONAL ([email protected]) EDITOR: Istvan Peter Miskolczy DEPUTY EDITOR: Ivan Kanev SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT ([email protected]) EDITOR: Holly Ferguson DEPUTY EDITOR: Sam Johnson SPORTS ([email protected]) EDITOR: Daniel Petersen OPINE ([email protected]) EDITOR: Aidan Bridgeman SATIRE ([email protected]) EDITOR: Ruairidh Macdonald PUZZLES EDITOR: Andrew Meechan Editorial Team HEAD OF PRODUCTION ([email protected]) Mathilde Communal PRODUCTION DESIGNERS Julie Toft Carlsen Theodore Williamson Amy Smith Georgia Kartsagkouli COPY EDITORS Ava Bratejka Lindberg Arianna Ferioli Judit Garab Paula Becka SOCIAL MEDIA Charlotte Hill Mena Collin Aedan Brennan Julie Mikkelsen MARKETING Khushvita Singh PHOTOGRAPHER Aedan Brennan Leah Flint PODCAST HOST Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco Production Team We voluntarily adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (www.ipso.co.uk) and aim to provide fair and balanced reporting. The Hub Elphinstone Road Old Aberdeen AB24 3TU Tel: 01224 272980 The Gaudie is printed on 100% recycled paper. Note from the Editor: Aberdeen named second cheapest university for students in the UK University and AUSA welcome the announcement According to a study by Oxford Royale, a worldwide education provider, the University of Aberdeen is the second least expensive university for students in the UK. Basing their work off of data from the living cost calculator Expatistan, Oxford Royale’s researchers determined that the average living cost for students in Aberdeen was 161 pounds, just four pounds off the top spot, held by the University of Dundee. The calculations were broken down into several different categories, including the cost of fast food, taxi services, and alcoholic beverages. The study estimated that student accommodation in Aberdeen cost about 100 pounds per week. Coupled with average prices of beer (£11.58), cocktails (£24.00), fast food (£10.86), and taxis (£15.00), the cost rose to 161 pounds per week, good enough for joint second with Northumbria University and the University of Newcastle. Aberdeen’s rise to the second position was boosted by its inexpensive accommodation costs, especially compared to other universities on the list. Coming in at 99 pounds and 58 pence, accommodation in Aberdeen was nearly 7 pounds cheaper than accommodation in Dundee and over 100 pounds less than shared student accommodation in London. Oxford Royale’s analysis is limited, however, as its data was drawn from universities in the top 40 on the Complete University Guide’s rankings, and doesn’t appear to have incorporated data on the cost of groceries and other necessities. A University spokesperson responded to the study, saying: “Aberdeen continues to be an attractive destination for students for a whole range of reasons, and we are pleased to see the University highlighted as being among the most affordable for students. “We offer a wide range of options for accommodation and we know that our students appreciate the breadth of choice when it comes to socialising in our city. “The latest National Student Survey (NSS) ranked the University fifth for overall student satisfaction out of 122 UK higher education institutions, so students can be assured that when they come here, they will receive a high quality learning experience as well as all the benefits of living in Aberdeen.” Likewise, when asked for comment, Camilo Torres-Baragán, AUSA Vice President for Communities said: “We welcome the news that the University of Aberdeen is placed high in this ranking, however, we can’t ignore the fact that many of our students are still struggling, especially during the ongoing pandemic. “International students with restricted working visas and often from countries with lower wages, might find themselves struggling to afford the costs of living.” “We want to encourage all students who find themselves in hardships to contact AUSA or the University - we can offer support and financial advice. You can also visit our Foodsharing Hub in Students’ Union Building where students can often grab surplus food from local supermarkets free of charge.” by Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco Despite being away over the winter break, it has certainly felt like I have not taken a break all year. With my dissertation handed in a few weeks ago and putting in full-time hours at my work over the Christmas period, I was almost not prepared to get back into a weekly routine of course journals, seminars, and producing a newspaper on top of that. It is a lot of pressure to put onto one person, especially when everything matters such as my grades for my final year, being financially stable with my working hours, and producing something that I can be proud of and add to my portfolio. However, I cannot say that I am truly alone in doing all of this. I may be the person writing the editorial and one of the faces of the paper for this year (alongside my wonderful co-Editorin-Chief ), but it is the work of everyone here who helps bring you all this incredible content every fortnight for your pleasure. It would not be physically possible to write 28-pages of content, design every aspect of the layout, and make sure it is quality checked without a strong team and that is what The Gaudie has. Of course, a lot of the members are going through the same things right now with shaping their own careers and working towards their grades as well. Many of us are in our final years and not everyone in the team wants to be journalists, but they have proven themselves to be worthy if they do go into this pathway in the future. I know deadlines are tough for us right now with the winter blues and the uncertainty of the pandemic still looming over our heads, but this editorial is dedicated to all of them who work hard every edition to make this paper an important part of the university culture. And yes, that includes whoever is reading this while doing production. You’re doing amazing. The study estimated that student accommodation in Aberdeen cost about 100 pounds per week. Photo courtesy of Aedan Brennan

30.10.19 p.3 Photo courtesy of Anttoni James Numminen Plans for the development of the so-called Abigail energy field were approved by the UK government’s Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) last month, on 19 January. Located about 145 miles off the Buchan coast in the North Sea, the Abigail field will be developed by Ithaca Energy, an Israeli owned company based out of Aberdeen. The announcement of the field’s approval drew sharp criticism from both climate activists and members of the University community. Speaking to the Gaudie, Dr David Toke, Reader in Energy Politics at the University, stated his disapproval: ‘'The UK Government needs to be focusing on promoting renewable energy rather than oil and gas… There needs to be a rapid roll out of the very cheap green energy options that we have, with lots more onshore and offshore wind, solar farms… and various other things, none of which are being treated very seriously at the moment.’ ‘Green energy is good for energy security as well as the environment… in that it is implemented at much lower costs than fossil fuels and in contrast to oil and gas which is sold to the highest bidder around the world at inflated current prices.’ Erik Dalhuijsen, the Director of Aberdeen Climate Action also pushed back on the government’s approval of the field, telling The Gaudie: ‘The direction of necessary travel is clear: the whole world need[s] to get off of fossil fuel use, quickly. Since this is a global issue, that means getting rid of most fossil fuel production too quickly.’ Regarding the UK government’s commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement, he added: ‘The relationship to the Paris goals is pretty clearcut: as stated by the IEA (international energy agency) and many other reputable organisations there is no room for new licences.’ The University declined to comment on this story, despite their pledge to divest from fossil fuels and support renewable forms of energy as part of their Aberdeen 2040 campaign. However, AUSA VP for Communities Camilio Torres-Barragan strongly opposed the OGA’s approval, stating to The Gaudie: ‘Our students and student-led groups are putting impressive efforts into lobbying the University to make more sustainable decisions, as well as making their own lives more sustainable. It’s very frustrating and disappointing that the government is going in the opposite direction and not listening to young people who will be facing the consequences of these decisions.’ The decision to approve the plans for the field came just months after the COP26 Conference in Glasgow, in which the need for countries to cut carbon emissions in order to avoid a rise in global temperature was highlighted. Indeed, such actions have only served to deepen tensions between climate activists and the UK government, including those in Aberdeen. by Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco AUSA ‘sad’ that degree events won’t be on campus ‘Very frustrating and disappointing’: New Oil and Gas field to open off coast of Aberdeen The project received harsh criticisms due to its environmental impact Students who graduated in absentia from Aberdeen University in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic are being invited to belatedly celebrate in person this summer. There have been criticisms however that the programmes, provisionally running 30 June to 3 July, are being held at a commercial venue some six miles from King’s College. ‘I would obviously have enjoyed a graduation in Elphinstone Hall more,’ Parel Wilmering, English & Creative Writing (2021) told The Gaudie. ‘But in past years, that hasn’t happened either, and people were graduating in a tent. I honestly didn’t expect any graduation to happen anymore, and I’m happy that we are getting a belated ceremony. Me and my family can always go [to campus] afterwards to take pictures’. ‘I’m glad they are organising something,’ Rosie Benny, Politics & IR (2021) commented. ‘I’m honestly not that bothered where it is given that the P&J is pretty easy to get to.’ The University told The Gaudie that the centre was ‘the ideal location’ to deliver the event while managing the continued risks of the coronavirus. ‘Transport links provide convenient access to the location,’ a spokesperson said, ‘and the P&J Live also has multiple hotels on site offering accommodation at a discounted rate.’ ‘We intend to deliver an event worthy of the occasion,’ the spokesperson continued, ‘celebrating the tremendous success our graduates have achieved under especially difficult circumstances. Those attending will have the opportunity to wear robes, have pictures taken with family and friends and enjoy some hospitality and entertainment.’ Ondrej Kučerák, AUSA Vice President for Education told The Gaudie the student’s association were ‘sad that the graduation ceremonies are moving away from our historic campus for at least a couple of years. We understand why the committee decided to move graduations to P&J Live.’ But he added that students ‘need to be consulted on long-term plans for graduations.’ The venue in which students are presented their degree scrolls by the Principal has changed a number of times. Elphinstone Hall was the usual setting until 2018, but its smaller capacity meant increasing numbers of ceremonies had to take place, especially after the university abolished the £45 graduation fee following a successful AUSA campaign. This led to the 2019 utilisation of marquees on Elphinstone Lawn and King’s Pitches. While graduating in a ‘tent’ that year aroused scepticism on social media, a survey by The Gaudie afterwards found 92% of students satisfied or better, although there were criticisms of overcrowding and excessive heat. The University is optimistic the 2022 celebrations will go ahead even if Covid-19 restrictions should increase again, subject to adjustments. ‘We continue to monitor Scottish Government Guidelines and work closely with our partners at P&J Live to ensure the event can be delivered without compromising on quality or the safety of our graduates and their guests,’ they told us. The University confirms ‘light bites and University memorabilia’ will be available and that graduate outfitters Ede & Ravenscroft will provide robe hire and photography services. Up to two guests per student will be allowed. As an alternative to the nearby hotels, students and their guests can book overnight accommodation in Hillhead Student Village. ‘The University needs to provide transport to make sure that students are able to get to P&J Live and that the venue is accessible to all,’ Kučerák added. ‘Graduation ceremonies should be a fun and free event to remember forever.’ ‘This isn’t an issue that we’ll be making any comment on.’ An AUSA spokesperson stated that Sabbatical Officers would not be making a statement, telling The Gaudie, ‘[such a comment] is not under their remits.’ SURVEY: Should all students graduate on campus or at the P&J? Share your thoughts via the QR code! by Jake Roslin Covid-Era graduates invited to celebrate at P&J Live entertainment complex Photo courtesy of Bill Harrison via Geograph.org.uk Photo courtesy of by Damian Gadal is licensed under CC BY 2.0. The announcement of the field’s approval drew sharp criticism from both climate activists and members of the University community. The decision to approve the plans for the field came just months after the COP26 Conference in Glasgow Up to two guests per student will be allowed.

p.4 30.10.19 Photo courtesy of Anttoni James Numminen Photo courtesy of StartupStockPhotos via Pixabay Photo courtesy of Anttoni James Numminen Refreshers Fair takes place on campus Societies gathered in Elphinstone Hall on the 7th and 8th of February The £35 million infrastructure has been in use since January 24, mostly for students from the disciplines of chemistry, medical sciences, biological sciences and geosciences. The University took over the building from Robertson Construction Eastern on 2 December 2021, partner of the University for 20 years. When asking why there has not been an opening ceremony, University communications stated: “There will be an official opening later in the year. It is common practice for the ‘official opening event’ to happen several months after the operational opening of a new facility. This was the case with the SDR Library, the Sports Village and many others.” The building includes three floors of teaching and laboratory space, as well as a fourth-floor “plant room”. Robertson Construction Eastern explains its sustainable elements such as “recycled drilling pipes, reclaimed from the oil and gas industry, for steel driven piles” or “extensive recycling, such as reusable silicone sealant tubes, pallet take-back schemes, donating surplus materials to the community and PPE recycling”. They also claim that 96.84% of project waste was diverted from landfill. Professor Pete Edwards, Vice-Principal Regional Engagement and Regional Recovery previously stated how: “The Science Teaching Hub will provide our staff with a state-of-the-art facility within which to deliver chemistry, medical sciences, biological sciences and geosciences skills that are vital not only to the employability of our graduates, but the future success of the region." University launches new Science Teaching Hub Classes started immediately without official opening ceremony by Mireia Jimenez Photo courtesy of the University of Aberdeen The refreshers fair kicked off on campus with a week of give it a go sessions hosted by different societies and sports clubs. The fair was held in Elphinstone Hall on Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 February. This gave students an opportunity to join and enquire about different societies and opportunities on campus. Many societies lined in the hall to talk to students about what they can offer, including The Gaudie. Third-year postgraduate medicine student Andra said that “it is really interesting to see Aberdeen University host a refreshers fayre as not many universities hold one in the new year.” An anonymous second-year politics student commented: “It was really nice to have a fair to have the opportunity to join societies halfway through the year. Being a second year student it was also my first time in Elphinstone hall due to COVID restrictions which is a nice change from virtual events.” Another anonymous student said that they didn’t know the fair was taking place since teaching had begun. However, when asked to comment many students were unaware the fair had taken place. Originally the event was supposed to happen a week before, but was postponed due to COVID-19 guidance. This meant that many of the give-it-a-go sessions took place before the fair, which led to students missing out the opportunity to try out societies before joining. by Evelyn Bayerlein Photo courtesy of Evelyn Bayerlain The festival is being hosted by Aberdeen performing arts and is named Granite Noir. The website states “Granite Noir is inspired by the incredible popularity of crime fiction in all of its forms, by the fantastic contribution that Scottish writers make, […] most of all inspired by Aberdeen, which is the perfect backdrop for the festival-steeped in history, atmosphere, quirky with a strong sense of place.” “It’s our pleasure to bring you a fantastic programme of noir writing in unusual places and spaces across the city.” Over the four days there will be author conversations, workshops and even a podcast recording by Bad people which is a true crime podcast devilling into all things crime and comedy. The podcast will consist of an unravelling of a criminal case. A special spotlight will be put on regional talented authors in a section of the festival known as ‘locals in the limelight.’ This will be over the weekend at various times at the Lemon Tree where authors will read extracts from their novels. One Psychology student said about the festival “I’m really excited to attend the workshops with knowledgeable authors who are sharing their craft.” The festival really opens up the chance to learn more about writers and writing in Aberdeen and Crime writing more generally.” The various events take place all over Aberdeen from the central library to the Lemon tree lounge. Tickets can be booked by visiting https:// www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/granitenoir/ by Evelyn Bayerlein Crime writing festival comes to Aberdeen Four day event celebrating crime fiction to begin the 24th February Photo courtesy of Evelyn Bayerlein The building includes three floors of teaching and laboratory space, as well as a fourth-floor “plant room”.

