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No. 859 Friday 25th January 2019 varsity.co.uk
Cambridge’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1947
St. Edmund’s drew controversy in December for its appointment of Carl (LOIS wRIGhT) NUS formally proposes to defund its Trans Campaign
Diana Stoyanova Senior News Correspondent
he National Union of Students (NUS) has formally announced a proposal to defund its Trans Oicer and Committee for at least the 2019-20 period, prompting criticism from the NUS LGBT+ Campaign, among other student activists his proposal, which was formally conirmed on 16th January, comes along- side a series of cuts aiming to limit the number of full-time oicers to 12 and plug the NUS’ large deicit. he proposal letter was co-signed by the Chair of the Board, NUS President Shakira Martin, St. Edmund’s students reject investigation Continued on Page 9 ▶ ‘Unacceptable panel into Noah Carl appointment overreach’ students and academics. St. Edmund’s JCR released in a state- panel” and the lack of external advice Jess Ma he investigation panel set up by St. ment saying that they had rejected the and student involvement. Colleges’ Senior News Editor Edmund’s consists of three senior college investigation panel on the grounds of “In the given circumstances, since all members, none of whom have academic three primary reasons – a lack of inde- constituents of the Nominations Panel Prevent data he St. Edmund’s JCR has unanimously expertise in the social sciences or are pendence among those on the panel, a and Governing Body are implicated in rejected the College’s investigation panel conirmed to identify as BAME. lack of academic expertise, and “poor the allegations of racist sympathies dur- into the appointment of Dr. Noah Carl, he investigation has also been la- representational ethics”. ing appointment procedures, the College returns whose involvement in eugenics research belled as a human resources investiga- he JCR questioned “the principles has sparked major controversy amongst tion. used to appoint the current investigation Full story page 7 ▶ News page 10 ▶
Inside ● An interview with Lord Adonis Pg.2-3 ● Student eforts bring University its irst Green Week Pg.7 2 F 25 J 2019 News
FEATURES ‘Our lives are like ngerprints Lord Adonis: – the one thing twins don’t share’ Page 13 ▶ “Although I am a
FEATURES e breast cancer gene and radical education me Page 14 ▶
OPINION reformer, Divestment is a feminist issue. Women’s colleges should be leading the way. I can’t wave a Page 17 ▶ vulture Magazine magic wand” Rethinking beauty in the industry. e Labour peer speaks to Daniella Adeluwoye about his proposal for new access colleges – and why he still believes Using make-up to spark that this is the ‘radical’ change Oxbridge needs joy
Page 22-23 ▶ arlier this month, Lord Adonis know what else would. controversially proposed that I think it would be naïve of me to Oxbridge should establish claim that structural reform would be Catherine Lally & Vivienne Hopley-Jones [email protected] Maia Wyn Davies & Stephanie Stacey [email protected] new colleges for disadvan- an easier and quicker x to the prob- Isobel Bickersteth (Senior) & James Dickinson (Deputy) taged students. Both Oxford lems Adonis tried rightly to address [email protected] Eand Cambridge have since rejected this in his Guardian op-ed. But surely we Joe Cook [email protected] Mark Curtis [email protected] proposal, deemed “revolutionary but should be looking at Oxbridge’s access Jess Ma & Kiran Khanom (Senior); Elizabeth Haigh & Oliver achievable” by the former Minister of problem through a structural lens and Rhodes (Deputy) [email protected] Belle George, Katy Bennett, Charlotte State, and the idea has been criticised tackling systemic and institutional is- Lillywhite, Victor Jack, Chloe Bayliss, Molly Killeen, Kyoka Hadano, Hannah for failing to address the wider issues sues? “I agree,” Adonis replies. But then, Bowen, Nesta Smith & Diana Stoyanova which are essential to discussions about I respond, if we’re advocating for new Amy Batley & Sarah Orsborne investigations@varsity. co.uk Oxbridge access. access colleges, that’s not really tackling Nicholas Harris, Eve Lynch & Cait Findlay (Senior); Charley In the article in which he proposed the real institutional issues that come Barnard & Bethan McGinley (Deputy) [email protected] this idea, Adonis anticipated its criti- before students even step foot in Ox- Zak Lakota-Baldwin & Marco Oechsner [email protected] Marcus McCabe & Sophie Zhang [email protected] cism. When we speak, this same attitude bridge. “It is. It’s one structural means of Lois Wright [email protected] appears as he shrugs o the criticism doing so. But of course, there are others. & Lillian Crawford & Madeleine Pulman-Jones lmandtv@ this proposal has received over the past I didn’t say this is the only thing to be varsity.co.uk Miles Ricketts & Alex Spencer [email protected] few weeks. Of his critics, he says: “ e Got a story for done. And indeed, I hope that if we set up Helena Baron & Cie Jen Wong [email protected] most insidious object, o ten unstated, us? Email our colleges which are speci cally targeted Alex Jacob & Jess Beaumont [email protected] comes from faux radicals.” However, it news team at at the 3,000 schools and colleges that Emily Blatchford [email protected] William Ross (Senior) & William Robinson (Deputy) is possible to question how radical Adonis news@varsity. don’t have a Cambridge tradition, that [email protected] himself is. co.uk would impact signi cantly on the prac- Edwin Boadu & Steven Edwards [email protected] Adonis is not new to being unpopular tices of the other colleges over time. So, & SWITCHBOARD Daniella Adeluwoye & Raphael Korber Ho man [email protected] for his proposals. He has advocated for I see these two as going together.” ❝ Lucy Fairweather & Iris Pearson [email protected] state schools to emulate the private sec- What Adonis falls short of is promot- Zébulon Goriely [email protected] By far the - Hannah Kossowska-Peck (Chief); Alex Parnham-Cope, Hania tor and has criticised under-perfoming ing the more structurally radical reform Bar, Poppy Kemp, Beth Noble, ea Trollope-Metcalfe, Esmee Wright, Georgia comprehensive schools, which proved that Oxbridge is in dire need of. We have most effec- Burns, Pia Engelbrecht-Bogdanov, Ruth Moss, Aimee Wragg, Daniel Maghsoudi to be hugely unpopular amongst trade to address the root problems which & Edwin Bahrami Balani [email protected] tive way of Sarika Datta [email protected] union members and angered the le t of cause the imbalances in Oxbridge’s ad- killing any Alisa Santikarn [email protected] the Labour Party. Adonis nds himself missions. Oxbridge is merely a symptom Edwin Bahrami Balani [email protected] in the same position this month. is of inequality - a mirror image of the gross reform is to Caitlin Smith [email protected] Noella Chye, Rosie Bradbury, Merlyn omas & Devarshi time he has frustrated individuals across educational inequality in our society. In argue that it Lodhia [email protected] the ideological spectrum, including Toby response to Adonis’s proposal, a Cam- Dr Michael Franklin (Chairman), Prof Peter Robinson, Dr Tim Young. Young described Adonis as hav- bridge representative stated: “We know doesn’t Harris, Michael Derringer, Caitlin Smith, Noella Chye, Louis Ashworth, Anna Menin, Daniel Gayne, Ellie Howcro t ing done “more to drive up standards we can do better still but we cannot do answer © VARSITY PUBLICATIONS LTD, . All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be in state schools as a Labour education it in isolation.” reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, some bigger mechanical photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission of the publisher. minister than most Conservatives do as When I again push the argument that Varsity, 16 Mill Lane, Cambridge CB2 1RX. Telephone 01223 337575. education secretaries.” If this comment educational inequality is entrenched question Varsity is published by Varsity Publications Ltd. Varsity Publications also publishes e Mays. made by Toby Young fails to give you in British society and that this should Printed at Ili e Print Cambridge – Winship Road, Milton, Cambridge CB24 6PP on 42.5gsm ❞ newsprint. Registered as a newspaper at the Post O ce. ISSN 1758-4442. an insight into Adonis’ politics, I don’t instead be the focus when it comes to Friday 25th January 2019 3 News
forming solutions, Adonis rebuts, “not ❝ get big change from setting up new col- ▲ Adonis claims access, there is a considerable amount of fence mechanism to avoid an immediate instead, no. We need to do both. I’m a leges than trying to dramatically change that new access nuance that is lacking. he discourse per- reform like the establishment of new radical school reformer.” I realise that It would practices and redistribute assets between colleges would vading access is monopolised by how we colleges.” I have pushed him as far as he will go put more the existing wealthy colleges.” He be- not decrease might get disadvantaged students into In my opinion, Adonis should stop on this topic. Adonis claims that he is scrutiny on lieves that “nothing short of quotas... will pressure existing Cambridge, but not so much on how best trying to take shortcuts and instead go “completely signed up to radical im- bring about transformational change” colleges’s to support them once they’re here. Post- against the grain. he issues we are fac- provements in the school system so that existing col- but even in his most “radical moods” he access efforts admissions access is an oft-neglected ing will not be solved with tokenistic we have more young people with the leges to start couldn’t support such an idea. He seems (ARUPMEETING21/ topic which, while crucial to the access change – we need fundamental change qualiications to go onto Cambridge.” to contradict himself because new access FLICKR) debate, rarely makes national headlines. to shift entrenched inequalities. Rather I point out that it is idealistic – uto- asking quite colleges are exactly a quota. Adonis immediately replies that the new than relying on new access colleges pian, even – to believe that students in quickly why In recent years, there has been in- colleges could resolve this issue. “Well, which would “[focus] like a laser” on these new colleges would not be treated they’re not creased scrutiny on colleges where ig- I think the part of argument for new schools which do not send students to as second-class citizens by their peers. ures have revealed their intake of stu- colleges is that they would develop ex- Oxbridge, we should focus our atten- In his original article, Adonis anticipated following dents from disadvantaged backgrounds. pertise in how to support students from tion on why it is the case that so many this criticism. his would only occur, he suit When I ask him whether the establishing non-traditional backgrounds. At the mo- schools produce a disproportionate wrote, “if they [weren’t] as good as the of new access colleges would alleviate or ment colleges are very hit and miss in amount of Oxbridge students, while oth- others.” he collegiate system at present ❞ even completely eradicate scrutiny from doing so but these colleges, because all ers produce very few if none at all. is not immune to inequality between existing colleges, Adonis is certain that it their students are recruited from non- When I point out that these are plau- colleges and this is only reinforced by “[wouldn’t] remove it at all.” He argues traditional backgrounds, have a mas- sible criticisms about the practicality of the disproportionate funding that they that instead “it would put more scrutiny sive incentive to get it right.” His ideas new access colleges, he frustratingly re- receive, as well as the Tompkins Table on existing colleges to start asking quite range from preparation classes before plies that these criticisms represent “a which ranks colleges based on their quickly why they’re not following suit.” the start of term to special inancial sup- classic case of conservatives deploying students’ academic performance. he Personally, I beg to difer. port and additional pastoral support. He arguments to defeat all reform in the idea that these new colleges would be We discuss the current representa- even advocates that they could ofer a guise of being fair-minded.” Now, I for immune to this cultural hierarchy is a tion of state school students in existing foundation year. one am far from conservative. From the stretch, wouldn’t you agree? “Well, we colleges, taking into account that oicial Having implemented and proposed commentary I have seen, criticism has can’t solve everything with one reform statistics often fail to diferentiate be- numerous reforms as Minister of State been sparked by individuals from the left, ... Because at the moment, for historic tween state and grammar schools, and and head of policy for Blair, he is aware of the right and everywhere in-between. reasons, you have a small number of do not acknowledge disparities in the the obstacles when it comes to pushing Rather than dismissing such criti- colleges that have most of the assets. standards of diferent state schools. He reforms. “I’ve been a reformer in politics cism on the grounds that it is simply But, although I’m a radical education asks whether the latest igures for Cam- for 30 years and I know that by far the “conservative” resistance to his propos- reformer, I can’t wave a magic wand.” bridge’s admissions show that 64% of most efective way of killing any reform als, Adonis should consider listening to I’ve come to realise that our ideas of students come from state schools, which is to argue that it doesn’t answer some disadvantaged students like myself and radical reform to the education system I conirm. “Well, I’d like to see that go up bigger question which in fact is sort of recognise that this Oxbridge-centric so- are very diferent. his is conirmed as to 70 or 80% as soon as possible.” impossible to address in any short time lution is neither radical nor, simply put, Adonis goes on: “We’re far more likely to But when it comes to discussions on scale. It would be a classic Oxbridge de- a good idea. 4 F 25 J 2019 News Overnight ‘sleepout’ will see volunteers raise money for Calais and homelessness charities
❝ sleepers will be split between the two In the past few years, there has been ▶ Photos from Chloe Bayliss host charities. CamCRAG was estab- a notable rise in student involvement last year’s Senior News Correspondent It’s a show lished in 2016 and coordinates send- in the work of charities helping those Sleepout, of solidarity ing convoys of volunteers and aid from in our community who many not have showing (le t) ‘ e Big Cambridge Calais Sleepout’ is with people Cambridge to help refugees in Northern stable living conditions. Student chari- Cambridge being hosted on Saturday 26th January France. Typically, convoys sent to Calais ties include Cambridge Homeless Out- City Councillor in hopes of topping last years £11,000 sleeping leave on Friday evenings and are back reach Programme (CHOP) that provides George Pippas raised to support homeless charities in rough both the following Sunday, with volunteers fundraising and outreach opportunities in a pop-up both Cambridge and Northern France. helping to work in the warehouse sup- for Cambridge students, as well as host- tent, (middle) is Saturday, local charities – Cam- in Cam- porting more permanent sta by organ- ing events to help raise awareness, and a tent in St bridge Convoy Refugee Action Group bridge and ising donations and preparing food. Streetbite, a group of students who take Giles’ grounds, (CamCRAG) and e Whitworth Trust in Calais e Whitworth Trust, established in provisions and conversation to those on and (top right) – are hosting a sleepout and winter fair 1988, supports vulnerable, homeless the streets on a daily basis during term sleepers outside at St. Giles Church on Castle Street. e ❞ young women who live at the Whit- time. the church. event is set to start at 1:30pm this week, worth House hostel in Cambridge, which Commenting on the planned sleepout JEREMY PETERS with a Winter Fair open to all, o ering supports up to 15 residents at a time. this week, Stephen Cole, President of “soup, ponchos, and other gi ts for sale”, Donations to the Whitworth trust go to- CHOP, told Varsity: “I think it’s incred- appearances by speakers and stalls from wards the holistic care of residents, from ible that people are volunteering to sleep local charities and organisations. Later providing work clothes and vocational outdoors on a cold January night to raise on, those who are brave enough to face training, to helping pay legal fees. money for two amazing causes, and I the cold – with temperatures set to be e chair of CamCRAG, Elliot Harris, would encourage everyone to sponsor as low as six degrees – will be given an told the Cambridge Independent that the team if they can. evening meal and breakfast, with stew- “the Big Sleep Out o ers local support- “It’s a show of solidarity with people ards supervising throughout the night. ers a real opportunity to do something sleeping rough both in Cambridge and in ere will be an option to sleep either practical and to direct their donations Calais. We mustn’t forget that there are inside or outside the church, with those to help those who are homeless both many people sleeping outdoors in these ▶ e Sleepout opting to sleep outside prompted to rent in Cambridge and Calais”. Last year the conditions every night, out of necessity will be held at an ‘SOS’ tent for £5, speci cally designed event raised an £11,000, with the money rather than choice, and this sleepout St Giles Church by CamCRAG for the use of those dis- going to Wintercomfort, a Cambridge raises awareness of this as well as raising (bottom right) placed in France. day centre that supports homeless peo- money to support refugees in Calais and REPTNXWIKIME e money raised by the sponsored ple in Cambridge. homeless women in Cambridge.” DIA COMMONS
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KNOCK, KNOCK PARTY TIME Miniature doors Chinese New Year appear in Cambridge around the corner
Mystery artist ‘Dinky Door’ has been Chinese New Year is set to fall on Febru- – you guessed it – placing dinky doors ary 5th this year, and the 6,000 Chinese over Cambridge. ese miniature pieces residents in the city are getting ready of art are only 6 inches tall and take to celebrate. e university is playing a about two months to make. Sightings role in welcoming the Year of the Pig, of the tiny portals include a replica with St. John’s hosting a festive din- of Number 10 on Downing Street, a ner; St. Catharine’s putting on a lm ‘Teleport-O-Matic’ machine in Mar- screening, a concert of traditional mu- ket Square, and a ‘Reality Checker’ on sic, and an exhibition of traditional art; Parker’s Piece. e anonymous artist and the Fitzwilliam Museum hosting a installed these pieces to encourage family day. All of the events are being people to use their imaginations, and coordinated by the Cambridge Chinese to “bring a smile to people’s faces” in Culture Festival. a time of “miserable news”.