30.10.19 p.5 The proposed prayer vigil which would take place outside the hospital between March and April. The group has held similar demonstrations which NHS Grampian has described as “peaceful”. 40 Days for Life is a religious organization based in America and opposed to abortion. They demonstrate their beliefs by praying and fasting outside “abortion businesses”. The group ‘Back Off Scotland’ has started a petition calling for 150 metre buffer zones to be introduced in clinics that provide services to terminate pregnancy. The petition website says that “the right to privacy and the right to access legal, essential medical services should be protected, not threatened by anti-choice activity.” When approached for a comment; Lucy Grieve, co-founder of Back Off Scotland shared that: “We’re concerned to see that antichoice activity is set to return to Aberdeen Maternity Hospital. Abortion is a legal healthcare procedure and protests taking place at healthcare facilities are wholly inappropriate. “We’ve received so many messages from women across Scotland who have faced harassment first-hand. From a university student seeking an abortion after her pill failed; to a teenager who had been sexually assaulted and required sexual healthcare from a clinic… to doctors that perform abortions themselves; the stories were endless and wide reaching. “Our message is simple and clear. The Scottish Government needs to do the right thing. They must take ownership of their responsibility and implement buffer zones nationally to protect our legal right to accessing healthcare.” An NHS Grampian spokeswoman said: "This campaign group have previously staged peaceful protests on public land, outside the boundaries of the Foresterhill Health Campus. They have not impacted on the running of any of our services." 40 Days for Life has also been approached for a comment but has not responded to The Gaudie. Anti-abortion demonstration sparks controversy On Sunday the 6th February, students organised a talk on “how direct action can save us from the climate crisis” at the Coffee House Students explained their dismay with people in power by stating that “we’re being systematically lied to by everyone in power” leading to “more parts of the world being destroyed.” They referred to scientists as useless leaders as they “lie in order to not rock the boat. They may be good people, but they’re bound by where they get their money.” The goals of the climate group are to stop new licences for oil development, make public transport free, insulate the homes of Britain and for all oil workers to be transferred to secure sustainable jobs. In March, the group will be looking to block oil moving around the UK for 2 weeks, putting themselves at risk of arrest and harm. The group will be handing out leaflets as well. When asked about the new oil fields being built in the North Sea, one of the speakers stated that “we cannot have any new oil fields as millions of people will die, and the government is deciding to kill those people. This is an achievable step the government will be able to take.” This move for more awareness and direct action about climate change comes at a time when Aberdeen is taking on a massive oil plant as well as trying to be more environmentally friendly by using hydrogen buses and wind plants. by Evelyn Bayerlein Photo courtesy of mspark0 via Pixabay ‘40 Days for Life’ plans to hold a vigil outside Aberdeen’s Maternity Care Centre has drawn accusations of intimidation by Olivia Mackenzie Smith Student Climate Group meets in Aberdeen Students organise climate talk at the Coffee House The goals of the climate group are to stop new licences for oil development, make public transport free, insulate the homes of Britain and for all oil workers to be transferred to secure sustainable jobs. Photo courtesy of Anttoni James Numminen “the right to privacy and the right to access legal, essential medical services should be protected, not threatened by anti-choice activity.”

p.6 30.10.19 The Haunting of Filmhouse Several reported sightings of ghosts at the local cinema by Ava Bratejka Lindberg We all know it, whether intimately or through the grapevine: Belmont Filmhouse, a stable for film students and senior movie-goers alike. Whether you go every week or you only went that one time, chances are you’re familiar with the bright red cinema sign on one of the most central streets of the city. Belmont Street is a place for day and night activities alike, a place in which there is something for everyone - and this, apparently, includes ghosts awaiting cinema workers on the late shift. While you’re all sitting in your brown velvet seats, enjoying the stars of yesteryear on the big, bright screen, a spectre walks the back halls of Belmont Filmhouse. Having been charged with the responsibility of closing the small cinema kiosk, there for all your convenience and possible needs, employee Dillan-James Carter was, on this fateful night, climbing the back stairs after having taken out the bins when he saw a harrowing sight: a figure, eerily waiting for him further up the stone staircase. If you, dear reader, have never had the pleasure of walking the staircase behind the cinema, let me paint you a picture. In the same recognisable granite stone that we all know and love, a staircase no wider than three people is surrounded by the outer wall of the cinema on one side and a non-descript stone wall on the other. The lights are low here, and hanging over the walls are treetops that shed dangerous, slippy leaves onto the stairs. In one word, the place is eerie. With nothing but his wits and the now empty container he used to carry the glass waste, he braved the stairs to return to the blinking light of the green exit sign on the fire escape door. Questioning everything he held real at that moment, an existential chill fell on this unsuspecting lobby boy. Before this instance, Carter considered himself a stone-cold sceptic, but his life has forever been changed by the incident. Carter is not the first, and most likely not the last, to experience the haunting ghost that resides at the revered independent filmhouse. Having talked to a co-worker, and longterm employee, Abby Quick, Carter quickly discovered that spirits are a regular sight for those “fortunate” enough to have kiosk duty at the Belmont. These apparitions have left employees and customers alike baffled, wondering what purpose this ghost has at the cinema. When prompted, duty manager Calum Scott said, “Personally, I’ve never seen it. However, I have heard eerie tales from former co-workers.” Scott also claims that the report from Carter does not match those from previous members. While the earlier sightings at the filmhouse have claimed to have been of a young girl, Carter’s portrayal is quite different: “What I saw was more like a black spectre. I remember it being bald.” Carter also did not notice any clothes on the spectre and was not only prompted to think about whether or not we as humans get to keep our clothes when we pass the veil to the other side, but also matters of life and death. Mostly, however, Carter is determined to discover what exactly makes the Belmont Filmhouse such a hot spot for the supernatural. If we are to believe the several employees who have sensed, felt, and even seen ghosts at the theatre, it prompts us to ask just how many spectres has the filmhouse attracted over the years? The history and the old feeling of the cinema is exactly part of the appeal for the members who frequent the Belmont. The filmhouse, built in 1896, has shown films since 1910, with a fifty-something-odd-year break, so the building is riddled with history and plenty of opportunity for a ghost or two to be left in the corners unchecked. Having served as a trades hall, a warehouse, and a cinema, it would be hard to pinpoint the exact source of this - or these - supernatural occurrences, but one thing is certain: the employees at the Belmont Filmhouse are convinced it’s haunted. To make light of the situation and to brighten up the workplace a bit, there is a running joke between the employees at the cinema that there simply is no ghost, but that it is, in fact, a certain duty manager who roams the halls at ungodly hours. Several other theories, however, have also developed between the co-workers. One imagines a large rug falling on top of an anonymous person whose death was never discovered, another visualises a young girl balancing on the tall, granite wall next to the fire escape, losing her balance and falling to her bitter death. However, the most popular theory is that a cinema operator’s daughter may have been electrocuted in a projection room back in the day. There are even talks about cold spots in certain corners of the screens (which, of course, it is worth noting, could easily be the ventilation system) that the employees urge customers to keep an eye out for in case they want to communicate or sense the spirit. Abby Quick wonders if perhaps, even, the spirit is not one of this realm, but if it is something otherworldly merely here to observe and learn from cinemagoers. One employee, who wishes to stay anonymous, points out that no one is currently under the impression that these phantoms are at the Belmont due to vengeance, nor that they are acting with malice. Still, this writer suspects, it must be quite a surprise to endure such an encounter when simply taking out the bins for the night. Carter states that “a cinema would not be a bad place to be a ghost,” and plans to continue his employment at the filmhouse for the time being. Whether friend or foe, spectre or fae, it is safe to say that these sightings are staying with the employees of the cinema for a long, long time. When approached, head of cinema operations at the filmhouse, Colin Farquhar, had no comment. Photo Courtesy of Ava Bratejka Lindberg The lights are low here, and hanging over the walls are treetops that shed dangerous, slippy leaves onto the stairs. In one word, the place is eerie. Having served as a trades hall, a warehouse, and a cinema, it would be hard to pinpoint the exact source of this - or these - supernatural occurrences, but one thing is certain: the employees at the Belmont Filmhouse are convinced it’s haunted. When approached, head of cinema operations at the filmhouse, Colin Farquhar, had no comment.

30.10.19 p.7 Divine Discoveries A glimpse into the stellar research conducted at the University of Aberdeen by Khushvita Singh The University of Aberdeen's MRI scanner has undergone a £1.2m upgrade with the addition of a new software offering multiple language options. Patients having MRI scans in Aberdeen can now hear the instructions in the North-East Scotland dialect of Doric. Some examples of new Doric instructions include: "The neist scan'll tak five minties": The next scan will take five minutes. "Hud yer breath": Hold your breath. "In a’tween the neist puckle o' scans the table will move aboot": In between the next few scans, the table will move about. The new upgrade, in the biomedical imaging centre in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, is aimed at clearer imaging, more accurate diagnosis and a 30% faster operating speed, as well as the language extension. French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic and Mandarin are among the languages available. Dr Gordon Waiter, a senior lecturer and brain imaging expert at the University of Aberdeen, hopes the language options might make some patients feel more relaxed in an otherwise intimidating situation. Moreover, Dr Thomas McKean has explored the impact of dementia on language. "As dementia takes hold, they begin to lose that second language and go more and more into their native tongue, which is often Doric," Dr McKean said. "And so, if that language is spoken by the carers, a number of people I interviewed have experienced that enables a much deeper connection and a more immediate connection." The phrases were recorded by Simon Gall, public engagement officer with the university's Elphinstone Institute. He said, "My grandmother, a Doric speaker who has dementia, struggles now with communication in English, but when carers and medical professionals use Scots, she is much more responsive. It's great that Dr Waiter decided to make use of the facility to allow us to record instructions in Doric, and if my voice can put even one person at ease, I am delighted." The fresh upgrade to the MRI is a fantastic addition to the list of triumphs at the University of Aberdeen. University of Aberdeen researchers were at the forefront of originally developing the groundbreaking technology more than 40 years ago that would go on to save lives across the world. The pioneering medical physicist, Professor John Mallard, whose team led the world with their breakthroughs in medical imaging, passed away at the age of 94 last year on the 25th of February. Professor John Mallard played a crucial role in the development of two of the world's most important medical technologies – Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Nuclear Medicine Imaging which includes Positron Emission Tomography (PET). Under his leadership, the University of Aberdeen team built the first whole-body MRI scanner, which Aberdeen clinicians were then able to use to carry out the world's first body scan of a patient from Fraserburgh. MRI is now used all over the world today in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, dementia, and a wide range of other conditions and injuries. Professor John Mallard said in 2018, "The driving force for us was the fact that we had X-rays that were telling us everything about the bones. But we had absolutely nothing that was telling us about the soft wet tissues within the body. And that's what MRI did. What I remember most about that time was that it was excellent for picking up multiple sclerosis (MS). I had a cousin who died of MS so I was particularly pleased that we'd found something that if he'd still been alive, it could have helped him." The technolog y behind MRI was developed in the 1970s by the late Sir Peter Mansfield and his team at the University of Nottingham. Sir Peter shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 2003 with the inventor of the technique, US chemist Professor Paul Lauterbur, but it was the team in Aberdeen that was responsible for developing the world's first full-body MRI scanner. It obtained the first clinically useful image of a patient's internal tissues. Professor Mallard and his team are also credited with technological advances that led to the widespread introduction of MRI across the world. Alison Murray, professor of radiology at the University of Aberdeen, says the significance of the development could not be underestimated. "I think it was revolutionary," she said. "MRI is probably the biggest game changer in modern medicine because we can do so much imaging. I can honestly say they save lives.” Professor Mallard – who retired from the University in 1992 – was awarded the OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List the same year and was awarded the Freedom of the City of Aberdeen in 2004 for his pioneering work in medical imaging. He also received honours including the Landau Memorial Plaque of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine; the Academic Enterprise Competition Prize of the British Technology Group; the Royal Society Wellcome Prize and Gold Medal; the George Van Hevesey Memorial Lecture Medal; The Royal Society Mullard Award and the Royal Medal of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Emeritus Professor Peter Sharp, who worked for Professor Mallard and then became his successor, describes his evermore legacy as, “John Mallard was one of those scientists blessed with a vision, a vision of what physics could contribute to healthcare. Many millions of patients worldwide have good reason to be grateful to him.” Continuing the legacy of the invention of the MRI scanner, the world’s first fully operational and functioning prototype of a Field-Cycling Imaging (FCI) scanner has been developed by the medical physicist, Professor David Lurie, at the University of Aberdeen. It has already been successfully used to scan patients and healthy volunteers. Research group leader, Professor David Lurie, began his career as a summer student in Mallard’s department. He said, “Because FFC scanners can switch their magnetic field, it is almost like having 100 different MRI scanners in one. This gives an extra dimension to the data collected from each patient, greatly expanding the diagnostic potential.” The University of Aberdeen's FCI scanner and suite has received a generous grant from the Wolfson Foundation. The grant of up to £723,000, generated by the University of Aberdeen Development Trust, will support the creation of a new patient-focussed version of the Field-Cycling (formerly Fast Field-Cycling MRI) scanner in a newly refurbished imaging suite within Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. The groundbreaking invention is scheduled to be completed in 2023. Alongside revolutionising medical imaging, a new course to help health and social care workers understand the many impacts of female genital mutilation, / Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): Health, Law, and Socio-Cultural Sensitivity/ has been launched by FutureLearn in collaboration with the University of Aberdeen. The course was developed following a University of Aberdeen survey of UK medical schools that suggested graduating medical students felt underprepared to deal with FGM in a professional capacity. Female genital mutilation (FGM) was made illegal in the UK in 1985, but it is thought that more than 100,000 live with the effects in the country today. The new FutureLearn course launched on the 7th of February, the day after international day of zero tolerance for female genital mutilation. The course aims to fill in a gap identified in training for many health and social care professionals in the UK and beyond. Dr Heather Morgan, who led a series of teaching and research activities that contributed to the development of the course, said, “FGM is a much wider problem and more complex than medical examination, and so we’ve developed a course with a range of professionals in mind, although it’s open to all.” It is absolutely thrilling to see all the advancements flourishing at the University of Aberdeen. Professor Mallard’s legacy harbours in the steps we take innovating and every challenge we seek to resolve. What an inspiring start to the new year, and a great way to unravel the buried riches behind ordinary visages. Photo Courtesy of jarmoluk via Pixabay "The driving force for us was the fact that we had X-rays that were telling us everything about the bones. But we had absolutely nothing that was telling us about the soft wet tissues within the body. And that's what MRI did. University of Aberdeen researchers were at the forefront of originally developing the ground-breaking technology more than 40 years ago that would go on to save lives across the world.

p.8 30.10.19 A Bugless Life Current conservation policies are not enough to protect the UK’s insect population biodiversity. Life without bugs may seem very unlikely, and maybe even not a huge change, but the research collected by Dr Juliano Morimoto and former University of Aberdeen student, Natalie Duffus has shown that the current conservation policies are failing to protect insects. The research article ‘Current conservation policies in the UK and Ireland overlook endangered insects and are taxonomically biassed towards Lepidoptera,’ has been published in the Biological Conservation journal. It came about as Natalie’s honours thesis, as she already had a keen interest in insect conservation, which was then monitored by Dr Morimoto, a lecturer of biological sciences at the University of Aberdeen. They created a new quantitative method to analyse and compare current UK conservation policies to insect fauna. The pair looked at the various British, Irish, and Northern Irish conservation legislation including the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as well as lists of insects most at risk of extinction in the UK. From this, they were able to analyse whether the insects most at risk of extinction are protected by conservation policies, if the policies protect specific insect groups over others, and if insects have the same standard of protection as other animals. Overall, the findings showed that current conservation policies are not enough to protect insects. A large proportion of the insect population is vulnerable to extinction even with these policies in place. When analysing the respective Acts, it was seen that most legislation caters to mammals and other animals living in the UK and is not specific to insects and their specific needs and lifestyles. It cannot be expected that the same standards and laws protecting, for example, badgers, can be used for insects. Additionally, they found that within the policies and legislation there is a bias towards butterflies and moths. They have a preferential status compared to other insects yet neither has a more important role within our environment than any other insect, like a bee which pollinates. Additionally, insect species more at risk of extinction are not given the same consideration within conservation policies as they are not written to prioritise protecting the most vulnerable insects. Their research concluded that current conservation policies are not protecting insects and that the insects most at risk are still endangered. While insects may seem like a small part of life as a whole, their position within our society is vital. With pollination, nutrient cycling and waste cleaning roles, insects find themselves at the base of the food pyramid. Pollination is a necessary step for crop growth and without it, food security would be in jeopardy, which would have obvious, direct effects on us as humans. Thus, they are beyond necessary for human life. Aside from our needs, levels of insect biodiversity indicate how our ecosystems are surviving, and show the condition the environment is. There is great concern for large declines in insect populations within the academic community, and extinction is recognised as a real threat to all species, especially bees and beetles. Dr Morimoto and Natalie’s hopes for what is to come from their research is firstly, that there will be government and legislative action to change the policies and Acts that are made to protect insects, making them more specific to their needs. This is the most effective and likely to be successful way of protecting species at risk of extinction as greater efforts need to be made to conserve their environments and lifestyles. They hope to generate some change by inviting researchers to contribute to writing a policy guideline to submit to parliament, as it is not currently known whether there are any plans for revisions of the legislation. Secondly, to raise awareness of the current situation of insects and that conservation policies are not effective. The main message they’d like readers of the article to take away is that insects are of huge importance to humans and our society, and it is necessary that action is taken to have the best chance at saving and conserving insect populations. So even if you think that all ‘creepycrawlies’ are not a part of your day to day life, you should now be aware that they are in fact essential, and just as they help us, it is our responsibility to protect them. Dr Morimoto and Natalie’s research will hopefully be the beginning of changes within insect conservation. To get in touch to see how you can get involved, head over to their twitter accounts: @ju_morimoto and @NatDuffus by Holly Ferguson Current conservation policies are not enough to protect the UK’s insect population biodiversity. The Geek Bar pandemic E-cigarettes were originally introduced as a healthier alternative to smoking and a step between smoking and quitting. In recent times, however, vaping has become a habit of non-smokers, becoming a health issue on its own. In 2021, it was reported that there were 3.6 million e-cigarette users in the UK. Despite being much better for you than cigarettes, this does not make them safe. Public Health England found that e-cigarettes are at least 95% safer than tobacco products as they do not produce tar or carbon dioxide. The UK has tight regulations on the manufacturing and selling of e-cigarettes to keep their use to a safe standard. However, a large aspect of the damaging effects of geek bars is that they have had such popular uptake with young people. The social media platform TikTok reported that children aged 12 have been posting videos about buying and using geek bars on their accounts. This worries many health specialists as the regular use of vapes could potentially affect their growth and development into later life. A regular geek bar should contain around 20 mg of nicotine and is expected to last the duration of 500 puffs. Dr Onkar Mudhar spoke on geek bars on his TikTok account, stating that each contains the same nicotine volume as smoking 48 to 50 cigarettes. This already seems like a really high intake for one person to inhale in only one geek bar, yet some brands include an even higher volume. Geek Bar Pro, a legitimate American brand, contains enough nicotine to equate to 125 cigarettes. These have been sold in the UK market but do not meet the UK restrictions; since they are made for the USA, they can have higher nicotine levels. Obviously, this is incredibly dangerous, as that is a huge nicotine intake, and users are more than likely to buy multiple geek bars. Due to their popularity, an even greater risk arises,with ‘fake’ geek bars that have been found in circulation. There is no knowledge of what unmonitored and uncertified manufacturers have put into the geek bars they have been making. These are much stronger and likely to not be sold at credible locations. Thus, this makes young people more vulnerable as they can probably buy them without getting any ID checks. The long-term health effects of vaping are largely unknown compared to smoking as e-cigarettes are still fairly new. Because of this uncertainty, it is hard for restrictions to be made tighter and for users to be fully aware of the potential health issues and consequences. Some minor side effects of geek bars could include dry cough, shortness of breath and headaches. There have also been reports of users experiencing more harmful side effects, including nose bleeds and chest pain. Nicotine can also cause other conditions, such as gum disease, tooth decay and early tooth loss. It is expected that as our generation ages, the consequences of this fad will become prevalent, especially if one puff on a night out turns into a puff before you brush your teeth every morning. There is no doubt that geek bars pose various health risks and long term, permanent consequences that are still not known. However, they remain a better alternative for you than a cigarette. While this article may not make you stop using them, do try to avoid buying an uncertified geek bar and check the packaging to see that it is TPD-compliant and from a credible retailer. The trendiness of geek bars may fade out, but for now, they will not be going anywhere, along with the phrase: “Is that grape?” by Matthew Sheppard Never mind COVID-19, the real pandemic is a £4 vape. A regular geek bar should contain around 20 mg of nicotine and is expected to last the duration of 500 puffs. Dr Onkar Mudhar spoke on geek bars on his TikTok account, stating that each contains the same nicotine volume as smoking 48 to 50 cigarettes. Photo courtesy of E-liquids UK via Unsplash Photo courtesy of jggrz via Pixabay

arts culture fashion lifestyle food gaming technology Dark Souls and gender Arts p.2-3 Gaming and Tech p.9-10 Coffee without a Cause Life and Style p.11 iV Ranking the Best Picture contenders

p. 2 facebook/thegaudie | @thegaudie | gaudie.co.uk I t is nearly two years since we went into lockdown and I still forget to turn my mic on With love, Team iV iV Last year, I ranked all eight of the Best Picture contenders at the Oscars. With no bad films in the line-up last year, it was a great list and a lot of fun to do. This year, the Academy expanded the category so that there would be a guaranteed ten films to make it into Best Picture and for the most part, I am pleasantly surprised. I’m not going to lie, I was expecting Being the Ricardos or, and I would have hated this, House of Gucci to make it into the top ten. Instead, the Academy went for films with higher critic ratings and stronger word of mouth which has made for a list that I am very happy about. I have had the chance to see all ten films now so I am going to rank this year’s list and tell you where you can watch the films if you are interested in catching up. This ranking is not what I predict will win, and not necessarily what the most technically strong films are; this is simply down to my favourites. 10. Don’t Look Up The only film this year that I actively dislike, and, surprise, surprise, it’s from Adam McKay. Listen, I agree with the sentiment of the story and the message it is getting out there. The story of the film is far from the worst thing about the film. Once again, McKay relies on over-the-top editing and improvisational performances to try and give this film a humourous tone and for me, it fails on all accounts. I am not too dumb to understand the message of the film, I just don’t need it bashed into my head the way it attempts to here in a way that makes me roll my eyes for over two hours. Available now on Netflix. 9. West Side Story Okay, this is one film I do expect to see crawl up a couple of slots when I revisit it. Steven Spielberg certainly knows what he is doing and musical numbers such as ‘America’ and ‘Tonight’ are so well done that it is hard not to admire the craft. However, when a story such as this one is dependent on the main love story and one half of that relationship is Ansel Elgort, it becomes incredibly hard for me to believe the decisions that Rachel Zegler’s Maria is making. Maybe on a rewatch these decisions won’t take me out of the film as much. Available on Disney+ from March 2nd. by Amy Smith RankBest Editors Anttoni James Numminen Amy Smith IV Editors ARTS ([email protected]) Editors - Rory Buccheri - Miles Stebens Deputy Editors - Ida Sofie Eltang Wengler - Isabelle Hampton-Zabotti LIFE AND STYLE ([email protected]) Editor - Kendra Clark Deputy Editor - Kathryn Ritchie GAMING AND TECH ([email protected]) Editor - Graeme Sutherland Deputy Editor - Ask Vestergaard Production Mathilde Communal Julie Toft Carlsen Amy Smith Theodore Williamson Georgia Kartsagkouli Copy Editors Ava Bratejka Lindberg Arianna Ferioli Judit Garab Paula Becka Front page Amy Smith

p. 3 arts | oscars 8. King Richard King Richard is an interesting film, as it is certainly one that I had a lot of fun watching while at the cinema and has some fantastic montages of the tennis sequences. However, it is also a film that has not stuck with me the way I expected it to and one that I struggle to see myself revisiting any time soon. Will Smith certainly does deserve to win his first Oscar, though. Available to rent or buy from February 21st. 7. CODA CODA is a film that I saw back all the way at Sundance 2021 and had a great time with. As someone that did their dissertation on deaf representation and the use of subtitles in the film, I am glad that director Sian Heder did as much as possible to make the film accessible to the D/deaf community. The film does not have the impact that the top six has for me in terms of filmmaking or storytelling, but it is hard not to be won over by this sweet tale. Available now on Apple TV. 6. The Power of the Dog Admittedly, The Power of the Dog is a film I need to revisit on the chance that it improves on a second watch. The slow pacing can be off-putting on a first watch, but it is still hard to deny Jane Campion’s direction and the incredible performances given by the entire ensemble, with Cumberbatch giving the best leading male performance of the entire year. Considering this is the frontrunner for Best Picture this year, you must make this a priority. Available now on Netflix. 5. Licorice Pizza Yes, I do have some issues with the screenplay for Licorice Pizza and how certain themes are portrayed. However, Paul Thomas Anderson, for the most part, is able to skilfully navigate these tougher subject matters and create a fun blast back to the 1970s. Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman give exceptional breakout performances and the soundtrack will be stuck in your head for days after you’re done with the film. Currently unavailable but may come back to cinemas soon. 4. Nightmare Alley This is a film that has had an interesting pathway to the Best Picture nomination and ended up being the surprise of the ten, and yet, once again, this is one that I seemingly like more than others. Guillermo del Toro creates a visually stunning film that tells a haunting tale that slowly unravels in this long, but gripping, film. There is a blackand-white version being distributed in the US and I am hoping it makes its way to the UK sometime soon. Currently unavailable but may come back to cinemas soon. 3. Belfast The film that according to ‘Film Twitter’ is mediocre and does not deserve Best Picture talk is one that I fell in love with. I am a sucker for films that capture the spirit of loving movies and Kenneth Branagh does that here with Belfast. Not only that, but it is clear that Branagh is passionate about telling a tale of his childhood during an important part of history for Northern Ireland and it is hard not to fall in love with little Buddy. Available now in cinemas. 2. Drive My Car I am so proud of the Academy for embracing a three-hour meditative piece from Japan, and it is comfortably my second favourite film of the year. Drive My Car blew me away when I saw it at Belmont Filmhouse at the end of 2021 and, despite the long runtime, you end up becoming so connected to the story that you wish you could be in this world for so much longer. Seriously, give it a go. Available now to rent on BFI Player. 1. Dune As someone who usually struggles to get invested in epic sci-fi tales of this nature, having Dune at the top of my list surprises me. However, Dune is my favourite film of not just the Best Picture list but of the entire year. With what Denis Villeneuve did to make the monster of Frank Herbert’s book digestible and with the incredible achievement in technical filmmaking, from the visual effects to Hans Zimmer’s score, it’s a film I will continue to revisit over and over again. Available now to rent or buy. Book your tickets on the Aberdeen Arts Centre website now. king the 2022 Oscar Picture contenders