PROCR APP STINATION MEAT THE NEW MACCAS New app improves Vegan burger concentration restaurant opens
e Behavioural and Clinical Neuro- A new vegan burger restaurant, ‘Dop- science Institute has released an app pleGanger Burger’, has opened in Re- called ‘Decoder’ that is reported to im- gent Street. Having been a pop-up in bar prove attention and concentration. e 2648 since January 2018, the business is app requires users to identify strings of branching out, promising freshly cooked numbers in missions full of distractions. vegan burgers bursting with avour. e Users will supposedly see improve- restaurant is cashless, but burgers are ments akin to using the drug Ritalin – available to order on Deliveroo, with o ten prescribed to people with ADHD the menu o ering three set plant-based – a ter using the app for only eight hours burgers that will change every four to a month. ve weeks. 6 Friday 25th January 2019 News ANALYSIS
CASE Award on Natural Ventilation. Energy Research at Cambridge holds Understanding Cambridge’s the Shell annual lecture. he lecture was held last term and was disrupted by Zero Carbon activists. environmental justice movement so far Shell funded PhD students and early researchers in Cambridge in 2016, as evi- denced by a research presentation in the 2016 Shell lecture. Jess Ma he Department of Chemical Engi- Senior News Editor neering and Biotechnology has ongoing partnerships with Exxonmobil, BP, Boe- Last term saw the divestment movement ing and more companies. branch out into demilitarisation and de- he Cambridge Service Alliance, es- colonisation campaigns, and dig deeper tablished in 2010 by BAE Systems, IBM, into Cambridge’s colleges. the University of Cambridge’s Institute College divestment campaigns have for Manufacturing and Judge Business sprung up, as a response to the Uni- School, collaborates with corporations versity Council’s landmark decision to such as Caterpillar, a manufacturer of reject full divestment from fossil fuel oil and gas extraction equipment such as industries, and the successful case of industrial gas turbines, natural gas and Queens’ College divesting their entire diesel engines, to conduct research on endowment from the sector. business models and support. In November, a joint Varsity investiga- Gold membership of the Alliance can tion with Cherwell revealed signiicant “inluence the direction of Cambridge holdings in oil and gas industry of some Service Alliance research through par- colleges, with Trinity College topping the ticipating as a member of the Steering list with £9.1m invested in the industry, Committee”, gain “facilitated access” to including £1.2m invested in Royal Dutch Cambridge experts in relevant ields, Shell. and be associated with the University, Around 250 students marched according to the 2018 brochure of the through Cambridge in a mass rally, call- Cambridge Service Alliance. ing on the University to “divest, disarm, he Cambridge Judge Business School decolonise”, linking up divestment and has collaborated with Lockheed Martin demilitarisation calls with the decoloni- on cyber resiliency research in 2016. sation movement. Past Cambridge inancial statements Zero Carbon Society launched banner showed subsidiaries of Royal Dutch drops at multiple colleges in last Novem- Shell – Shell Global Solutions Interna- ber in a call for college divestment and tional, Shell International Exploration disrupted the Shell annual lecture, where and Production, and Shell Research Inc a member of its executive committee – have funded a number of grants across was due to speak. University departments, totalling over Following University Council’s deci- £2.6m in project funding between July sion and the intense lobbying of last 2012 and July 2017. year, the divestment movement has he University declined to conirm consequently turned to new tactics in whether Shell currently funds academics an attempt to continue pressuring the consequences needs to be a decolonial conlict with its aims. ▲ A divestment or not, citing the data being unavailable. University. Shocking revelations un- movement”. Campaigners argued for divestment protest involving he BP Institute and Cambridge Judge covered how deep fossil fuel and oil ex- he Network stressed that the re- in large part on ethical grounds, citing banner drops Business School have been contacted ploration industries are entrenched in search and teaching conducted at Cam- the symbolic condonation on these com- during Easter for comment. the University’s institutions, airming bridge “reinforce worldviews that fail to panies’ destruction on the environment Term last year campaigners’ strategy that colleges are challenge, or even mention, these injus- and practical inluences on research di- (LoUIS AShWoRTh) What could it mean for the University worthy targets as they, like the central tices” of the plundering of natural re- rection. and colleges to divest? University, also bear high stake invest- sources from colonial sites. hey argued Zero Carbon organised several pro- In divesting from fossil fuel and arms ment in these industries. that collaboration with the divestment tests last term, including the rally with industries, the University will be sym- With CUSU’s irst ever Green Week, movement enable both movements to demilitarise and decolonise campaigns, bolically and practically distancing itself which focuses on climate justice and “inform and enhance each other, build- banner dropping in multiple colleges, from fossil fuel extraction and the envi- demands for University divestment, ing a coherent idea of how the University and disruption at the annual Shell lec- ronmental and human rights impacts launching this week, it is worth ex- must be responsible for its actions”. ture last year. from those activities. his means that amining the premises for divestment, ❝ For colleges who have investments In the University Council’s rejection the University’s research is not aili- the links Cambridge currently has with in the fossil fuel industry, many cite the of the working group’s divestment plan ated with the proits these companies companies in these industries, as well Campaign- diiculty to divest in their indirect in- last year, it stated “negligible” exposure acquired from environment damage and as what it could mean for the University ers say teraction with investment and charity to the fossil fuel industry in its invest- the arms trade, thus removing any im- and colleges if they divest. laws. As a Varsity investigation revealed ment, with “no exposure to the most plicit endorsement and support. that Cam- last June, for many colleges, external pollutive industries” in their directly- Campaigners have consistently ar- What are the premises for and against managers choose which companies to held investments. gued for greater transparency in the divestment? bridge’s invest colleges’ endowment in, with he Council also argued for diversity University’s external research collabo- Campaigners for divestment say that investment colleges being able to inluence their in the University’s investments, saying rations, to allow for proper scrutiny. Cambridge’s investment in the fossil choices by establishing ethical invest- that “it is inevitable in a diversiied and organisations of the University, such fuel industry leads to the “institution’s in the fossil ment policies. indirectly managed investment portfolio as Cambridge Enterprise, actively man- legitimisation of the destructive actions fuel indus- Another concern lies in the iduciary that some exposure may appear in some age corporation collaboration requests of arms and fossil fuels companies.” duty of charities, which requires charities funds and therefore it is not possible to and help researchers realise commercial “his University must cut all ties and try leads to to maximise returns from their invest- demand absolute exclusion”. potential of their work. it must act now, otherwise it can have ment. he duty does allow charities to he Council further stressed on the Meanwhile, four departments across no hope of addressing its colonial past the “institu- accept lower returns when investments need for strong investment returns to STEM subjects, the School of Clinical and present”, as Varsity was told during tion’s legiti- conlict with the aims of the charity or support research in their rejecting of the Medicine, the Computer Laboratory, the rally last term. Divestment is tied up will cause it to lose supporters. Colleges working group’s suggestions. and the Judge Business School directly with decolonisation, as the destruction misation of cited the diiculty in deining conlicts support research collaboration. of environment is brought in parallel the destruc- with its aims. Meanwhile, campaigners What links does Cambridge currently view with protests against the exclusion- often argue that the University’s goals have with the fossil fuels and arms What could happen next? ary framing of knowledge and interpre- tive actions of bettering the world conlict with us- industry? CUSU’s Green Week marked a new chap- tations across subjects, with both seen ing proits from environmental destruc- he BP Institute, established in 2000 ter in the environmental justice move- as legitimisation of exploitation. of arms tion. with an endowment from BP, which ment in the University, with a focus on he Cambridge Decolonisation Net- and fossil Not many colleges have ethical invest- funds faculty positions, support staf, individual action as well as structural work told Varsity that the ecological ment policies, while for those who do, and the Institute Building, conducts change. It presents students with a lo- abuse of colonised regions and peoples fuels com- they are often vaguely worded. Caius, research on multiphase low and other calised narrative emphasising the rel- are “inextricably linked” with climate panies” Girton, and Jesus require “integrity” from energy research. evance of divestment to them under the change, thus “any movement that seeks their managers while only two policies he Institute currently ofers a fully backdrop of tight-knit communities of to avert climate change’s most disastrous ❞ deined speciic investments that are in funded PhD studentship and the PhD their colleges. F 25 J 2019 7 News
Ethical A airs o cers Jakes Simms Speaking to Varsity, a Zero Carbon and Alice Gilderdale noted that “green spokesperson said that the campaign University sees impact award schemes and incremen- “welcomes Green Week’s focus on cli- tal changes are important”, but argued mate justice, which is undoubtedly the that these things alone are insu cient issue of our generation.” rst ever Green to combat the climate crisis “while the “Green Week sets a precedent for University and colleges are invested in continuing the conversation on climate fossil fuel companies” and while they justice”, they added. Week have “inadequate or nonexistent” carbon Re ecting on the progress of Green reduction targets.” Week thus far, Ethical A airs o cers e CUSU Ethical A airs team has also Simms and Gilderdale echoed this sen- Belle George created a People and Planet petition to timent: “we hope Green Week can play a Senior News Correspondent a rm support for their demand that signi cant role in building the momen- the University bring forward its carbon tum that will make change happen.” e CUSU Ethical A airs team and col- neutral target. At the time of writing the ey added: “We hope [Green Week] lege Green O cers have come together to petition had gathered more than 400 sets a precedent in future years for a Stu- organise the University’s rst ever Green signatures online, alongside physical sig- dent Union that works even closer with Week, consisting of numerous events natures which the Ethical A airs team ethical campaigns, takes ever bolder ac- centred on the theme of climate justice. have been collecting at various Green tion on the climate crisis, and isn’t fright- ese events come alongside demands Week events. ▲ A ‘Women and Climate Justice’ panel was organised for ened to demand change.” for the University to declare a climate Cambridge University is currently Green Week BELLE GEORGE emergency, to divest, and to reconsider committed to a 2050 carbon neutral their current carbon neutrality targets. target, having lowered their original e events taking place in Green carbon reduction targets in 2017. Ater Week, which began on 20th January ❝ it was was recently revealed that the and will nish on the 27th, include lm Cambridge University is on track to miss its original screenings, panel discussions, a vegan ten-year environmental sustainability potluck, a second hand clothes sale and is currently target by a wide margin, a spokesperson the launch of a new online platform en- committed for the University noted that “experts titled ‘Cambridge ball gown swap and have been working [on] how we can ADVERTISE shop’. So far, events have proven popular, to a 2050 bring the University’s target date for with Keynes Hall hosting an audience of carbon neutrality forward by a decade more than a hundred for a panel discus- carbon in recognition of these issues”. is is sion on the topic of Gender and Climate neutral planned to be presented in a report to Justice on Tuesday. the University Council later this year. e WITH US. ree demands have been issued as target, hav- spokesperson described the University’s part of this rst-ever Green Week. at original targets, set in 2010, as “arbitrary the University divest from fossil fuels ing lowered and unrealistic.” To advertise in any of our print publications or and adopt a 2030 carbon neutral target, the original e events of the 2019 Green Week online, please contact our Business Manager: and that the University’s 31 constituent were organised by the CUSU Ethical colleges adopt this 2030 carbon neutral targets in A airs team alongside various student target in line with the University. 2017 societies, including the CUSU BME Cam- Speaking about the decision to link paign, Cambridge Zero Carbon Society, tel : 01223 33 75 75 Green Week to these demands, CUSU ❞ and the Vegan Society. email: [email protected] web: varsitypublications.co.uk