p. 4 arts | movies Years ago, the main character of what is destined to be a Disney classic like Encanto (2021) would have been Isabela, the attractive girl who can create flowers to her liking and is adored by everyone. Instead, Encanto's main character is Mirabel, an ordinary girl with glasses, and no powers, contrarily to the rest of her family. It is to save the powers miraculously given to the Madrigal family that the young girl will embark on a symbolic journey to find out more about the prophecy of the destruction of her family’s magic. In doing so, she will discover what lies behind the apparent ideal life of the Madrigals, from the pressure to which her big sister Luisa – capable of lifting mountains and moving churches, as she sings – is subjected to, to the cage of perfection Isabela is forced into. As obvious as it may be, the message is clear and genuine: the family talents represent the patterns of strength, beauty, and behaviour we are exposed to daily. However, since humans are not born with the same skills and characteristics, we constantly feel inadequate and mediocre. Indeed, Mirabel embodies the ordinary heroine, who manages to save the magic of the Madrigals thanks to the determination and love she feels towards her family and not thanks to incredible powers. While it is family love that pushes Mirabel on her quest, it is worth mentioning the lack of romantic love, absent in others of the latest Disney productions such as Moana or Brave. This confirms Disney's new approaches to pursue greater inclusiveness, jointly with the choice of a Colombian background and a more realistic body representation of female characters like Mirabel. Even though the plot itself is not very original, and at times there are hesitations in the story (as if it did not know how to end) the symbolic value of Encanto is undeniable and admirable. The film aims to deconstruct the superhero figure that hugely attracts today's public, enhancing the extraordinary normality of Mirabel instead. Furthermore, the absence of a villain shows that the Madrigals' battle is psychological: they must learn to live with their gifted powers without letting them take over and become their entire identity. Last but not least, a special mention to Encanto's soundtrack. Songs like 'Surface Pressure' and 'We Don't Talk About Bruno', written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, are able to entertain the audience and explain the film's statement more than descriptive sequences could ever do. Together with powerful animations rich in details and colours – particularly the floral theme that is recurrent throughout – the melodies create a memorable and engaging atmosphere, leading the audience to experience intense emotions and ultimately overlook the narrative simplicity of this 60th Disney animated product. by Emma Chen Rating: 4/5 The extraordinary magic of normality

p. 5 arts | movies by Katerina Gort Rating: 2/5 This review contains some spoilers Spanish director and writer Pedro Almodóvar re-visits his 1999 hit film All About My Mother in a ghost like shape under the title Parallel Mothers. The overwhelming similarities make it impossible to watch the latter without comparing it to its far better predecessor. Centered on the themes of motherhood, grief, and sisterhood, the two films are populated by a mostly female cast and both include Parallel Mothers’ lead actress Penélope Cruz. This time she plays the elder of the two mothers, Janis, a single mother who is raising a child she discovers isn’t her own. Opposite her, Milena Smit portrays Ana, a young girl who is determined to be a better mother than her own. Having met at the hospital, when both women are about to give birth to their respective children, Ana and Janis rely on each other for comfort; Janis fulfils the maternal role Ana is lacking, as her own mother is mostly absent. The women are later reacquainted when Ana is working at a bar near Janis´ home. Janis asks Ana to move in with her, providing her a home in exchange for support in raising her daughter. This is when the movie stops making any sense. Up until this point, the direction of the film is clear; it is the story about women empowering each other, and how motherhood is transformative. It also shows how traditional family models are not necessary to create a healthy and prosperous environment for both the child and mother. However, the second half of the film destroys any progress made; Janis and Ana become romantically entangled, creating an uncomfortable dynamic between the two. The dialogue becomes repetitive, and there are no longer any consequences to the actions of any of the characters. Plot holes and unresolved storylines are abundant, and the ending feels rushed to the point that it is almost laughable. In addition Almodóvar insists on an underlying narrative about the Spanish Civil War. This consists of a subplot that revolves around the excavation of a mass grave where Janis’s grandfather’s body is buried. If done with proper care, this storyline might have been very compelling, however it feels like an afterthought or the outcome of two scripts being spliced together at the last minute. This results in a total of three scenes that involve Janis’s grandfather and the grave: the opening scene between Janis and Arturo, an Archeologist who promises to help her excavate her grandfather’s grave and who later in the scene also gets Janis pregnant, a fight scene in the middle of the film where the Civil War is mentioned, and finally the ending sequence. In spite of the blatant similarities i t h a s w i t h Almodóvar’s pr e v i o us f i lm , Parallel Mothers had the potential to deliver a poignant s t o r y a b o u t motherhood, womanhood and grief – instead it fails to deliver on any of its promises. The resulting product is a confused, boring, a n d p o i n t l e s s film, in which Penelope Cruz’s performance is the only redeeming aspect.

p. 6 arts | retrospective by Ryan Raitt Following its world premiere at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, Joanna Hogg’s highly acclaimed sequel The Souvenir Part II (2021) is finally reaching our cinema screens. It is a semi-autobiographical tale focusing on a young filmmaker creating her graduation film while she learns to move on from a toxic relationship. With anticipation being high, there is no better time to revisit Hogg’s incredibly underrated 2019 self-reflection piece. Presenting a fleeting, seemingly inconsequential and fragmented narrative, The Souvenir (2019) showcases the toxicity and immaturity found within awkward first loves. Indulging in that feeling of being lost in yourself but finding safety and understanding in a partner, even if that partner is problematic. Communicating those feelings you can’t explain, even when you know they’re no good for you. Honor Swinton Byrne (in her starring role debut) plays an aspiring filmmaker who falls in love with the older and charismatic Anthony (Tom Burke), and that is the only plot Hogg needs in this film that feels timeless. It’s easy to see this as slow and meandering, yet that would be to disregard the beauty and strength behind each sequence. The Souvenir feels like a scrapbook of memories, the moments you recall in the middle of the night, in their most raw and unfiltered form. It’s an incredibly open account from a director willing to be vulnerable in front of her audience. Hogg’s perception of toxic love may be personal, and her approach openly suggests that she’s not trying to explain these emotions. Yet, there’s a genuine and honest gaze behind every flirtation, manipulation, and conversation, which proposes the idea that no explanation is needed; we all understand the relationship she is exploring. While Hogg’s screenplay is effectively tender, the film’s beating heart is Swinton Byrne’s performance. Beautifully naturalistic and gracefully intimate, it never once feels like she’s delivering a performance. Her outstanding portrayal makes sense when we learn that she was encouraged to improvise every scene. Swinton Byrne is not just acting, she is fully manifesting the character of Julie on screen. Alongside this performance, the visuals that Hogg achieves with the film contribute to its unconventional nature. Everything from the set design to the cinematography is gorgeously displayed through a hazy and grainy amalgamation of film and digital. It feels lived in—a perfectly preserved dream. At first glance, The Souvenir could feel slight. Remaining quiet and incidental for the majority of its runtime, it can be a challenging watch, but the impact that Hogg achieves with something so simple is beyond outstanding. Not only is it a moving experiment of a director laying bare her past for an audience to experience, but it is also an honest exploration of love within a toxic relationship. Returning to Belmont Filmhouse on the 16th and 17th of February, The Souvenir is an underseen gem that deserves your attention. The Souvenir (2019) You can watch Belfast and other fantastic titles at the Belmont Filmhouse. Student & Young Person memberships are £5 and grant you discounted tickets year-round! You can watch The Souvenir Part II and other fantastic titles at the Belmont Filmhouse. Student and Young Person memberships are free and grant you access to all regular screenings at £5, as well as a weekly exclusive screening on Tuesdays at £2. 28 Days (2000) I nstead of the usual topic of romantic love, on this Valentine’s Day I decided to talk about finding the strength to love yourself— and 28 Days is a perfect example of that. Its screenwriter is Susannah Grant, whose script of hit movie Erin Brockovich earned Julia Roberts an Academy Award. 28 Days is a fairly old movie; it came out a distant June 2000, but it has left a strong impression on me ever since. It follows the story of successful writer Gwen Cummings (Sandra Bullock) who lives in New York. Her life is a blur of parties and ever-flowing alcohol, and she and her boyfriend Jasper (Dominic West) find great fun in it until she gets hammered at her sister’s wedding. In her drunken fit, she delivers an embarrassing, insulting toast, ruins the cake, goes off to buy a replacement cake by taking the wedding limo, and to top it all off, crashes the limo into a stranger’s lawn. This sends her into a court-ordered rehab, where she reluctantly comes to understand how deeply alcoholism has been affecting her life and the lives of the people around her. As the members of the rehab gather, counselor Cornell, played brilliantly by Steve Buscemi, shares his own past as a drug addict, alcoholic, and a compulsive gambler. The scene splits between his speech and Gwen’s reckless and desperate attempt to reach the pills she threw out from the window earlier. Cornell paints the picture of hitting rock bottom, waking up on an unknown street, covered in blood and hungover, and then hearing a voice, which tells him, ‘This is not a way to live. This is a way to die.’ This movie deals with a hard topic, but it does so with finesse and comedy too. At first, Gwen refuses to admit she has a problem and insists she has control over her drinking. However, among the cast of unfortunate misfits in the rehab, Gwen slowly realizes she is just as pathetic and just as tragic as everybody else. After her teenage roommate Andrea overdoses and loses her life, Gwen changes completely for the better. She finds friendship and apologizes to her sister. Slowly but surely, Gwen learns to leave her past behind and love herself enough to stop self-destructing and finally start mending. by A. M. Kalus

p. 7 arts | music Aurora’s new album, The Gods We Can Touch, is an 80s-influenced 15-track record with the synth dominating the songs almost as much as her voice. It’s got the feeling of a concept album, using melodies and beats from the 80s to contrast Aurora’s deeply haunting vocalisations, leaning heavily into the album’s title and remaining focused on that feeling throughout its entirety. The opening track, ‘The Forbidden Fruits Of Eden’, is a short one and lets Aurora’s gentle but unsettling voice create a base for the rest of the album. By the time it comes to the final song— an equally unsettling piece called, ‘A Little Place Called The Moon’— Aurora has taken the listener on a journey with, and of, the gods, with some songs accomplishing that better than others. ‘Artemis’ is where the combination of the 80s and Aurora’s signature style combine the best, creating a villain-esque melody while still being enjoyable and catchy. This is exactly where ‘This Could Be A Dream’ fails, as its repetitiveness and similarity to the songs that precede makes it feel almost like a space-filler. My personal favourite is ‘Heathens’, wherein Aurora tells the story of Eve giving humanity its freedom by biting the apple. Aside from the lyrics, the song itself begins stripped down with a heavy focus on Aurora’s vocal abilities, which are her strongest point. ‘Heathens’ gradually shifts from its simplicity to a complex set of melodies and harmonies, incorporating all that is good about the album into one song, with a final twist in the melody at the very end. The inspiration taken from the 80s overtakes Aurora’s raw talent in some songs, but the album’s consistency in telling the mythological stories through melodies pulls it together. It’s an easy listen that has more to offer if you’re willing to interpret the lyrics and dissect the melodies, but it’s not Aurora’s best work. by Dora Grabar Rating: 4/5 AURORA - The Gods We Can Touch (2022)

p. 8 arts | festivals Get the dates in your diaries - UNI-Versal Dark Nights Film Festival will take place on the 4 & 5 March! Dark Nights Film Festival is the first in a series of five mini festivals to be hosted and delivered by the University of Aberdeen this year. With a selection of events including film screenings and panel discussions with well known film producers, directors, and cinematographers, this festival has something for everyone: Celebrating Success: Screening of The Great Conjunction – Friday 4 March, 13:00-13:45 Award winning short film by UoA alumna, Karolina Smolova. This short film is a captivating story about Kenneth, an ageing astronomer, who plans to watch the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, but his plans get disrupted by his teenage granddaughter. What was meant to be a magical night turns into a shocking discovery that changes Kenneth’s life forever. Screenwriting with Sergio Casci - Friday 4 March, 14:00-15:30 Sergio Casci is a screenwriter known for his work on the popular television series Katie Morag and River City as well as feature films The Lodge (2019), and The Caller (2011). Shaken not Stirred – Bond: Past, Present & Future – Friday 4 March, 18:30-20:00 A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join an esteemed panel discussion on the life and times of Britain’s most celebrated cinematic super-spy. Speakers include legendary British editor John Grover, whose resume includes The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Octopussy (1983), The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence to Kill (1989), and award-winning cinematographer Phil Meheux, whose work in the 007 universe includes the classics GoldenEye (1995) and Casino Royale (2006). Joining the two is Jamaica-born actress Martine Beswick, who made her mark on the 007 franchise with a memorable sequence in From Russia With Love (1963) opposite Sean Connery and was asked back for a more sizeable role in the later sequel, Thunderball (1965). Film Pub Quiz – Friday 4 March, 19:00-21:00 Put your film knowledge to the test and see how many movies you can get right. Grab a drink and a snack at the Student Union Building and join in the fun when Aberdeen CineClub hosts the first ever Dark Nights Pub Quiz. Open to everyone – it’s not one to miss! Driving Diversity in the Arts: Panel Discussion – Saturday 5 March, 11:00- 12:30 How do we encourage a culture of diversity and inclusion in the UK film industry? Join the conversation with Alexandra Maria Colta from 50/50+ Women Direct, Ica Headlam, founder of We Are Here Scotland, and Dr Clive Nwonka, lecturer in Film, Culture and Society at UCL. Images of Apartheid: Filmmaking on the Fringe in the Old South Africa – Saturday 5 March, 12:45-14:30 Naomi Holwill presents a documentary that remembers the recently unearthed Black action films of the apartheid era in South Africa. The narrative is a reflection on what these, sometimes problematic, motion pictures and representations might mean for aspiring South African filmmakers and fans today. Highlander with Jonathan Melville – Saturday 5 March, 15:00-18:30 Jonathan Melville is the author of A Kind of Magic: Making the Original Highlander in which he looks back at the making of the 1986 film with more than 50 cast and crew members. Don’t miss this screening of Highlander (1986). In conversation with Ian McCulloch – Saturday 5 March, 20:00-22:30 Ian McCulloch is a Scottish actor best known for his performance as Greg Preston in Survivors (1975). In the 1970s and 80s, McCulloch found himself in classics of Italian horror, playing Peter West, the male lead character in Lucio Fulci’s notorious Zombie Flesh Eaters (1979). Don’t miss this screening of Zombie Flesh Eaters! Book your ticket at: https://www. abdn.ac.uk/events/uni-versal/ Add a slice of movie magic to your March Where do these chill winds sway? Is it towards an alley, tucked between the Central Library and St Mark’s? Is it in the hidden passages that lead to the Belmont Filmhouse? What dark things wait for us there, only one billboard can tell us… Granite Noir is back in Aberdeen. Granite Noir is the internationally acclaimed festival of noir literature, proudly hosted by Aberdeen City across a multitude of venues. The festival is back in person for its 2022 programme, and it is packed with loads of events, from book readings, to exhibitions, to film screenings. Go to their website, and flick the pages of their grey brochure to find out more. Highlights of the festival include:* The Grit in the Granite (exhibition), Music Hall and Lemon Tree, FREE Witch Hunt (Ten Feet Tall production), Kirk of St Nicholas, tickets £9.50 The Unknown (workshop with queer author Eris Young), Aberdeen Central Library, tickets £6 Cocktails, Shaken Not Stirred (the science behind crime fiction), Coda Café Bar, Music Hall, tickets £20 Cold Blooded Scandi (Anders de la Motte, Kjell Ola Dahl, Silje Ulstein), tickets £9.50 … And much much more! All events will take place between February 24-27. Book in advance to avoid disappointment. *Student discounts may be available for selected events. Visit the website to know more.