St. Edmund’s JCR cites , lack of independence and Looking for paid work in representation as concerns Cambridge this summer? in rejection of panel Cambridge Student Assistants An opportunity to work for the University’s Students expressed outrage at the world-renowned International Summer Programmes. ▶ Continued from front page composition of the panel and the Col- lege’s treatment of this investigation. Rewarding customer-facing work assisting academics cannot obtain the necessary distance An anonymous student told Varsity that ❝ from the matter acting only by itself.” lack of a liation to the social sciences The failure and adult students from over 60 countries. “[W]e believe the neutrality and inde- in the panel is “a staggering show of pendence of any investigation can only disrespect to students”, showing the to consti- be established through a consultation “College’s complicity, complacency, and • 5 - 7 weeks’ employment, starting 2 July 2019 with students on the speci c procedures incompetence all in one.” tute a panel of investigation. Student representation Another expressed “frustration and that is able • Includes four days of training on the investigation panel and the par- deepening hurt”, commenting that the ticipation of experts from the University, College has “clearly underestimated to inde- • 36.5 hour working week on a rota basis who have veri able distance from the the level of hurt this decision has pendently Free single-room College accommodation procedures of appointment, is impera- caused”, while the “failure to consti- • tive.” tute a panel that is able to independ- investigate • Up to four free College dinners each week e lack of relevant academic exper- ently investigate this issue, underlines ...underlines tise and uncertainty of BAME represen- the widening chasm between the the • Valuable transferable skills to enhance your CV tation in the panel was also criticised, student body and the management of the widen- noting that possibility of external consul- the college.” tation on academic judgment “does not Others criticised the “unwilling- ing chasm For details, including how to apply, email: explain why the panel was constituted ness” of the College to conduct a fair between this way in the rst place.” investigation, believing that this shows [email protected] (closing date 25 February) “We note that the College has pro- that the College is “incapable of self- the the stu- vided no answers to our question about re ection”. whether any member of the panel identi- A spokesperson from St. Edmund’s dent body es as a BAME person.” College told Varsity that “the College is and ... the “ ese recurrent patterns of poor rep- following its internal procedures and resentational practices cannot become will not comment while these are un- College entrenched in our institution’s collec- der way.” ❞ tive ethos.” 8 Friday 25th January 2019 News Review of Prevent strategy announced by Security Minister
academics at the time as being “heavy- Kiran Khanom handed”. Cambridge later apologised for Senior News Editor its citation of the Prevent duty in replac- ing the panel chair, SOAS academic Dr Security minister Ben Wallace announced Ruba Salih. on Tuesday that the Prevent strategy, the A Varsity investigation last April re- government’s counter-terrorism strategy vealed that the roll-out of the Prevent that seeks to prevent radicalisation, will duty in Cambridge also saw stark in- see an independent review. consistencies across colleges, causing he Prevent strategy makes it a legal some Muslim students to “self-censor” requirement for public bodies, such as in supervisions. universities, to report those who may One student, Abdulla Zaman, de- be at risk of turning to extremism. he scribed his supervisor warning him “not legislation has faced scrutiny from civil to raise any alarm bells”, after assigning rights groups such as Amnesty Interna- him topics relating to the Israeli-Pales- She added that the Prevent strategy ▲ Wallace ent Review of Prevent. Everyone commit- tional as well as across the academic tinian conlict. has “created a culture of suspicion and announced ted to developing a truly efective strat- community and elsewhere: many have After an incident at the University of has limited the freedom of speech of the review in egy for tackling terrorism understands argued it fosters racial proiling of those Reading in November where an essay Muslim students across the UK. Chal- Parliament on that it must be transparent, accountable of Muslim faith and that it negatively written by a left-wing academic was lenging the Prevent duty has been one of Tuesday (DAILY and hold the trust of communities. impacts freedom of speech. marked as ‘sensitive’ under Prevent leg- CUSU’s main priorities this year and we MAIL/YOUTUBE) “We welcome the Government’s sup- In his announcement in the House of islation, several academics at Cambridge hope to capitalise on this opportunity to port for a review; however, those tasked Commons, Wallace said: “I have decided spoke to Varsity about their views on the lobby for the end of the Prevent Duty.” with its implementation must have the that the time is now right to initiate a ❝ strategy, with one academic commenting Numerous organisations and advo- independence, credibility and trust re- review of Prevent. Communities across that it “continues to be a central threat cates have called on the scheme to be quired to deliver it.” the country have got behind the policy [The re- to the purpose and promise of higher reviewed, including Parliament’s joint Wallace said that Home Oice statis- and are contributing to it because they education in the UK”. committee on human rights and the tics “show that Prevent is not about out want, as we do, their own young people view] is an CUSU, the GU and numerous college Muslim Council of Britain. any particular group or ideology but is to be protected from grooming and ex- opportunity JCRs have also criticised the inclusion of Harun Khan, Secretary General of similar to other forms of safeguarding ploitation by terrorists.” welfare support as part of the informa- the Muslim Council of Britain, the UK’s carried out every day by social workers, he University of Cambridge has said to galva- tion shared under Prevent. largest Muslim umbrella body, said on teachers and police. in the past that it is “committed to try- CUSU President Evie Aspinall said: the evening of the announcement: “For “I am proud we have helped divert ing to take the lightest possible touch” nise mo- “he review of Prevent is a very posi- far too long, the Prevent strategy has hundreds of people away from posing concerning Prevent. mentum tive step and an incredible success for afected the lives of innocent families, a real threat and put them back on the However, its intervention in a 2017 those who have campaigned for it. It is been criticised for mainstreaming dis- path of living a fulilling, law-abiding panel discussion co-hosted by the Cam- against an opportunity to galvanise momentum crimination and lost the trust of com- life.” He added: “his review should ex- bridge University Palestine Society and Prevent against Prevent which has had incredibly munities around the UK. pect those critics of Prevent, who often the Cambridge University Middle East damaging efects across the UK, includ- “his latest step is crucial for all those use distortions and spin, to produce solid Society faced criticism by students and ❞ ing in Cambridge.” who have campaigned for an Independ- evidence of their allegations.” Building work starts on £300m ‘Cavendish III’ Laboratory
versity’s Department of Physics. ❝ the Cavendish III in December 2017. Katy Bennett his will include two lecture theatres, he new laboratory will focus on sev- Senior News Correspondent seminar rooms, a learning resource cen- The spirit of en main research themes: astrophysics, tre, common room and the Cavendish high energy physics, biological and bio- Building work started this month on the Collection exhibition. his will be ac- adventure medical physics, energy materials, emer- new ‘Cavendish III’ Laboratory, which companied by a 4700m² shared facilities and inno- gent quantum phenomena, assembly is set to replace the current Cavend- hub, which will supplement the main and function of complex systems, and ish Laboratory on the West Cambridge building with catering services, as well vation will quantum devices and measurements, site. as teaching, study and library spaces. but aims to encourage collaboration It will be the third Cambridge labora- he Cavendish III aims to respond to be fostered across all of these research areas to fos- tory to be named after Henry Cavendish, and facilitate developments in modern in the ter new advances. who discovered hydrogen in 1766. physics research, with the University’s he Cavendish Laboratory already he opening was marked by Vice stating that “the spirit of adventure and Cavendish has an impressive history: it is where JJ Chancellor Stephen Toope, who was innovation will be fostered in the Cav- tradition homson discovered the electron, Ernest joined by guests from the university, endish tradition, but adapted to the new Rutherford discovered artiicial nuclear construction company Bouygues UK, needs of frontier research.” ❞ ission, and James Chadwick discovered and members of the local community. his will take the form of a “purpose- ▲ he site of the Part of the funding for this project has the neutron. he lab was also the site he project is estimated to cost £300 built centre for [Cambridge’s] world- irst Cavendish been supplied by the government, who of the irst experimental proof that E million, and was approved by Cam- leading research, bringing all the re- Laboratory announced a £75 million investment in = mc2 under the tenure of Rutherford, bridge University’s governing council search groups in the department under on the New the Cavendish Laboratory as part of its and thirty-two of its members have won in March 2017. Construction of the main one roof to encourage collaboration”. Museums site Spending Review in 2015, from the Engi- Nobel Prizes. site and shared facilities hub will take Aiming to be a “top-class facility for (RICHTEA) neering and Physical Sciences Research he irst Cavendish Laboratory was approximately three years and should the nation”, the project will also look Council (EPSRC). built in 1874 on the New Museums site, be completed by 2022. beyond Cambridge by allowing other In addition, the family of Ray Dolby, under the direction of James Clerk Max- The main 33,000m² site will be institutions access to much of the spe- who studied for a PhD in Physics at well, and moved to the West Cambridge named the Ray Dolby Centre and is set cialised research equipment which will Cambridge in 1961, announced that they site in 1974. he lab is currently led by to replace existing facilities for the Uni- be housed there. would be donating £85 million towards Professor Andy Parker. F 25 J 2019 9 News Defunding of NUS Trans Campaign draws criticism
◀ An annual only available in large NGOs like NUS.” ▶ Continued from front page Transgender Day e NUS LGBT+ campaign also expressed of Remembrance concerns about being solely responsi- and NUS CEO, Peter Robinson. However, event in ble for trans rights and support once the the proposal cannot come into force until Cambridge trans campaign is defunded. a ter it is voted on at the upcoming NUS STEPHANIE STACEY Writing in the Gay Star News, NUS National Conference, set to take place LGBT+ O ce Rob Noon said, “ is deci- in April. sion is a political one and thus warrants e NUS Trans campaign is an au- a political response”. Noon also claimed tonomous part of the NUS. According that the decision was made without con- to the campaign’s web page, their role sultation with either of the current NUS is “to represent trans students and ght LGBT+ o cers, who are both trans. e for their rights”. President of the CUSU LGBT+ campaign, In December, the NUS’ considera- Liam Plimmer, also expressed concerns, tion of proposals to scrap liberation of- saying: “We are obviously disappointed cer roles received condemnation from with the decision, and are still consulting student activists. Now, in response to the community about our response”. the formal proposal to defund the NUS An NUS spokesperson told Varsity: Trans Committee and O cer, the NUS “Even with the savings we’ve made so LGBT+ campaign has issued a statement far this year (2018/19), we know that we expressing signi cant concerns. In this will still post a de cit in year, and in statement, issued on 21st of January, subsequent years, without further ac- the campaign described the trans stu- ❝ tion. 2019/20 will be a transitional year dent population as “probably the fastest This decision which will require extraordinary action growing in the NUS’ individual mem- is a political to ensure solvency and deliver a degree bership” and noted that these students of nancial stability. “have speci c welfare and campaigning one “Because of this, the NUS Joint Board needs”. ❞ meeting last week decided to main- “Defunding the NUS Trans Campaign tain funding for 12 paid o cer posts in forces volunteers to stand alone against 2019/20 and pause funding for eight. is the wave of transphobia in the public ensures that those o cers we are elect- sphere”, the LGBT+ Campaign wrote, ing are given the support and resources noting that the work carried out by the they need to deliver for students. is is organisation is “highly specialised and an interim measure and speci c to our requires public policy support which is transitional year of 2019/20.”