p. 9 gaming and tech | dark souls by Ask Vestergaard Yeah, we get it: Dark Souls is hard. It’s basically a meme at this point – games are no longer challenging, they’re “the Dark Souls” of whatever genre they belong to. And the series isn’t just hard to play – it’s hard to parse. With a narrative conveyed entirely through item descriptions, environmental storytelling, and the cryptic monologuing of depressed poets, the game thrives on vagueness and ambiguity. Moreso than perhaps any other piece of media, the plot of Dark Souls – if you can call it a plot – is fundamentally up to interpretation. And nowhere is this clearer than with one of the game’s most fascinating optional bosses: So, let’s take a look at the lastborn child of the Lord of Cinder, the Blade of the Darkmoon, the final god of Anor Londo. Let’s take a look at the Dark Sun Gwyndolin, and a few of the many possible ways in which Dark Souls explores gender expression through their character. The Cisgender Reading: That was a whole lot of fantasyschmantasy lingo I just put you through, so let me just give you a little background info. The world of Dark Souls is dying. Once, long ago, there was an Age of Ancients, a fantastical analogue to the Ancient Greek and Roman conception of a ‘Golden Age’ ruled by Titans – the Titans in this case being immortal dragons. Then followed a great war, a Titanomachy of sorts, spearheaded by the lightning bolt-wielding god Zeus – ahem, sorry, I mean the lightning boltwielding god Gwyn – which culminated in the slaying of the great dragons and the dawn of the Age of Fire. By the time Dark Souls begins, the Age of Fire has grown bloated and cancerous, and the hegemony of Gwyn is little more than a carcass holding on to power. Gwyn is now Hollow, a shambling husk of himself nursing the coals of his once blazing Age, and the only god left in his once shining capital city of Anor Londo is his child Gwyndolin. But enough exposition. We’re here to talk about gender. Remember what I said about the plot of Dark Souls being conveyed by item descriptions? Nearly every weapon or ring or piece of armour that has any relation to Gwyndolin makes sure to mention that he uses masculine pronouns but was “raised as a daughter” because Gwyn required a child spiritually aligned with the moon – a celestial body that was considered by Gwyn’s court to be feminine. This, then, is one possible reading of Gwyndolin’s gender presentation: Gwyndolin is cisgender (he identifies with the gender he was assigned at birth), is a man, and is a crossdresser. While not entirely necessary, this interpretation also comes with the added baggage of Gwyndolin’s childhood being a coercive one. He was forced to take on a feminine role in order to fulfil a predetermined position in his family’s hierarchy. One item in Dark Souls III, the Reversal Ring, is found in Gwyndolin’s quarters and “causes males to perform female actions, and vice versa”. Yet this could imply both agency and powerlessness. One the one hand, it is possible that Gwyndolin chose to keep the ring on and could take it off at any time; but on the other, as long as he had it on, perhaps it entirely consumed his identity and left him as little more than a puppet dressed as a woman. The Transphobic Reading: No discussion of Gwyndolin’s gender presentation is complete without dredging through the filth that is transphobia – or, more specifically, transmisogyny. This is something that is true of pretty much any analysis of the Dark Sun, but becomes more insidious when reading her as a trans woman written by cis men. The titbit that she was “raised as a daughter” that crops up so often could imply that she merely acts feminine, but it could just as easily be an uneducated and/or transphobic storyteller writing a trans character while entirely misunderstanding the concept of gender. This is extremely common in media, and is a fundamental misconception about being trans: that trans people, no matter how they act, are still defined by their primary or secondary sex characteristics and are purposefully tricking people. If this is the case, the misgendering use of he/ him pronouns would be, in the eyes of a transphobic writer, ‘correct’. It gets worse. When the player first arrives at the bastion of imperialism that is Anor Londo, the city is bathed in golden-red sunlight and teeming with towering knights in glittering armour. But this is all an illusion: the gargoyles, the golden guardians, the very sun itself – they are all lies. Anor Londo is dark and cold and empty, rotting behind a façade of its halcyon grandeur. A façade constructed by Gwyndolin. Gwyndolin is manipulative, Gwyndolin is deceitful, Gwyndolin has feet that are literally made out of snakes. But not only is she a liar, she is a liar because she is trans. The idea that trans folk – specifically trans women – are manipulative is an extraordinarily dangerous prejudice. And if the asynchronous multiplayer messages left outside Gwyndolin’s boss room are anything to go by, what with their gratuitous use of the “tr*p” slur, this is a reading that many players ascribe to – and is certainly not a reading that game developer FromSoftware disincentivises. Couple this with Gwyndolin’s ultimate fate in Dark Souls III, devoured by a roiling mass of sludge that puppeteers her lifeless corpse and robs her of any semblance of femininity in death, and the result is frankly sickening. It is no surprise, then, that many people have sought to reappropriate Gwyndolin, or at least provide a more charitable interpretation. So: let’s take a look at the Dark Sun Gwyndolin as a trans woman who maintains her role as a trickster figure but is not a blatant caricature of transmisogyny. Turn over to continue. Gender and the Dark Sun Gwyndolin Dark Souls: Prepare to Transition Edition

p. 10 gaming and tech | dark souls The Transfemme Reading: One immediate “problem” with this interpretation is that Gwyndolin is constantly referred to with he/him pronouns, but anyone familiar with queer coding in media knows that the Author is very much Dead. Authorial intent is not the be all and end all of analysis, and since Gwyndolin is very clearly coded as trans, it is not difficult to support a reading that consolidates that notion and ignores the pronouns that Hidetaka Miyazaki and his fellow writers from FromSoftware have prescribed her. The clomping foot of canon-obsessed nerdism would, of course, kick indignantly at the idea that art exists outside of the dictates of its creators, but if the interpretation has evidence to support it, then it’s valid. So, here’s the interpretation. From the very start of the original Dark Souls, you are told that you are the Chosen Undead, fated to Link the First Flame and prolong the Age of Fire. In layman’s terms, you’re a zombie marshmallow on a quest to burn yourself to a carcinogenic crisp to extend the reign of the aristocracy. You are told this by the first character you meet, you are told this by a depressed bastard moping by a bonfire, you are told this by a meatmoustachioed snake with human teeth, and, once you finally reach Anor Londo, you are told this by Gwyn’s daughter Gwynevere, the Princess of the Sun. But like the sun, Gwynevere is an illusion – a facsimile cast by a lonely sister. The quest in Dark Souls has you murdering your way through a fantasy aristocracy on your way to find and kill Gwyn, the Lord of Cinder. Although they’ll kill you hundreds of times first, you end up killing every Lord you face. And that just leaves Gwyndolin. Although you can reveal the illusion that has cast a sheen over the darkened Anor Londo by giving the vision of Gwynevere a good thwack in-game and can face and kill Gwyndolin in her endless spectral hallway, you will almost certainly not do that on your first time playing. The intended first playthrough of Dark Souls ends with the player sacrificing themselves to Link the First Flame. It ends with them never meeting Darkstalker Kaathe (yet another meatmoustachioed snake with human teeth) who tells you that it is possible to let the Fire fade and usher in an Age of Dark. It ends with every single pillar of the aristocracy, Gwyn included, dead. Everyone – except for Gwyndolin. It is entirely possible to read Gwyndolin as the primary instigator of the entire game’s events: she fabricated the Prophesy of the Chosen Undead, she led you to Anor Londo, she spoke to you through the mask of her falsified sister, she sent you to butcher all that remained of the old hegemony, her father included, and then she convinced you to kill yourself to extend the Age of Fire. The Age of Gwyndolin. The Age of a Trans Woman. For she is a trans woman. Why wouldn’t she be? There is no one left to coerce her. There is no one more powerful than her. She has absolute authority, absolute agency, and the absolute power to define her own gender expression. She straight up gave herself illusory breasts. She is the Queer Queen of Anor Londo. The Transmasc Reading: … or he’s a trans man. What? How the Hell can a character both be interpreted as a trans woman and as a trans man? Well. Although Gwyndolin was likely born with male primary and secondary sex characteristics, it is entirely arguable that he was technically assigned female at birth – Gwyn raised him as a girl, dressed him in feminine garb, and slipped the Reversal Ring upon his finger. In Dark Souls III, the Reversal Ring is found locked in a chest in the same tomb where Gwyndolin is encountered in the original game. We cannot possibly know how it ended up there, but one possibility is that Gwyndolin removed it and embraced his masculinity, transitioning away from the gender that was imposed upon him from birth. Once Gwyn and the other Lords were finally gone and there were none left to oppose him, he was finally free to be who he truly was – a man. While Gwyndolin’s death by the mouth of Aldrich the Devourer is harrowing for anyone who identified with Gwyndolin as a trans character, the transmasc reading ensures that it is only a violation of life, rather than a violation of gender. What remains of his half-digested body in Dark Souls III is masculine, with illusory breasts no longer padding out his robe. He might be dead, but at least he can still be seen as a man – and that can be a comfort, however slight, to anyone sickened by the way he was so gruesomely disposed of. There is, however, another possible comfort. Dark Souls III takes place countless centuries after the events of the first game, but several well-known characters make reappearances in it – Gwyndolin included, albeit as a rotting flesh puppet. How did Gwyndolin make it to the events of the third game if it is entirely possible for the player character to kill him in the first? There are a few possibilities. Firstly, and this is something that is very common with sequels in games that have multiple outlines, perhaps only the ending where Gwyndolin survives is ‘canon’. Secondly, and much more interestingly, a fundamental theme in Dark Souls III is the fact that the world and its history are imploding in on themselves. Time is convoluted in the Dark Souls games, with phantoms from the past accompanying wayfarers of the present and ancient cities rising from the foundations of modernity. And then there’s a third possibility: he never died. It is possible that the version players can kill in Dark Souls was just an illusion. But surely that doesn’t make sense – the reward for killing him in the game is his soul, and you can’t get a soul from an illusion, can you? Well, every enemy in the sunlit version of Anor Londo is an illusion, and they all drop souls, including the area’s infamous twin bosses Ornstein and Smough, both of whom drop a boss soul just like Gwyndolin’s. Additionally, if you kill Gwyndolin but do not dispel the illusion of Gwynevere, Anor Londo remains sunlit – something, or someone, must be keeping the illusion intact. And if Gwyndolin survived the player, perhaps he survived Aldrich the Devourer as well. I’m usually not a big fan of digging deep into a game’s lore to find every tenuous thread I can to support any conclusion I want – it often feels pointless and overreaching. But I cannot deny that the culture of trans readings surrounding Gwyndolin is absolutely fascinating and well worth exploring – especially since it has a very real impact. It is an excellent case study in how vague storytelling can both support readings that empower marginalised voices while also simultaneously creating toxic caricatures that marginalise them further. Is Dark Souls’ emphasis on ambiguity a good thing, then, or a bad thing? I don’t know. But it is definitely a difficult thing. So, in conclusion – the Dark Sun Gwyndolin truly is the Dark Souls of gender expression.

p. 11 life and style | coffee Coffee without a Cause by Rory Buccheri Special cafés for ordinary occasions Spending time in the city centre somehow always leads to stressful complications. If you don’t end up stuck in traffic, then you end up queuing at the bank, or maybe picking up parcels, or, if you are a nerd like me, collecting books from the Central Library. Despite the recent pedestrian-only zones and semi-nice benches trying to slow down the hectic pace, it can get busy and unpleasant very quick. Yet, nothing makes a trip to the city centre worth it like that sweet reward at the end, that question lingering in the air as you queue at the bank: where should I get coffee later? If you have ever asked this question yourself, look no further. And trust me, if these caffeine kicks weren’t good, I wouldn’t be here passionately typing about them a 100 miles per second. BOOKS AND BEANS Variety: Flavour: Customer Service: Price: £ Experience type: cosy and relaxed Nothing like a hearty classic to make your day. The coffee experience is already praiseworthy, but paired with a book? Absolute heaven. When in B&B, I always put myself in the loving hands of the waiting staff. They will tell you what is good, what is really good (spoilers: it’s the carrot cake) and what is the special of the day (spoilers: it hardly ever beats the carrot cake). So, if you are in doubt, the pairing Cappuccino + Carrot Cake is killer. Or, as I like to call it, the CCC (but I am just plain weird). B&B has a modest variety of caffeine in all shapes and forms to offer, but I am always tempted to go for the creamy or frothy options. Plus points: their vegan and lactose-free options rock. CULT OF COFFEE Variety: Flavour: Customer Service: Price: ££ Experience type : curious and adventurous Slightly hidden in the centre of town, slightly pricey, but absolutely luscious. This is a place for coffee connoisseurs and rookies alike. As I sit across one of my best friends, I ask them how they’d describe the coffee profile of what they are currently drinking. Their answer? It’s just good, man. Really good. I will take this victory. However, allow me to rant a little bit about the coffee profile. Instead of going for my usual cappuccino or espresso, I decided to treat myself to a Flat White. (When you enter the premises of Cult of Coffee, you start to feel like you are worth treating yourself ). The aromas are bold, the coffee has that robust profile and irresistible sour undertones. When you have reached the last sip, you are aware that you are indulging in something absolutely glorious. If you are passionate about coffee, it is worth inquiring what blends they have available. They purchase fantastic coffee blends year-round, from Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Rwanda. You name it. Ask the bartenders, they will be nerdy about their coffee and, as a result, give you very good advice. CUP Variety: Flavour: Customer Service: Price: ££ Experience type: chill, and accompanied by a bite CUP has a bunch of features to brag about. The two things I find most impressive about their establishment are, in no particular order, their brunches and their chill. It might be in their décor, or in their special rainbow bagels recipe…I don’t know. There is something charming looming around CUP, like a magic aura. In the variegated constellation of Cafés in Aberdeen, I would go to CUP on a nice summer day: enjoy their iced coffees, ask for a shot of vanilla in my cold brew, maybe a whip of cream. They are that type of Café, where you can abandon bitter espressos that taste like hard-earned victory and indulge in frothy vanilla iced coffee to please your inner stripey unicorn. When dabbling in hot drinks territory (I still have to savour their teas), they have a not bad espresso and overall good, easy blends. I wouldn’t go there for a mindblowing experience, but a soothing and caffeinating one? Hell yeah. THE CRAFTSMAN COMPANY – Coffee & Ale House Variety: Flavour: Customer Service: Price: £ Experience type: convenient night stop, laid-back Not many Cafés in Aberdeen are open after 6 PM. In fact, not many places at all. As a Southern European used to shops closing at 9 PM, I am still trying to navigate this confusing system. If you enjoy a coffee after dark, though, The Craftsman is the right place. Open until 10.30 PM with both drinking and dining options, it is hard not to find a more accommodating place, especially if you are in the city with your friend group. Someone wants a coffee? They have good brews in there. Mind you, not mind-blowing, but worthy of the venue’s name. Feeling like pizza? They make a decent one, and I suspect they come up with the menu. Pint of beer? The name Coffee & Ale House should have given it away already. On top of it all, it is placed conveniently close to the train/ bus station. So, whether you are catching a late train or need to sober up after an evening at the pub, I would recommend paying them a visit and sampling their coffee blends. What are your favourite Cafés in Aberdeen? Tell us at lifeandstyle@ thegaudie.com – Rory is always on the lookout for special, authentic places and food that makes your soul buzz.

p. 12 life and style | hairstyle Hair is everything. I think that the majority of people would agree with that statement. Your hair, or lack thereof, is one of the first things people notice when looking at you, making the way you wear your hair being a great reflection of who you are as a person. E.g., if you’re cutting about campus with either a mullet or a cropped, bleach-blond look, chances are you play rugby. But back to the opening statement. Hair is everything. This idea has been at the forefront of my mind since I started secondary school. I constantly questioning what was cool, and how much persuading would it take for my mum to fork out some cash for yet another trip to the hairdressers. So let me take you through some of my many dodgy hair tales. If I’m being truthful, my first hair mistake was when I asked my hairdresser for a diagonally cut fringe when I was about 7. That look is an honourable mention, but when paired with being so young and arguably somewhat cute, I could almost get away with it, although if you asked someone who knew me then, they would probably disagree. The real disaster happened when I was 13. At the time I had swimming for PE, pairing long hair, swimming, and white shirts of the school uniform, well that resulted in a soggy, see-through mess. To conquer this, I cut it off. Channelling Frankie from the Saturdays, I got a short back and sides with a terrible, floppy fringe. Turns out, I didn’t end up looking like Frankie from The Saturdays. My advice to my 13-year-old self would bring an extra towel to dry your hair, and don’t be so dramatic. The awkwardness of this new trim wasn’t from the actual short back and sides, but from the constant attempt at growing it out, reaching that simply awful ‘in-the-middle-of-growingmy-hair-out-so-this-is-why-I-look-like-a-Beetlestribute-act’ look. Advice to anyone growing their hair out? Don’t be weak, just let it grow. Otherwise, you could end up like me and look like an angry convict in your driver’s license. Just a word to the wise. Like a lot of teenage girls who were immersed in the world of Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco, and Bring Me The Horizon, I decided to dye my hair black. If you know, you know. Trekking to Boots to get just the right shade of black with my dad in tow to ensure that I didn’t buy permanent hair day, one of the worst decisions of my life was purchased. I rushed home and locked myself in out bathroom and attempted to do a half decent job of dying my hair. Spoiler alert, I most certainly did not do a half decent job of dying my hair. It went navy blue. A navy-blue short back and sides, with very light brown eyebrows made for an interesting look. Interesting, but not good. Now, the final nail in the coffin, the semi-permanent dye did not hold up to its name. Despite saying it would wash out, I was stuck with blue hair until it grew out. At least the short back and sides made that awful process a bit quicker. A few more awful hair colours later, and numerous terrible trims, by the time I had reached the start of sixth year, my hair was in a somewhat decent place. My natural hair colour had returned, it had finally surpassed that horrible awkward stage, and it was in a good starting place. My yearbook ‘advice to your S1 self ’ was ‘don’t cut your hair, don’t dye it black, don’t take Higher Chemistry.’ So, what did I do immediately after finishing my exams? Dyed it black again didn’t I. I am simply in no position to give advice if I can’t take my own. Starting university with a terrible black dye job, I kept that until the winter break. That’s when I really messed up. Picture the scene, my best friend since primary school announces she’s moving to Australia. We’ve both had a few wines, so we decide to bleach our hair. The amount of trauma I put my poor hair through that night is unreal. Within a few hours of wine fuelled madness, myself and my friend managed to take my boxdyed black hair to the patchiest, blonde-gingerblack-white mess possible. My hair was fried. Hopes and dreams ruined, and to top it off I had work the next morning. Oh dear. In the early hours of the morning, I tried to dye it pink in a desperate hope to hide the monstrosity I had created, but all I achieved was dying my roots somewhat pink. Wearing this look for about two weeks I then, you guessed it, dyed it black yet again. Then COVID hit. I tried to grow the black out, which now I had long hair was a much more difficult feat than the first time. I think I lasted until June. At this point my hair was falling out, in awful condition and just looked plain awful. I then decided to be a big girl and book an appointment to get this mess sorted. (Shout out to Vicki at Artisan – love you x) A year later, after actually looking after my hair and doing what I should be doing and not dyeing at any minor inconvenience, it now looks semi decent. My advice? Do what you want, have fun, but make sure your look after your hair. by Kathryn Ritchie A hair-raising journey of some dodgy hair mistakes What not to do with your hair from the least stylish person on campus

30.10.19 p.9 Hours before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing on Friday, Chinese president Xi Jinping met with, who he has referred to as his “old friend”, Vladimir Putin. This was the first time the Chinese leader met with a foreign counterpart faceto-face in nearly two years. The two put on a united display, and in a joint statement, it was made clear that China supports Russia in its demand of NATO not expanding any further. After the meeting, Putin described the Chinese-Russian relations as special. This meeting came after years of the two countries drawing closer together with military cooperation and trade at the heart of their partnership. In 2014, Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine. This upset many and harsh critique from leaders and organisations all over the world was directed at Moscow. Among these was NATO which condemned Russia’s actions, stating that it violated international law. During these times, when facing isolation and international disapproval, Russia found an ally in China, which provided economic and diplomatic support, and since then, the interdependency between the two countries has only increased further. China is currently Russia’s biggest trade partner with bilateral trade reaching new peaks. During this meeting, additional deals were secured, and Russia will now be supplying China – the world’s biggest energy consumer – with a further 10 million cubic metres of gas annually. This will continue to reduce Moscow’s dependency on European energy customers. However, with Russian troops being positioned along the border of Ukraine and many fearing military activities, one could potentially also wonder if this close cooperation of Putin and Jinping threatens to undermine European and American plans to implement strict sanctions against Moscow. Maria Snegovaya, a visiting scholar at George Washington University is among those who believe that China would once again “soften the blow” of sanctions placed on Russia – just like they did in 2014. China has been a big buyer of many Russian goods including not just oil and gas but also weapons, fish, and timber. As opposed to China, the United States is threatening to block high-tech exports, something which – according to analysts – took Putin by surprise. This move would seriously affect Russia’s ability to produce advanced industrial and military hardware. Regardless, the two leaders seem to share a desire to weaken the United States’ influence in world politics. China, however, still has important business connections in both the US and in Ukraine, and therefore has to tread lightly. Beijing has never officially recognised Russia “annexing” the Crimean Peninsula. Also, despite the fact that China and Russia are organising joint military operations and training, it is doubted that China will explicitly express its support for any further Russian involvement in Ukraine. Putin and Jinping meet amidst Ukraine-Russia crisis by Selma Arlbrandt Could Beijing and Moscow potentially outweigh NATO? It was made clear that China supports Russia in its demand of NATO not expanding any further. ‘Freedom Convoy’ protest continues to grow in Canada Truck drivers are still fuming over new travel rules on vaccines and testing Image of Vladimir Putin, president of Russia Photo courtesy of Dimitro Sevastopol via Pixabay Coming up to being two-weeks long, the “Freedom Convoy” protest in Canada seems to be only expanding. Originally started as a march by hundreds of truck drivers opposing the new Covid-19 vaccine mandates of the country, the protest has evolved into thousands blocking traffic in the country’s capital city Ottawa and several border crossing stations along the US-Canadian border. Truck drivers are protesting against Canada’s latest Covid-19 restrictions announced on the 15th of January. These would require them to either be fully vaccinated or undertake compulsory testing and two weeks of isolation upon entering the country. They were reportedly joined by others - including cowboys - not from the cargo industry, who just want everything to be ‘normal’ again. “These protesters have been holding our city hostage,” tweeted Ottawa’s mayor, Jim Watson, who also successfully liaised with the popular community fundraising page ‘GoFundMe’ to disable funds directed to the convoy organizers. On the contrary, Kevin Vaugh, a Conservative MP in Canada praised the “patriotic truckers who have kept our supply chains healthy” and visited the protesters to show his appreciation. In Ottawa, the protesters are blocking Parliament Hill (home to the Parliament of Canada) and several streets while one of the busiest border crossing and trading points between Canada and the US on the road between Windsor and Detroit is also occupied. Even though the entire police force of Ottawa consists of 1200 officers, and they have already been supplemented by neighboring colleagues, according to mayor Jim Watson at least 1800 more officers would be needed to halt the demonstrations. Apart from requesting more support, the mayor also declared a state of emergency. “We will make sure the city has the resources they need,” responded Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada. He also condemned the Freedom Convoy by stating that “the blockades in Windsor and Ottawa are endangering jobs, impeding trade, threatening the economy, and obstructing our communities”. As for communities, some protesters even harassed and assaulted the workers of a homeless shelter and soup kitchen in Ottawa for food. The /Shepherds of Good Hope/ also had to face trucks parking in their ambulance drop off zone. While the situation is most concerning in the capital and along the borders, truck convoys were also formed in Alberta, Manitoba and British Columbia which clearly signals that a solution is yet to be achieved. by Isti Miskolczy Photo courtesy of ottawagraphics via Pixabay Apart from requesting more support the mayor also declared a state of emergency.

p.10 30.10.19 Hungarian parliamentary election campaign is on its way Starting the campaign period was Prime Minister Viktor Orban promising further developments by Isti Miskolczy Saturday 12, February, marked the official start of the campaign period of the 2022 parliamentary elections in Hungary. Parties and candidates now have less than 50 days left to convince and persuade the electorate to vote for them on the 3rd of April when, besides the election of the National Assembly (which then elects the Prime Minister), a referendum on the sexual education of minors will also be conducted. For the first time since the end of the communist-influenced era in 1989 in Hungary, this election will see two major coalitions contesting each other instead of several smaller parties aiming to win. Incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Fidesz-KDNP coalition will have to face a new challenger Peter Marki-Zay behind whom all opposition parties in the country are united. Mr Marki-Zay won the primary elections in October and thus earned the support of not just the major leftist parties (among others the Democratic Coalition and the Hungarian Socialist Party) but also the previously extremely right-wing Jobbik (“Movement for a Better Hungary”) party. Primary elections were also held in all 106 individual constituencies, with only one contestant remaining in each to face the candidates of Fidesz. On top of the 106 MPs from individual districts, 93 MPs will also be elected from the party lists, rounding up the total number of representatives in the Hungarian National Assembly to 199. In his campaign-launching speech, apart from going on at individual members of the opposition, Orban also thanked those taking part in the fight against coronavirus and especially praised the healthcare services. He also listed the campaign measures he and his government has already taken: among others, scrapping taxes on the wages of under-25- year-olds, tax refunds for families and a 13th-month pension. Orban advocated for both the Balkan states to join the European Union and the development of the military forces of the EU. As opposed to the current Prime Minister, who has been in office for more than 12 years now, Peter Marki-Zay, joint leader of the opposition, expressed that “in Hungary, there will be no discrimination based on race or sexual orientation”. With that, he might have been referring to Orban’s previously passed anti-LGBTQ law prohibiting the display of content depicting homosexuality to minors. Marki-Zay also pledged financial compensation to those cities that received fewer funds on the basis of having a mayor from one of the opposition parties and not the parties currently governing. Subsequently, Marki-Zay also reacted to Orban’s speech in a Facebook post. “The only virtue in Viktor Orban’s state of the nation speech was that it was his last as prime minister”, said the leader of the opposition, who is also a mayor of Hódmezővásárhely, a town near the southern borders. Regardless of the campaign pledges and party manifestos, the upcoming 2022 elections will most certainly be the closest the opposition parties have ever been in the past 12 years to defeat Orban and his governance. This mainly results from them being united (in some cases to a greater, in other cases to a lesser extent) and having only one challenger for the Prime Ministership. While the opposition parties and their candidates are said to have more chances in the capital Budapest, its surroundings and several more populous towns across the country, Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party has deep roots and support in the countryside. According to some studies, out of the 106 individual constituencies, around 30 are likely to see the opposition’s candidate winning and about 41 can expect the election of a Fidesz candidate as their MP. The remaining 35 constituencies are those with decisive power over who will become the next ruling party and Prime Minister of Hungary. Accordingly, the most focus and attention will be concentrated on these districts. Allegedly, to boost his campaign, Viktor Orban even invited Donald Trump to Hungary in the hope of the former US President advocating for him. An unnamed government source told The Guardian that a think tank linked to the government had indeed issued an invitation to Trump, with members of Fidesz that would really like to see him visiting Budapest in the near future. The incumbent Prime Minister of Hungary and the former president of the US had even exchanged phone calls earlier this year. If Trump ends up visiting Hungary, it is likely to happen at the American Conservative Union’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), which will take place in Budapest at the end of March. Now that the campaign has officially started, individual candidates will have to collect 500 supporting signatures each within two weeks to be listed on the ballot paper. As for the nominees of the parties’ lists, the exact names and their order are yet to be confirmed on both sides. Viktor Orban at a meeting of the European People's Party (EPP) a few years ago. Photo courtesy of More pictures and videos: [email protected] via Creative Commons and is licensed under CC BY 2.0. “The only virtue in Viktor Orban’s state of the nation speech was that it was his last as prime minister”, said the leader of the opposition This election will see two major coalitions contesting each other instead of several smaller parties aiming to win. The upcoming 2022 elections will most certainly be the closest the opposition parties have ever been in the part 12 years to defeat Orban and his governance