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Amy Batley Investigations Editor
Data obtained by Varsity shows that col- Wolfson leges took vastly diferent approaches in the student welfare data submitted 560 Newnham C to the Oice for Students’ (OfS) contro- versial Prevent return. his was the irst 639 data return since changes to submission requirements obliged institutions to pro- Trinity Hall vide information on the number of stu- dents accessing welfare services. Cambridge colleges were required to 626 submit their Prevent accountability and data return [ADR] for a deadline of 3rd Pembroke December 2018, the irst ADR since the OfS changed submission requirements 729 in June 2018. Following this change, col- leges, and all higher education institu- Darwin tions in the UK, were asked to provide ▶ he the “number of welfare cases referred for numerical 658 specialist advice and support” between 1st August 2017 and 31 July 2018. values Prevent is one of four strands of the UK counter-terrorism strategy, CON- submitted TEST, which is tasked with preventing in response extremist radicalisation. Prevent obliges public bodies, includ- to the ing universities, to have “due regard to request the need to prevent people from being Homerton drawn into terrorism”. his ‘Prevent duty’ for info on mandates public sector organisations to 1190 St John’s (original) report any individuals who exhibit signs welfare of radicalisation. cases. 953 he ADR is used by the OfS as an in- dicator of an institution’s compliance Peterhouse with the Prevent duty. responded Freedom of Information requests St John’s submitted by Varsity reveal that colleges with zero. (revised) took vastly divergent approaches in their individual ADR’s. 80 he OfS’s new submission require- ments are a response to the most recent revision of CONTEST. he OfS updated its monitoring framework for Prevent led by CUSU and co-signed by the Gradu- ▲ GRAPHICS: Information Act. their decision. It is possible that other in Higher Education in June 2018, to ate Union Executive Committee and 21 STEPHANIE STACEy Seven colleges – Downing, Jesus, St. colleges, which submitted notably large now relect CONTEST’s emphasis on college-based student bodies. he letter, Edmunds, Newnham, Peterhouse, Rob- igures may have unintentionally co-op- safeguarding, which includes requiring which was released on in late November, inson and Wolfson – claimed that the erated with the open letter’s request. Prevent to be integrated into welfare criticised the OfS’s regulatory changes as CUSU letter was published after their St. John’s College initially submitted support systems. a “serious encroachment […] into welfare College Council or Governing Body meet- the number 953, which included all stu- New submission requirements now provision”. ing, and they did not follow the recom- dents, in line with the CUSU-letter’s rec- request that higher education institutions his letter encouraged colleges to mendations made in this letter, released ommendation. However, the OfS asked provide data on the number of students resist the OfS’s new requirements. It on the 28th November. for their submission to be revised in accessing welfare services, speciically: argued that requiring that “colleges in- Both St. Catharine’s and Emmanuel order “to relect a more disaggregated “the number of cases in which specialist ❝ clude all data about welfare support for Colleges claimed to be unaware of the igure under the welfare cases managed staf have made an intervention, either students as part of their annual report CUSU letter, and both estimated the data set; for example, the number of through a central student service or a A culture of on Prevent, whether or not those welfare number of welfare cases. cases referred to the senior tutor”. nominated welfare or safeguarding lead” surveillance cases relate to Prevent” was an “unac- Certain colleges, despite awareness, When asked for further detail about and not “self-referrals”. ceptable overreach”. he letter warned refused to follow the recommendations this request, a spokesperson for the OfS Most higher education institutions and that this may “add to the already deeply of the CUSU letter. responded: “We don’t routinely provide have no option but to provide an ADR suspicion worrying impacts of Prevent on the ex- Churchill estimated the number of comment to the media on cases at spe- of data aggregated across their entire periences of Muslim and BME students,” welfare cases because they “felt that ciic universities.” Several colleges ques- organisation. However, for the purposes must be while “a culture of surveillance and sus- it was the only approach that the OfS tioned the relevance of welfare data to of the OfS ADR, Cambridge colleges are picion must be kept out of mental health would accept”. Gonville & Caius College the ADR. Gonville & Caius claimed to autonomous higher education bodies, kept out and welfare support.” told Varsity that while the college “has “not see that there is any obvious rela- so therefore report their ADR independ- of mental Rather than respond to the ADR with sympathy with much of the CUSU po- tionship” between referrals to specialist ently. the number of welfare cases referred for sition on the OfS’s questions”, it must services and Prevent issues. The OfS claim that “there is no health and specialist advice and support, the CUSU- ❝ “observe its legal obligations to provide Colleges were able to submit a com- straightforward measure of how well welfare led open letter encouraged colleges to information required by regulators”. ment alongside the numerical value of a provider is implementing the Prevent submit “all tutorial contact as a welfare [Welfare Girton, meanwhile, “was aware that welfare cases. Some colleges used this duty”, and therefore propose that the support case for the purposes of the numerical data] is not some colleges were counting all tuto- to criticise the relevance of ADR’s new number of welfare cases “is a useful ❞ data return, rather than singling out the rial contact as a welfare case for the nu- submission requirements to the Pre- proxy”, which can assure “that providers number of students who access mental a matter merical data return”, but said, however, vent duty, even if they had nonetheless are actively implementing procedures health support or the counselling serv- that “such a return was not what was complied. Hughes Hall commented that that allow them to identify and act on ice”. his would mean listing the full of ‘Prevent requested”. welfare data “is not a matter of ‘Prevent Prevent-related returns”. number of students in a College in each duty moni- Some colleges, however, did indeed duty monitoring’… nor even related to it”. An OfS spokesperson told Varsity that ADR, which the letter claimed would be follow the open letter’s request. Five Robinson similarly stated “we have used the new requirement seeks “to provide the “least harmful way” for colleges to toring’ – Corpus Christi, Darwin, Fitzwilliam, our best endeavours to comply with this assurance that welfare procedures are in resist the new requirements. ❞ Homerton and Pembroke – submitted request but do not accept that it obvi- operation in the absence of any Prevent- 30 of the University’s 31 constituent the number of all college members due ously and directly relates to the College’s related welfare concerns”. colleges gave responses to Varsity’s ques- to CUSU’s open letter. Trinity Hall sub- Prevent Duty”. Last term, the OfS’s new ADR require- tions, while Clare claimed exceptions mitted the large igure of 626, but said Selwyn, although complying with ments were criticised in an open letter, under the conditions of the Freedom of that the open letter was not a factor in the ADR request, complained that de- Friday 25th January 2019 11 News ontroversial Prevent return, following CUSU letter
Jesus Caius St Catz Queens’ Churchill Emmanuel 143 69 61 51 500 109 Corpus King’s Selwyn St Edmund’s Robinson Hughes Hall 54 20 Christi 240 Christ’s 90 56 Clare Hall 179 Trinity Magdalene Downing Lucy Cavendish 510 50 131 72 54 12
Sidney Sussex Darwin 602
Fitzwilliam 855
termining the number of welfare cases was “not… straightforward” because of multiple welfare support points, includ- ing University Mental Health advisors, the University Counselling Service, GP surgeries and intermission procedures. Another recurring complaint was that welfare data had to be recalled retro- spectively. Data was requested for the period from August 2017 to July 2018, yet institutions were not informed of this requirement until the June 2018 revision of the OfS monitoring framework. Fitzwilliam’s comment stated that the “retrospective request presents a practical diiculty since these data were not collected at the time and can- not be reconstructed accurately”. King’s Where are solutions commented that “in order to provide this data in a more accurate form it is before they’re found? essential that we know that it will be required before the start of the report- ing period”. Welcome to the home of the curious. Retrospective reporting meant that A place for those who know that imagination, for colleges which provided a numeri- ❝ ingenuity and solution fi nding are what cal value in line with the OfS request, humans are made of. We off er life-changing igures had to be estimated. his often in- We felt that careers and professional qualifi cations, cluded asking College tutors to estimate across all industries, to those who are true the number of students they referred it was the to themselves. Those who set no limits to to welfare services or estimates based only on welfare referrals in the preceding their dreams and ambitions. month extrapolated to calculate a pro- approach rata value. that the OfS deloitte.co.uk/careersExplore our opportunities in Cambridge Peterhouse, meanwhile, refused to What impact will you make? answer the question ‘number of welfare would deloitte.co.uk/careers cases referred for specialist advice and What impact will you make? support’, claiming that “the distinction accept between referral and self-referral [is] ❞ problematic”. Features12 Friday 25th January 2019
‘Nothing out of a bottle of Fair and Lovely could have given me conidence in my own skin’