30.10.19 p.11 The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) wants to use the Winter Olympics to sports wash their human rights abuses. We should use it to tell the world about the horrific crimes the CCP are committing. With many countries focusing on China during the period of the Winter Olympics, let us not allow China to hide what is happening. Middle Eastern countries use sports to gain soft power and improve their global image. They want people to think about the sporting events in the country, not the human rights violations. We see this with Formula 1 in Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia and now Qatar who will be hosting the World Cup this year. When we’re talking about China and the Winter Olympics, we’re talking about the Winter Olympics being used to mask the genocide to the Uyghurs; the further oppression of the Tibetans; their increased illegal control over Hong Kong; and their constant threatening of invading Taiwan. These games have been linked to the 1936 games of Berlin and it is a fair comparison. Hitler used the games to show off Nazi Germany and the German race, after enacting the Nuremberg Laws in 1935 to separate Jews from society. President Xi Jinping is using the games to be recognised internationally as a world-leading country while he commits acts of genocide towards the Uyghurs. Just a few short months ago Sir Geoffrey Nice QC confirmed at the Uyghur Tribunal that what is happening to the Uyghurs falls under Genocide. The Uyghur Tribunal was an independent tribunal in London, set up to examine whether Gencoide was taking place. Sir Geoffrey Nice received evidence of leaked CCP documents which had Xi Jinping’s name on them, confirming he was a part of the planning and authorising the concentration camps. The camps which see Uyghurs having to fall under CCP control through torture, which sees Uyghurs have to endure forced labour; which see Uyghur women being forcibly sterilised; which see Uyghur Muslims having to denounce their faith towards Islam. The stories of events and evidence to back it is horrific and yet the IOC and the world are allowing the games to go ahead in the same country is a joke towards the so-called ‘Olympic Spirit’. Now while some may argue it would have been a logistical nightmare to move the games last minute, that is not necessarily true. Vancouver and Canada openly said they would host the games last minute instead of China. Saying that it is not within the ‘Olympic spirit’ to have the games in a country that is seen committing countless human rights violations and genocide. Canada has the facilities and venues to host the games on short notice but the IOC refused to accept the offer. It is not like these are the first games that China has hosted. When they hosted the Summer Olympics in 2008 it was assumed they would open up afterwards and stop their oppression. Instead since 2008, they’ve doubled down on their oppression towards Uyghurs, Hongkongers, Tibetans & others such as the Falun Gong and Christians. In fairness to the international community, there have been efforts of boycotts of the games not to legitimise the games. This has mainly been through the acts of diplomatic boycotts. This is where nation-states choose not to send elected officials, members of government and royal families to the events. However, the athletes still go, meaning the main attractions of the events still go. This is not an attack on the athletes. They have worked their entire life for this moment. It is not their fault that the IOC offered the games to a genocidal state. They should however, if they deem it safe enough, to draw attention to the Human rights issues when they can so the world can hear what is happening. The world boycotted South Africa— athletes, officials and events—due to the apartheid. Under the Gleneagles Agreement countries agreed not to compete in South Africa until they abolished apartheid. The full athletic boycott worked. It was one of the factors that ended apartheid. However, China being the 2nd most powerful country in the world, means countries like the UK are too afraid to stand up. By these games going ahead in China, countries are legitimising the CCP’s actions, the actions of genocide. It is up to us, the individual when the world is looking at China, to reveal the true China to the world. We cannot let them legitimise their acts of genocide. The Genocide Games by Matthew Running, Foundation for Uyghur Freedom Why we cannot allow China to use the winter Olympics to cover their actions Aberdeen’s green recovery can’t be dominated by BP BP’s approval to deliver the new hydrogen hub is a kick in the face to environmentalists Aberdeen City Council has approved BP to deliver the city’s new hydrogen hub with a solar power facility and hydrogen production and refuelling facility in a move sure to anger environmentalists across the city and the country. As the preferred bidder, they will now work with the council in a joint venture to ‘lead the way’ in making Aberdeen a hydrogen city, envied by the entire world. This comes as part of BP’s plan of world domination, uh, I mean, reaching ‘net zero’ across the planet. Aiming to set up similar projects in 10 to 15 cities around the world. It has published a draft plan to develop the new project in three steps. Firstly, it plans to build the infrastructure for the public sector, then secondly moving to rail, trucks and marine use. Step three sees the use of hydrogen for heat and export abroad. Now I’ll admit, hydrogen in Aberdeen is pretty cool. As lame as that just sounded. But zero emission buses in the city centre are one of the best things about living here, and I tell people this all the time. That being said, the buses are also owned by the private company, FirstGroup. As with much of the transport elsewhere in Scotland (with the recent exception of rail, but we’ll see how that’s handled seeing as the SNP government almost seem reluctant in accepting ownership of it). Moreover, the city has one of the largest fleets of bin lorries, road sweepers, cars and vans in Europe Conservative and Unionist Party Councillor Ryan Houghton put it like this: ‘I am incredibly proud of this next step Aberdeen is making with our commercial partner bp, which has advised the council on the delivery of our Energy Transition Strategic Infrastructure Plan and this exciting announcement builds on that work.’, further stating that it’ll help create hundreds of opportunities for employment and innovation in the city! Sure, sure. It adds to the monopoly that private companies are gaining, in fact dominating, over Scotland’s energy transition. Only a few days ago did BP, alongside Shell and SSE, win offshore wind energy contracts in the ‘ScotWind’ auction. Many of those leasing contracts have gone abroad, in fact. In fact, foreign countries are to have a bigger stake in the Scottish renewable market than Scotland itself. If Scotland’s green energy transition is undertaken by some of the worst polluters in the world who operate only to cut costs and increase profits, Scotland will be sucked dry of any benefits and the taxpayer will be charged even more. Instead, if energy were to be taken into public hands, Scotland and its citizens could have lived comfortably in a net zero country, enjoying a decarbonised energy sector, with secure jobs, better wages, and cheaper prices upfront and to the taxpayer. A move like this goes against everything that SNP, as well as the Conservative council in Aberdeen, say about climate change. It’s true that a move to renewables and green energy doesn’t have to be to the detriment of standards of living in any one country, but contracts like these will only perpetuate these myths and further complicate any positive developments. Of course, these net zero targets and developments around green energy are welcome, but when the future of the climate lies in private hands with governments happily handing them deals, turning a blind eye and with very little input, it’s hard to be that optimistic. It doesn’t look good for the general public or environment, but it sure looks great for the pockets of oil and gas billionaires. by Aidan Bridgeman Vancouver and Canada openly said they would host the games last minute instead of China. Photo courtesy of Tomas Roggero via Flickr Photo courtesy of NHD-INFO via Flickr

p.12 30.10.19 If Unite goes, Starmer should too. Recent industrial action in the city of Coventry could spell the end for the Labour Party as we know it… or, at least, as we have come to know it under Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership. A pay dispute between the Labour-run council and the bin lorry drivers in the city, which started months ago though has been on-going, has become increasingly hostile. Unite the union, on the side of the bin lorry drivers, has been facing an uphill battle against the Labour Party, who you’d think would’ve been on the side of the bin lorry drivers too. The leverage that Unite hold isn’t like any other union. It doesn’t just hold workers at bay and negotiate terms with the council, of which could be run by any party for a matter of fact. It holds the power of being the biggest funder of said council; it is the biggest donator to the Labour Party. Quite frankly, it’s crazy to think that their demands—of which are incredibly reasonable and rational—are not being upheld. Sure, unions will always face struggles, that is essentially why they exist. But in a council run by the party said to be on the side of workers, you’d expect more cooperation. The Unite union has stated that financial support for the party—not just the council or constituent party in Coventry, the entire parliamentary party too—is ‘under review’. The general secretary, Sharon Graham, then later reinforced the statement. The council, and Labour party, have hit back stating that the union is purposefully misrepresenting the situation and claims being made, going further even attempting to shame the union into backing down. A ridiculous position to be taken by, again, the party for working people. Supposedly. Moreover, this comes after the decision from the council to outsource the work of waste collection in the city to a private contractor (though owned by the council). However, risking jobs in the process. Despite independent arbitration between the two sides, they haven’t been very productive in moving talks along. The last general secretary of Unite, Len McCluskey, also had his hand forced to cut donations to the party in 2020 under the same leader of the Labour Party, Sir Keir Starmer. It came due to the executive of the party simply ‘not listening’. To me, it’s unsurprising. Labour’s recent popularity hasn’t come from the public suddenly siding with Starmer’s soft-left policies. It has come from Boris Johnson’s indescribably terrible administration and the wider Conservative Party as a whole. The Labour party insiders have surely got to know this? It’s not like their policies were doing good in the public eye before Johnson started to lend them some percentage points of support. They were doing terribly. Quite honestly, the Labour party has been given a gift in Johnson. To win over the public’s support, Starmer just needs to kick the ball into the open goal. The goalie is currently on his lunch break. Yet, Starmer cannot help but distance himself from the core supporters and principles of the party. That being, listening to workers. If Starmer continues to display utterly uncaring and weak leadership, and if Unite pulls any more support, he must be replaced well before any campaigning for a general election can start. by Christie Edward James Something is deeply wrong when the party of working people loses the support of the UK’s biggest labour union Not just the council or constituent party in Coventry, the entire parliamentary party too How indigenous groups are fighting back against Amazon On January 19th 2022, two South African indigenous groups, the Khoi and the San, went to court to stop the construction of the new Amazon Headquarter on a site known as the River Club. The main concerns with this project regard both the environment, and the fact that Amazon would build on sacred land, which is currently on evaluation to be put on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Nothing new so far, it is the umpteenth case of a powerful company that oversteps on locals’ rights flouting potential environmental issues to try turn a profit. Nonetheless, it is interesting to see how, despite the public support of minorities in instances such as BLM protests, nothing has changed. I mean, not that one expects anything less from companies that have a reputation for exploitation of workers, racist workplaces and horrible working conditions. And yet, Amazon still has the audacity of promoting itself as ’committed to diversity and inclusion and always looking for ways to minimise our impact as we grow‘. But let’s take a step back and see exactly what happened. In April 2021, Amazon announced it would build a new headquarter in Cape Town, South Africa. The issues with this project are many. Representatives of the Khoi and the San, the earliest inhabitants of South Africa, claimed that the land Amazon is supposed to build on is sacred for their people. The site holds an historical importance as it represents the first resistance of the native population against European settlers; in fact, in 1510 the Battle of Salt River was fought there, where the Portuguese forces lost and they were forced to retreat to the beach. There were no more encounters with Europeans for other 150 years, until the Dutch got to South Africa, when the Khoi and the San resisted settlers until they were dispossessed of the land. So not only is the site sacred to the ancestors, but it is also historically important for the Khoi and the San as it represents their struggle against colonialism. To address these issues though, the LLPT (Liesbeek Leisure Properties Trust), the preferred bidder and site’s developer, were so kind to come up with a plan. The deal is that they can destroy a sacred land but, in return, they will create a cultural and educational centre that would be dedicated to Khoi and San’s history. Not only is the plan to completely ignore the natives’ voices, but there is also a complete disregard towards environmental issues that this construction might cause. Many experts and environmentalists have stated that, to build on that site will damage the local environment. It threatens biodiversity, as ’the green lung of the city‘ would be destroyed. Moreover, the locals would be put at risk, as the river’s capacity of absorbing water during storms and floods would be compromised. Trace Venter, spokesperson of the LLPT, replied to the affidavit wrote to address some of these issues by saying that its account was ’inadmissible or irrelevant’. This same person commented on the natives’ concern regarding the sacrality of their land by declaring that it’s ’unfortunate that this small but vocal group of people who are unhappy that their opinions were validly dismissed by the competent authorities’. When asked by several newspapers, Amazon always declined to comment. Last but not least, through the construction of its Headquarter, Amazon is actually fighting against the high rate of unemployment (around 34%), creating a ’a significant boost to the Cape Town economy‘, as the mayor’s office claimed. The question is though, what kind of jobs and working conditions is Amazon offering? According to BBC news, when compared to competitors, Amazon’s warehouse jobs have one of the highest injury rates. If we want to analyse the so called ’diverse and inclusive environment‘, it will come out that in the management level, there is a severe lack of representation of diversity. Moreover, if this is not enough, an article by The Guardian linked Amazon’s warehouses in some US regions to negative health impacts for local communities. As Tauriq Jenkins, High Commissioner of the Goringhaicona Khoi Khoin Indigenous Traditional Council, claimed in his interview with the eNCA, ’We need to ask the question who’s actually going to benefit from this development’. Some of the components of the native communities were not against Bezos’ project, and the LLPT is clinging to these people to demonstrate that they are actually creating opportunities and jobs to South Africa. As Jenkins has declared in an interview with the africanews: ’Going onto someone's sacred terrain and building something on top of it, saying “we're going to offer employment in doing so” is a morose and sick form of arguing the notion of job development (…) You don't employ the descendants of the Khoi Khoi and San… to dig up their ancestors' grave’. The constructions have already started, but the court case of the Khoi and San people against LLPT might create some delays. In fact, according to IOL, a LLPT’s lawyer has told the court that, if a delay is officially granted, Amazon would pull out of the project. by Caterina Fumero The new South African Amazon HQ would destroy a sacred heritage site and create more pollution In April 2021, Amazon announced it would build a new headquarter in Cape Town, South Africa. When asked by several newspapers, Amazon always declined to comment. Photo courtesy UK Parliament via Flickr

30.10.19 p.13 Only on this crazy island could a news story about a dinky, community-driven Fife football club and a premier, London-based, top-class international brand-first and football-clubsecond dominate the news headlines day after day. Because this island loves football. Absolutely loves it. And you don’t need me to tell you that the UK’s love of football is often so unconditional and emotional that rational thinking and level heads fly out the window long before kick-off and long after the final whistle. And that’s not to say that I disagree with it all; an away-day weekend is a nice way to blow off some steam and catch up with your pals. Plus, it’s a super low-effort way to celebrate a little bit. You mean to tell me that these blokes on the pitch can put in all the hard work, all the training, resources and time, and I can celebrate too when they win games or titles? Celebrate harder, in fact? And I just need to stand there with maybe a replica strip or colour-block scarf at least? Count me in. Love it. But sometimes it goes too far. A couple weeks ago the Kirkcaldy club, Raith Rovers FC, signed David Goodwillie from Clyde FC. The controversy sparked upon discovering the club’s blatant disregard towards the players background and character. In 2017, Goodwillie was ruled to be a rapist, and made to pay damages upfront in a civil case in Scotland. Although concerns were raised as to signing Goodwillie from sponsors and community trust members, the manager and board went ahead with it anyway—after having previously made it clear to the partners of the club that he was not in their sights. Is it hypocritical of the media and footballing community to not have raised the same uproar against Clyde? Yes, of course. But also, you can’t know what you don’t know. I wouldn’t blame anyone for not knowing about a relatively unknown player in League One in Scotland. Can you name any other players, or even clubs? Let alone a player’s background from those clubs? Me neither. The deal with Raith Rovers only seemed to make the news headlines when Scottish crime author and sponsor of the team, Val McDermid, spoke out against the move and withdrew her support. The decision was easy for McDermid, despite a family history with a long tradition of supporting the club. But for the club itself ? Not so much. Despite all the backlash they received, they decided to, unbelievably, double down and put out a statement defending their actions. They addressed the concerns about Goodwillie’s off-field behaviour but highlighted—and gave priority to—his on-field talent. I don’t know what was more crazy: the initial signing knowing full well that he was a controversial character or the continued support for the man. You can’t get people in Scotland to agree on anything, but from the borders to the islands, everyone seemingly agreed that it was the wrong move. If, as Nicola Sturgeon mirrored, the player has been rehabilitated and reflected on his actions and taken steps to improve himself, then that’s another story. However, that’s not the case here. Frankly, even if he did repent all his sins, I’d never have thought I’d see a club so dependent on community and sponsorship support sign someone like that. As more sponsors pulled out and fans turned to boycotting the club, Raith Rovers announced that they wouldn’t play the striker. Embarrassing. I can’t help but think that these actions were taken only because the money pot started to dwindle. It’s not even like these lower league clubs are that well-off. Does it matter, though? I think it’s the initial reaction to double down that is more telling. Though I love animals, the case of Kurt Zouma at West Ham as of late isn’t as egregious as that of Raith Rovers’s David Goodwillie. But it still unravels the obsession that this country, but most predominantly clubs, have with winning at football. Clubs, of course, are businesses. Don’t forget that. And it’s not unlike businesses to put profit over morality. Zouma was filmed the other night in a leaked video dropping, kicking and slapping one of his pet cats. Firstly, quite honestly, I cannot believe the reaction of the media. Incidents a thousand times worse than this happen everyday with total silence being reported. Is there nothing more important they can report on? It reminds me of that ‘cat bin woman’ from 2010 (gosh, I feel old saying that). But the media likes a good doggy pile, don’t we? Or… kitty pile? Anyway, though thankfully not as bad, in my eyes, as being a rapist—though it’s clear that animals obviously deserve moral considerations, but it would be ridiculous to make this link—West Ham pulled a similar tactic. I don’t know what the odds were for Zouma starting that night, but I reckon it would’ve been a safe bet to say he wouldn’t’ve. However, West Ham decided to start him. With a similar excuse of ‘his footballing abilities outweigh his off-field actions’. Although the club has disciplined the player, and the authorities have taken appropriate action against him as well, it tells the same story: if you’re good enough at football, you can get away with anything. But again, I suspect it’s only once the money starts slipping away that the club will take stronger actions (which is slowly happening with Vitality’s sponsor pull). Actions like these should be absolutely condemned, especially by football clubs who have a role in their local communities whether they like it or not. You’ve got to realise, who are footballers most idealised by? Children. Why do football clubs never make the easy decisions? Raith Rovers and West Ham put points over pride Photo courtesy of daniel0685 via Flickr The deal with Raith Rovers only seemed to make the news headlines when Scottish crime author and sponsor of the team, Val McDermid, spoke out against the move and withdrew her support. You mean to tell me that these blokes on the pitch can put in all the hard work, all the training, resources and time, and I can celebrate too when they win games or titles? DISCLAIMER A l l o p i n i o n s expressed in the opine section are written reflecting the opinion of the author and therefore do not necessarily represent the honest views held by the author, The Gaudie, AUSA, or any company which advertises in The Gaudie. by Archie O’River

p.14 30.10.19 Senegal win African Cup of Nations for the first time in their history Sadio Mane, having missed a penalty within the first five minutes of the final, scored the winning spot-kick to secure Senegal’s first ever AFCON title. This year’s AFCON has been, quite simply, a brilliant tournament from start to finish, and the final, while not a goal-fest, continued supplying drama until literally the last kick. There were so many different narratives going into the final, from Burkina Faso’s run to the semi-finals, Cameroon securing third place on home turf with a comeback from three goals down, and early exits for heavyweights such as Ghana and reigning champions Algeria. The final itself was lain heavy with subplots, with Senegal’s own Gareth Southgate story in coach Ailou Cisse, who missed a penalty in the 2002 AFCON final and managed the national side to a 1-0 defeat to Algeria in 2019, and the clash of two modern-day Liverpool icons as Mane and Mohamed Salah lined up against each other, having occupied the top two spots in the African Footballer of the Year award for the last three consecutive years. Egypt got to the final playing in the finest traditions of Portuguese coaching, with Carlos Queiroz’s side scoring 4 (four!) goals on the way to the final, in a run that echoed Fernando Santos’ Portugal of Euro 2016, who only won a single game in normal time on the way to the final. Egypt played 120 minutes on three separate occasions in the knockout rounds and won two penalty shootouts en route to the final. They were the second-dirtiest side in the tournament behind Gabon, committing more than 20 per game, and in the final itself, there were a staggering 53 fouls in total. Senegal were pegged as early favourites, understandably so with a treasure chest of talent also containing Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly and Ismaila Sarr, to name just a few of the more famous ones, and it was clear that the talent was more balanced throughout their squad than Egypt, who did seem a little over-reliant on Salah for inspiration going forward. Despite all the rather Anglo-centric noises prior to the final, however, the two Liverpool forwards were overshadowed by their teammates throughout, with Koulibaly and Abdou Diallo shining in central defence for the Lions of Teranga, and Gabaski, Egypt’s third-choice goalkeeper and this writer’s personal player of the tournament, keeping the Pharaohs in the game with another strong, vivacious performance between the sticks. A word, also, for Comoros. The team hailing from an island group in the Indian Ocean with a population of 850,000 people first knocked Ghana out with a 3-2 victory, before providing the ultimate entertainment by going into the game against hosts Cameroon without a recognised goalkeeper, putting in a simply magnificent performance despite defeat. There was also a little bit of tasty refereeing drama in Tunisia’s game against Mali, which was stopped in the 85th minute, then restarted, then prematurely ended again in the 89th minute. The referee in question was found to have suffered from heatstroke, understandably given that temperatures in Limbe that day peaked at 34º Celsius with 74% humidity. There were many strong candidates for game of the tournament, including the final and Comoros’ aforementioned win over Ghana, but Cameroon’s comeback from 3-0 down to claim third-place on penalties takes the cake, while captain Vincent Aboubakar claimed the Golden Boot to round off a successful, if perhaps a little disappointing, tournament for the host nation. By contrast, the goal of the tournament was a no-contest: Gabadinho Mhango’s strike for Malawi against Morocco was the dictionary definition of a thunderbolt. Only a replay really does justice to the sheer brilliance of this one, so do yourself a favour and watch it if you haven’t seen it yet. In fact, if you didn’t watch this tournament, you really did miss out. Take it from one of the converted. by Daniel Petersen Caitlyn Jenner joins the W Series Former Olympian, transgender activist and reality star re-enters the world of motorsport On Tuesday 8th February 2022 Jenner Racing was introduced by the W Series racing, an all-female championship, on Twitter. The new team will be led by Caitlyn Jenner as team principal. Jenner competed in the celebrity Long Beach Grand Prix in 1979 and also drove in the 24 hours of Daytona race and was a factory driver for the Ford Motor Company for six years. In a statement about the W Series Jenner said, “A championship dedicated to inspiring young girls and giving women the chance to succeed in roles throughout what has traditionally been a male dominated industry, W Series is changing the face of motorsport.” W Series’ CEO Catherine Bond Muir said in regards to Jenner Racing and Caitlyn Jenner, “W series exists to promote women in motorsport, believing that they can compete equally with men if given the same opportunities. We are determined to give females a platform.” “When I first met Caitlyn Jenner, it was clear that she is as committed to that mission as all of us at W series are.” Jenner Racing are set to compete in the 2022 series. by Evelyn Bayerlein Photo courtesy of W Series There were many strong candidates for game of the tournament, including the final and Comoros' aforementioned win over Ghana There was also a little bit of tasty refereeeing drama in Tunisia's game against Mali, which was stopped in the 85th minute

30.10.19 p.15 I t has been a difficult transition in the last few days for Joe Rogan, the Ultimate Fighting Champion commentator turned stand-up comedian turned podcaster. After being at the centre of a series of controversies regarding him blatantly spreading misinformation about coronavirus and the vaccines designed to combat it, Joe Rogan decided that it was best to double down this week after Spotify decided it best to remove more than seventy episodes of Joe Rogan’s podcast backlog, ranging from 2009 to 2018, from its platform for “racial insensitive language”, including the use of the N-word by Rogan at least 24 times on his podcast. Rogan decided to finally respond to the backlash the clips have caused, addressing the legions of white men that listen to his every word on the only reasonable place imaginable, Instagram Live, so that we could get the unfiltered stream of consciousness of a man that thinks he is God’s gift to the rest of us. “I think everyone is blowing this way out of proportion, I only said the word 24 times, that’s not much as I say it at home, I don’t understand why everyone is getting so mad at me,” he said, very confidently. “If you think about it, why can’t I say that word? I am an ethnic minority concerning how red my skin is, don’t see how that doesn’t qualify me to say it. On top of that, I have so many black people working for me that are completely ok with me saying it around and to them, so who is really in the wrong? I’m just asking questions''. The initial response to this statement from Mr. Rogan was confusion and questions if he was sampling the substance he will seemingly never be quiet about, DMT, with intoxication being the only reasonable explanation for this careerending outburst online but knowing his loyal fan base, they will take his word as gospel and defend him to their last breath, meaning that we will most likely not be seeing the last of Joe Rogan and his informative and balanced podcast. DISCLAIMER All opinions expressed in the satire section are written primarily for the sake of comic value and therefore do not necessarily represent the honest views held by the author, The Gaudie, AUSA, or any company which advertises in The Gaudie. by Ruairidh Macdonald The podcaster and self-identified free thinker has addressed the criticisms of his use of a racial slur by asking more important questions than whether he uses the N-word as regularly as he does on his podcast. “I think everyone is blowing this way out of proportion, I only said the word 24 times, that’s not much as I say it at home, I don’t understand why everyone is getting so mad at me,” Joe Rogan on his Historical Use of Racial Slur: “I’m just asking questions” Photo courtesy of Austin Distel Shockwaves in the medical community today as a series of marches occurred in the United States in which people identifying with the anti-vaccine movement, typically known as anti-vaxxers, have called for the foreskins of their male members to be reattached. This has come following various individuals in the group discovering new information that suggests that having a foreskin decreases your natural immunity and makes you more susceptible to coronavirus. The obviously logical request was started on Change.org and the organisers would like to know where their original foreskins are located, organising an amnesty for their safe return and when they can get them reattached in their local area. We asked multiple doctors to speak on the matter, but many of them were busy tending to individuals from the group in question, who were suffering with coronavirus, to give us an interview. Speaking to one of the organisers of the petition, they said that they feel that Big Circumcision has gotten far too powerful over the years, “harvesting our foreskins for their own nefarious purposes” such as in the production of “face creams”, “turtlenecks and beer cosies” as well as “famously the COVID vaccine”. We tried to reach out to Big Circumcision for a statement regarding the allegations, but the closest contact we could find was a urology clinic in Texas. Failing that, the group tried a back-up plan, saying “we have tried to see if artificial foreskins were able to replicate the immunity boosting properties of the originals to no results. The ham and Silly Putty did nothing to stop any of our male members from contracting coronavirus, but we are hopeful that if our petition fails, we can run more of our own trials to see what we can attach as a replacement.” We wish them all the best in their pursuits and hope that they are one day reunited with their foreskins, wherever they might be. by Ruairidh Macdonald A petition has been launched by a group of anti-vaxxers calling for their foreskins to be reattached following the revelation of new alternative facts they read online. Anti-Vaxxers petition to get circumcisions reversed We asked multiple doctors to speak on the matter, but many of them were busy tending to individuals from the group in question, who were suffering with coronavirus, to give us an interview. Shockwaves in the medical community today as a series of marches occurred in the United States Photo courtesy of avlxyz

p.16 30.10.19 Win a £10 gift card from The St. Machar Bar! To win, be the first person to send us a photo of a combination of any two correctly completed puzzles by emailing [email protected] The Gaudie reserves full discretion to decide the winner and determine any changes to T&Cs Looking for answers for the last edition? Simple Sudoku Advanced Sudoku Crossword ACROSS 8 HACIENDA 9 ONE-WAY 10 FOLK DANCER 11 VINE 12 OFFING 14 UPMARKET 15 A PRIORI 17 ATHIRST 20 ELEGANCE 22 ANNEAL 24 GURU 25 WATERSPOUT 27 LITANY 28 SPANKING DOWN 1 FAR-OFF 2 MILK 3 ENDANGER 4 PATCH UP 5 POGRAM 6 PERVERSION 7 MAUNDERS 13 ICING SUGAR 16 PELLUCID 18 TEA BREAK 19 DENTIST 21 NOWAYS 23 ALUMNI 26 PIKE Simple Sudoku Advanced Sudoku Crossword ACROSS 1. (of a horse) To move with high springy steps (6) 4. Poker faces (6) 9. African country with the captiral Asmara (7) 10. An aspect of 120 ° (5) 11. Polynesian country (5) 12. Fictional planet in Dune (7) 13. The 2022 production from Treading the Boards Musical Society (2,4,5) 18. Country of origin of Mayer, who won a third consecutive gold at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games (7) 20. Winner of the 2006 Best Picture award at the Oscars (5) 22. Character in Sonic the Hedgehog (5) 23. Dominant variant of COVID19 (7) 24. Things that happen or take place (6) 25. Microsoft's annual gathering of technology leaders and practitioners (6) DOWN 1. More than enough (6) 2. Belonging to a very different place (5) 3. A less-foamy cappuccino (7) 5. Not now but in the future (5) 6. A leap or caper (7) 7. An arsenic compound resulting from smelting iron, cobalt, nickel and copper (6) 8. Taken for headaches (11) 14. Adjoining bathroom (7) 15. Act of compromising computer systems etc. through unauthorised access (5) 16. ______ Royale, 2001 film (6) 17. A type of card in Monopoly (6)| 19. To start again (5) 20. Roman coins of the late republic and empire, 25 silver denarii (5)