me more self-conident. In movies, jokes North London, I grew up in a diverse en- ▲ Illustration by those beauty standards are. Cynthia Fernando about girls looking as if they had been vironment, surrounded by people of all Alisa Santikarn for Why does colourism often take a back- ‘burned in frying pans’ passed as com- ❝ skin tones. While memories of wanting Varsity seat to discussions about discrimination? discusses facing edy and entire song-and-dance num- to lighten my skin are painful ones, I was In the past, I have been hesitant to speak bers were dedicated to praising fairness. Ingrained fortunate enough to have a family that up about it. When movements such as colourism as a Marriage advertisements that explicitly beauty forbade it and taught me the inutility Black Lives Matter call for a united front, excluded applications from dark-skinned standards of valuing physical looks. I was encour- to call out members of your own race dark-skinned women were not uncommon. aged to pursue any career and further for discriminating based on skin colour Outside of Indian circles, my darkness of fairness my education, a luxury dark-skinned seems counterproductive and divisive. woman was apparent there too. I have heard ‘you have become people of colour are not aforded, be- When the stakes are so high, a sense of look pretty for a dark-skinned girl’ played accepted as ing suppressed and silenced in India guilt comes with criticising other people s a dark-skinned woman of of as a compliment, and been warned for the sake of their fairer counterparts. of colour. Dark-skinned people of colour colour, involving myself in by complete strangers to not spend too normal, even Having dark skin was associated with also refrain from speaking out against race-related activism has nev- much time in the sun, in case I tanned. desired the lower-caste occupations of manual colourist injustice for fear of conforming Aer felt like something I could It always struck me when there was no ❞ labour, and hence dark-skinned people to stereotypes of anger and violence. opt out of. I am so obviously removed malicious intent in their voices, but in- are much less likely to be aided in aspir- However, refusing to confront the is- from Western beauty standards that it’s stead a genuine belief that they were ing to anything else. sue ironically serves to deepen divisions. often the irst thing people will notice, complimenting me or looking out for It is because of this that colourism’s It is colourism itself that has divided our and therefore, something inherently de- me: protecting me from the implications relevance to me now is less about me as communities, by alienating certain mem- initive. So when I meet otherwise well- of having dark skin. hese statements an individual and more about an acute bers, and that denying that the problem meaning people who tell me I should not demonstrate just how ingrained beau- awareness of its systematic nature. A exists just masks it rather than solves let my skin colour deine who I am, or ty standards of fairness have become simple browse through make-up aisles it. It is because of my upbringing that I claim to be ‘colour-blind’, or that maybe I - it is accepted as normal, even desired, at Boots to search for a foundation to feel fortunate enough to be able to talk ‘shouldn’t get so worked up about race’, I to strive for as light a skin as you can match my skin tone is enough to remind about my experiences without signii- cannot help but laugh. How can I divorce achieve. me of that reality. With the colour palette cant repercussion. So I do bring it up and myself from the colour of my skin when Colourism is the prejudicial and pref- of a myriad of light skin tones to choose start conversations about it – skin colour the way I navigate the world is funda- erential treatment of people based solely from and one dark foundation labelled has always been what other people have mentally diferent because of it? Yes, it on skin colour. hough not unrelated, it ‘mocha’, the makeup industry paints it- used to deine me. Talking about it is my is exhausting to constantly have to think is distinct from racism as it can come self as fundamentally colourist. Many way of retaking control of it, in the hopes about my place in this world in terms of from members of the same race as well bath products contain some kind of skin- ❝ of changing that narrative. my skin colour. But it’s not as if I’ve ever as from external sources. his preferen- whitening or bleaching product. Surrounding Unlearning the beauty standards been given a choice in the matter. tial treatment of lighter skin tones had Social media reveals colourist at- myself with crammed down my throat has been a As a child attempting to reconcile my a detrimental efect on my perception titudes. When my friends are white- process, one that I may go through for Indian and British identities, I could not of beauty and self-worth. But it goes be- washed under layers of Instagram il- and deriving the rest of my life. Whilst I occasionally enjoy everyday life without constant re- yond words and hurt feelings - it raises ters, or someone praises Snapchat for inspiration wish for lighter skin, for the most part minders of the darkness of my skin. My fundamental questions about belong- contouring your features to make them from dark- I love dark skin and enjoy the beneits family watching Indian television from ing. For a long time, I felt like an island: look more distinctly Western, it becomes of it (sunburns sound horrible, but I’ll the sofa of our British home, primarily to bodies of water separating me from any evident that most people still view the skinned peo- never know). Surrounding myself with stay connected to the culture we had left one mainland or nationality to call my imposition of fairness as an improve- ple of colour, and deriving inspiration from dark- behind, only served to make me want own. Not only did I feel out of place in ment – not through their own fault, but I have gained skinned people of colour, I have gained to distance myself even more, further British society as a woman of colour, I through the fault of a society that has conidence in my own skin, conidence than simple geography would allow. Ad- also felt removed from my own ethnic forced that narrative. It is not as explicit conidence in enough to speak frankly and unapolo- verts for skin-lightening creams would group - all because of something I could as the adverts I recall from my childhood, my own skin getically about my experiences. ambush me during the ad-breaks of my not change. Despite this, I was incredibly but its appearance in subtle ways high- And nothing out of a bottle of ‘Fair favourite soaps with promises to make lucky in my upbringing. Growing up in lights just how institutionally cemented ❞ and Lovely’ could have given me that. Friday 25th January 2019 13 FEATURES Features ‘Our lives are like ingerprints – the one thing twins don’t share’
Jess Molyneux recalls being separated from her twin for the irst time
xbridge life can get pretty ▶ he author and intense. You know what else her twin sister gets intense? Sharing every (JESS MOLYNEUx) Oaspect of life with one per- son for nineteen years: from the womb to birthdays, the ‘top table’ in primary school, to the stress and anticipation of the Oxbridge admissions process, my identical twin sister and I have been side-by-side every step of the way. hat is, until this academic year when I left Manchester for Cambridge at the same time as my sister left for Oxford. When opening your own brown envelope or UCAS Track notiication has only ever been half the story, the ups and downs of Cambridge life can feel a bit funny all on your own. From the beginning, the experience has been characterised by a series of paradoxes. Separation felt to- tally natural, but was, at the same time, the weirdest and biggest thing I’ve done to date. Forging my own identity and making my own choices, and feeling like I was doing these things in a vacuum, without the usual comparative echo of my sister’s equivalent or diverging deci- sions, was simultaneously emancipating and anxiety-inducing. he nub of it was something which in a lash and check of the list. What’s everyone experiences: university life is harder, or at least more draining, and scarily free. It’s not just the release from ❝ maybe more unexpected, is all the plan- teachers or parents breathing down your My twin ning and the deciding. neck, not just the liberating knowledge sister and I Talk it up a bit, though, Jess, as my that no-one is checking up on your work dad would say. his is all making me because it is, after all, your £9,000 and have been sound like a stressball and an overplan- your degree. It’s not just the stressful side-by-side ner, when really it’s a small but constant excitement of doing your own laundry, every step of part of life that gets easier to cope with. or the dangerous gloriousness of being Because the result is sweet freedom. It’s able to eat whatever you want. It’s that the way deciding for yourself what awesome every tiny aspect of your life is now up ❞ things you’re going to get involved in. It’s to you. realising that, actually, there might be a Especially as an English student million possibilities for ways you could whose lectures and supervisions don’t balance your degree, your social life, and exactly constitute an hour-by-hour time- everything else. But whilst that means table, how I divide up my day is for me more to choose from, it also means more to choose from an ininite number of ways to ace it. It means that doing things possibilities. Libraries open 24/7 are su- in the way you want is not just allowed, per convenient, but they only add more but the only way to cope. options to the swirling mix. I’m the only For me, it’s conirmed what I already one calling the shots when it comes to knew but everyone else refused to be- how much time I devote to reading, to lieve: twin telepathy is a lie. When my lectures, to writing, to socialising, to ex- sister and I compared notes during ercise, to hobbies and events, to sleeping, the break, we were both surprised by even to eating, and when and where I do choices the other one had made that all of those things. we wouldn’t have predicted. (Women’s hat’s a lot of mental energy. Perhaps ❝ football is the most standout example. this amazing but terrifying total control I’m more proud of her two handballs is weirder, or at least more pronounced, Separation than her GCSE results.) Even two people for me as a twin. Having always had a re- felt totally who share most of their DNA, and have lection, someone your age doing rough- natural, but been so used to making choices which ly similar subjects and hobbies against relect one another, often unintention- whom you can evaluate your choices, was, at the ally, don’t end up striking the balance in is a sort of comfort blanket which lots same time, Oxbridge in the same ways. of other people left behind when their the weirdest All of our lives at Cambridge are a lit- parents stopped planning their days for and biggest tle like ingerprints – the one thing iden- them. It’s not just about learning to be tical twins don’t share; it’s a nice way of independent, as in the cliched trope of thing I’ve thinking, I think, about the way we leave kids who can’t boil an egg or iron a shirt done to date our mark here, creating our identity in, before they go to university. hose things ❞ and inscribing it into, the city with every are the easy bits that you can pick up one of our tiny, daily choices. 14 F 25 J 2019
FeaturesFEATURES e breast cancer gene and me
Looking ahead ▲ ILLUSTRATION BY to screen, my risk had grown from 1.3 to no known history of breast cancer in his ous breast tissue with implants and will ALISA SANTIAKARN 17 percent. e news completely shook family, my dad tested positive. reduce my risk of breast cancer by at to Pink Week, FOR VARSITY my world and was utterly terrifying – it When a parent carries the genetic mu- least 95%. e surgery is complex, and was like nothing I’d ever experienced. A tation, there is a ty percent chance of although it’s o ten confused with cos- Charlie Morgan year later, I still nd it hard to put into passing it on to each of their children. I metic breast augmentation, it’s far more words how I feel. decided to get tested, and the blood test about risk than the risqué. To look on the discusses her My friend squeezed tighter when he was easy – but the waiting impossible. bright side, that’s not so say there aren’t realised what he’d just said. Saying that A ter four weeks, by some extraordinary perks in little extra perk. But this will be discovery that she he would have chosen me wasn’t cruel coincidence, I was called by the geneti- my rst surgery and overnight stay in – or so he thought – but supportive. He ❝ cist while on my way home from Cam- hospital – even my debut in a hospital has a genetically knows I’m strong: I’m the advice giver For breast bridge. I learned two things that day: that gown! e minimum six-week recovery rather than taker. I know what I want, cancer, my a little (or big) cry on public transport period, a tercare rituals, plus the list of higher risk of and I go for it. He knew I could take this is totally liberating, and that my result side e ects, are terrifying. Despite all thing head on and would do whatever lifetime risk was positive. On the train I phoned my this, I know I’ve made the right choice. breast cancer I could, whatever that meant, to ght it. had grown mum, a doctor who has perfected the art is won’t be the end of my ght with But I didn’t believe him. How could I from 12 to of handling bad news, and her response the BRCA2 mutation. ere are more sur- ght against my own genetic code? A was characteristically cool: ‘shit, shit, geries and risks to manage later in my his was my best friend’s man- positive result for the BRCA2 mutation 69 percent shit, shit, shit’. life, but I don’t want to wait to share my tra, as we sat on the freezing has ripples throughout your life, and overnight A ter a positive diagnosis for the story. By chance, I was involved with patio of a party in the middle of when I was 20 and didn’t (and still don’t) ❞ BRCA2 mutation, your geneticist will Pink Week for two years before receiving TFebruary last year. “If I had to even know what to be when I grow up, give you three options. First, you can my diagnosis, and I’ve seen the amaz- choose one friend for this to happen to, the diagnosis was overwhelming. My life do nothing, and hope that you’re in the ing work it does to raise money and it would’ve been you. You’ll get through ❝ stretched out in front of me, all at once, lucky minority. Second, you can choose awareness. is Pink Week, learn how this, you’ll be ne, you’ll be ne…” and irrevocably. non-invasive options, and combine an- to check yourself for breast cancer, and I was crying, wrapped in his arms, As a self- As a self-diagnosed optimist, I needed nual anxiety-inducing screening with do it monthly. If you think your family and I’d never felt so small in my life. A diagnosed to put the news into perspective. Know- chemopreventative drugs (with scary might carry the BRCA gene, talk to your week earlier, a clinical geneticist had told optimist, ing about the genetic mutation is an in- side-e ects) that do not guarantee risk- GP. ere are lots of steps you can take me that I was a carrier of the BRCA2 ge- credible gi t, and it has probably saved reduction for those with BRCA muta- to arm yourself against breast cancer. My netic mutation. I needed my life. And, I found out about the gene tions. Or third, you can have a bilateral ght, for now, is a quest for the perfect Everyone has the BRCA1 and BRCA2 to put the by chance: as Ashkenazi Jews, my par- prophylactic mastectomy. is risk-re- post-mastectomy front-fastening heat- genes. ey help to ght o a certain news in ents had been invited to participate in duction surgery can (almost) cure a life- moulded booby-loving bra. group of cancers, primarily breast cancer a national study and were both tested time of worrying! I knew immediately Charlie will be speaking at the Pink – a ter which they are named – and ovar- perspective for the mutation eight years ago. Unlike what I wanted to do, and that summer Week event ‘BRCA Education Evening’ on ian, prostate, melanoma and pancreatic ❞ the general population who have a 1-in- made my rst appointment with the Saturday 9th February, 7-8.30pm in the cancers. But with a faulty gene, the risk 500 chance of carrying the mutation, in breast surgeon. Emmanuel College Old Library. of developing these cancers skyrockets. Ashkenazi Jews the risk rises to 1-in-40. In July 2019, a ter nishing my mas- If you are concerned about anything, For breast cancer, my lifetime risk had Usually the gene can clearly be traced ter’s, I will have a double mastectomy. further information can be found at ht- grown from 12 to 69 percent overnight. through a family’s medical history like a During the ve-to-eight-hour surgery, tps://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes- For ovarian cancer, almost impossible bitter and unwelcome guest. Yet, despite two surgeons will replace my danger- prevention/genetics/brca-fact-sheet. F 25 J 2019 15
Features “Take me home, Mill Road”
s Cambridge’s most vibrant questionable, as it is immediately no- e Mill Road Winter Fair, and on- Eliane oma-Stemmet and diverse high street, Mill ticeable that it’s the only corporation going projects to tackle rising issues of visits Mill Road to nd out Road has a big reputation to on its side of the road. tra c congestion and noise pollution, Auphold. But does it continue is begs the question of whether are marks of the continued vibrancy to live up to that reputation today? there is a detectable atmosphere of and solidarity of the community. Mill whether it lives up to its To the untrained eye of a wee fresher, anticipation for the future of Mill Road Road cafés generally use bread from Mill Road can seem like an unchanging, among its community. e majority of ❝ Mill Road bakeries. One woman spoke reputation as a cultural stable microcosm of culture, a reliable shopkeepers I talked to were not con- I didn’t set of the mutual trust and cooperation of place for recovery from the general gran- vinced that the public was apprehen- out with the businesses, which has built up over melting-pot deur that su ocates central Cambridge. sive. “People are not worried”, they told years, as she remarked, “We look ater As the brown child of rst-generation me. Costa and Sainsbury’s have indeed too many each other.” immigrants from Germany and South sprung up, the latter replacing a long- expectations Going to Mill Road in search of a Africa, a regular dose of Mill Road was standing greengrocers keenly remem- of feeling at melting pot that might remind me of prescribed to me when I rst arrived as bered by other shopkeepers, and the my own community in Leeds, I didn’t a wholesome remedy for those craving likelihood seems high that the rate of home set out with too many expectations of a reminder of reality outside the univer- chain supermarkets and cafés will only ❞ feeling at home, aware that every com- sity, and a feeling of going home to my increase in years to come. munity is unique in its diversity. As a own melting-pot community. Even so, it’s not the case that every student living outside of Mill Road, I was Talking to Mill Road’s high street mer- move-in is cause for concern for the conscious that I might feel like a tourist chants, I heard di erent realities from community; I came across several in- there. Clearly, nding somewhere that each of them. ere was optimism and dependent cafés, such as Tom’s Cakes, reminded me of ‘home’ would be a tall despair, comfort and anger, voiced by dif- which have also moved to Mill Road in order, but in all my conversations with ferent faces of the community. While the the last two years, having been attracted people for whom it was home, the sense street used to be lled exclusively with to the buzz of the high street. “It’s the of pride in the unity of their community small merchants, greengrocers, butchers best community out there”, Matt from radiated through speech and body lan- and the like, one shopkeeper expressed Tom’s Cakes told me, a feeling reiterated guage, and their welcoming approach to anger that persistently rising rents by all of the shopkeepers I had spoken new members of the community was as- had driven countless small shops, to. Perhaps to assume that change to serted for me by those who had moved to which once characterised Mill the makeup of businesses is threaten- Mill Road in recent years and already felt Road, into packing up. “It’s ing to its history, rather than part of the it had “the biggest community feel”. becoming a food place. natural – and inevitable – evolution of e road may have changed over time, e old shops can’t last every high street, is a misconception to a little for the better and a little for the anymore.” be avoided. worse, but its powerful dedication to its A Costa has tried to Or perhaps this would be naïve? At community and the determination to pro- make itself at home Cham restaurant, a manager warned ▼ Mill Road’s tect its cultural diversity and distinctive on Mill Road, al- that gentri cation is a ‘silent change’. vibrant shopfronts character should leave no one in doubt though how Even if changes happen slowly and are HASSAN RAJA that Mill Road deserves nothing less than well it ts into met without much protest, their impact its reputation as one of the best places in the street is is still detectable. Already, some Cambridge. residents sense a divide be- tween the two sides of the Mill Road bridge, feeling that the far side of the bridge suf- fers less from is- sues of gentri - cation and is more ‘ our- ishing’. 16 Friday 25th January 2019 Opinion
Discounted tickets are just the irst step in tackling May Balls’ exclusivity
Jesus’ discounts ambridge May Balls bring to are nevertheless dependent on student he system, to an extent, perpetuates ▲ Certain May It can be an intimidating prospect are a welcome mind extravagance, expense, loans. the divide between those who can and Ball ireworks for someone from a less advantaged change, but and, above all, exclusivity. he To put it into perspective, those on a those who cannot aford to go to May displays are background to apply to Cambridge. he more can be Cmove by Jesus College to cut full bursary have a maximum parental Balls. In 2018, improving signiicantly notoriously social pressure to attend May Balls, and done to tackle their May Ball tickets by 50% for Jesus income of £25,000 per year. Just under on the previous arrangement where expensive the assumption that students will go exclusivity students on a partial or full bursary is half of that (£12,000) was spent on Trin- ‘volunteers’ were reimbursed with the (CMglee) to multiple May Week events, means welcome news in combating this im- ity’s ireworks display alone at their 2016 opportunity to buy a ticket to next year’s that those from low-income families, age. May Ball. A price of a May Ball ticket is ball, Trinity’s committee announced that discouraged by expensive tickets, are he only other colleges to reduce tick- on average between £100 and £150, with workers would be paid at least the mini- ❝ prevented from feeling fully integrated et prices, Wolfson and Hughes Hall, have tickets for Trinity and St John’s May mum wage. into Cambridge life. previously given 20% discounts to those Balls last year costing £175 per person. his year St John’s has advertised that For a Discounted tickets are a great start on full bursaries, but nothing to this ex- A household earning £25,000 per year they will pay under 25s £7.50 an hour, student in tackling the problem of the exclusiv- tent has ever been ofered before. has a weekly income of £480. herefore, a and for those working a 6 hour shift dur- ity of May Balls and it would be excel- However, despite this huge discount, £150 ticket would be worth nearly a third ing set-up and clear-up, they will reduce on a full lent if more colleges followed suit. he the reduced price is still £77.50. As a state- of that family’s weekly income. the ticket price for the following year by improvement of workers’ pay is also educated student who receives close to To extrapolate to an annual income £45, to relect the same wage. However, bursary, a encouraging. However, the worker sys- the full Cambridge bursary, £77.50 is of £150,000, with a weekly income of the remaining ticket price would still £150 ticket tem does not fully address or resolve the expensive for a single night’s entertain- £2,884, the equivalent ticket worth a be close to £150, which may be inacces- issues of accessibility for lower-income ment and may still be unattainable for third of that family’s weekly income sible to students from lower-income would students. some despite the discount. would cost nearly £900. It is then easy families. be worth Perhaps the solution would be to low- he exclusive nature of May Balls, to see why £100 to £200 can be such a lot Some students have to work a ball er the price of tickets for all and have a with their hefty price tags, only risks of money to spend on a ticket. he steps in order to attend in the irst place, and nearly a smaller budget for May Balls. adding to the alienation many students that Jesus, Wolfson and Hughes Hall some can’t aford a ticket even then. A shift in the social emphasis on the from low-income backgrounds profess have taken mark admirable progress in For those students from lower-income third of extravagance and exclusivity of May to have felt when it comes to the Cam- this respect, but this is not yet enough. backgrounds who can aford ball tickets, their fam- Balls to one of inclusivity would also bridge social calendar. he opportunity for students to work the price of those balls still represents a be a step towards making low-income he discount for those on bursaries at May Balls does provide the chance for greater level of commitment. he system ily’s weekly students feel more included. A solution may allow more disadvantaged students students to earn some money and attend can divide richer and poorer students income would have to tackle both the social per- to attend, but it also excludes students the event at a discounted price; however, and certainly doesn’t promote inclu- ception and economic exclusivity of May
Charlotte Newman Charlotte who may not receive the bursary but ideally it would not be necessary at all. sivity. ❞ Balls as they currently are. Friday 25th January 2019 17 Opinion Divestment is a feminist issue. Women’s colleges must lead the way
he impact of uring the ongoing divestment among the worst afected by the looding of women”, while Murray Edwards ar- es endanger women, and pushing for climate change debate at Cambridge, it must in Louisiana. gues that all-female spaces in Cambridge University-wide divestment, are obvi- on women is be recognised that unethical Given that the number of natural must continue to exist because “there ous next steps for the college’s eforts an opportunity Dinvestment in fossil fuel com- disasters caused by climate change is is much gender inequality still in the in ighting gender inequalities. Women’s for Cambridge’s panies is, above all, a feminist issue. It increasing rapidly, the world’s most vul- world.” hese statements demonstrate colleges are faced with the opportunity all-female is imperative that Cambridge’s women’s nerable women will continue to bear the an interest in the fates of women in the to make substantive change to the lives colleges to lead colleges rethink their investments to re- brunt of the fallout of these environmen- global community, which should be of women globally by committing to the divestment lect this. he three female-only colleges tal catastrophes if no action is taken. matched by pushing for University-wide divestment. movement – Newnham, Murray Edwards and Lucy An article published by European Par- divestment. he three women’s colleges are al- Cavendish – are institutions with long liament News states that “when women Claims by these colleges to support ready facing pressure to divest, with histories of ighting for gender justice. and girls are displaced, they are much the protection and enhancement of climate justice groups at Newnham In 2019, climate justice is gender justice. more exposed to sexual violence and women risk coming under scrutiny in and Murray Edwards organising ban- With pressure from divestment cam- have other needs, such as sanitary ones, light of their lack of commitment to di- ner drops and letter writing sessions last paigns increasing, these colleges, along that are often not met.” Sexual violence vestment. Figures requested under the term calling for their respective colleges with their co-ed counterparts, have the and period poverty are both ongoing is- Freedom of Information Act, and pub- to divest. It seems likely to intensify in opportunity to recognise and act on the sues of debate in Cambridge, but discus- lished in a Varsity and Cherwell investi- Lent Term – over the Christmas holiday, undeniable fact that climate change is a sions are at risk of becoming insular, for- gation last term, reveal the extent of the the Zero Carbon campaign highlighted women’s issue. getting those who sufer the aftermath all-female colleges’ investments. the crucial link between climate change Figures released by the United Na- of climate crises. his insularity, should Most notably, Lucy Cavendish was and women’s livelihoods, stating in a Fa- tions earlier this year revealed that we not turn our gaze outward as well as found to have direct investments in oil cebook post: “[t]here are multiple ways women are more likely than men to ❝ inward, risks creating tension between and gas companies, including BP and in which the climate crisis intersects be afected by climate change, stating the feminist theory taught at our Uni- Shell, totaling £450,293. Investments in with feminism, something which Zero that 80% of people displaced by climate It simply is versity and how we put this feminism fossil fuel companies whose practices Carbon will be exploring in the coming change are women. he position of wom- not enough into practice. It simply is not enough serve to exploit and further disadvantage term. One thing, however, is for certain: en as primary caregivers and providers for an institution to teach feminism in the world’s most vulnerable women are there will be no solution to the ecological of food makes them more vulnerable for an an academic context without practical unethical. Research published in 2016 crisis without women’s liberation and in the event of natural catastrophes, application. As institutions dedicated to detailing the long term detriment to gender equality.” such as the increasing number of loods institution providing opportunities for women to the health of women in Louisiana as a Female-only colleges should not limit and droughts associated with climate to teach succeed, women’s colleges should play result of the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf their feminist eforts to the women who change. Statistics from non-proit en- an active role in countering this inward- of Mexico revealed that both direct ex- walk their corridors. hey must act for vironmental advocacy group Natural feminism looking perspective. posure to the oil spill and indirect efects the protection and care of women world- Resources Defence Council reveal that without Cambridge’s all-female colleges are of the spill had an impact on the physi- wide. Managing their investments in an two-thirds of the jobs lost after Hurri- the only such institutions of higher edu- cal health of adult women residing in ethical way that relects support of all cane Katrina had belonged to women. practical cation in the United Kingdom, on the southeastern Louisiana. women, everywhere, would be a point at In cases where gender intersects with basis of providing a safe and empower- Lucy Cavendish’s website states the which the rationale for these institutions race, the severity of the impact increases: application ing space for women. Newnham asserts college is as “radical” as they were in the becomes praxis. Women’s colleges must the BBC reported that after Hurricane ❞ they are a college that “gives priority to 1960s when it was founded. Divesting recognise this and take their place at the
Belle George Belle Katrina, African-American women were the achievement, needs and potential from companies like BP, whose practic- forefront of the divestment movement. he burden of access work must not fall on individual students
n year 12, I was dreaming of Cam- perience, it felt like a load of informa- I made in my state school was a drop ❝ already stressful environment of Sixth bridge, imagining myself as a stu- tion had been dumped on me at once, in the ocean compared to the wealth of Form, students need to be supported, Oxbridge dent in the little city with the river. and I didn’t even know where to begin privilege held by those well-funded and he biggest not burdened with more to learn. he must do more IIt was the kind of Cambridge you deciphering it. With a massive work- very experienced eight top schools that issue in ac- current system is doing little to prevent to support see on TV – picturesque, proicient stu- load already, it felt superluous that I send more kids to Oxbridge than 3,000 this burden. disadvantaged dents, the perfect foundation for the per- should have to learn even more just to other schools combined. cess is not We should follow the path of Bramp- sixth-formers fect life. I could see myself, my best self, apply to university. It would’ve taken a hen, when state-school students get ton Manor, the state school currently through the as one of the students in this city. very large weight of my shoulders, not here, we see a similar trend. We often just reas- holding 41 Oxbridge ofers. application But the odds were stacked against me. to mention my work plate, if even one take part in outreach schemes; we be- suring kids Sam Dobin, the director of the sixth process I didn’t think I’d get in. Not because I person around me knew what applying come mentors in schemes like Project form said: “he secret is having the stu- wasn’t smart enough, but because, to Oxbridge is like. Access, or contribute to InsideUni; we that Ox- dents believe in themselves.” I couldn’t coming from a state school, I just didn’t he whole system needs to be demys- write articles about how the access sys- agree more, but let’s not ignore the fact know how. I didn’t have teachers who tiied. During my application, I remem- tem is fundamentally lawed. he struc- bridge is an that there’s also a lot more to it than that. understood how the admissions process ber feeling like part of the admissions ture remains the same, and it is individu- option, but Brampton Manor employs “a team of ive difered from those of other universities, process was how well I could navigate als who are working to change it. Oxbridge graduates” who help students and the only people I’d ever met from the countless forms and red tape, seeing When access becomes the responsi- teaching get their head round the process. Oxbridge were similarly-disadvantaged if I even had the patience to do it. All of bility of individuals, both when applying them how he biggest issue in access is not just current students working with outreach these new concepts – ELAT, winter pool, and when we get here, an unfair burden reassuring kids that Oxbridge is an op- schemes. college, academic interview – meant is placed on those from disadvantaged to go about tion, but teaching them how they should In an ideal world, entry to Oxbridge nothing to me. But without anyone to backgrounds. If Oxbridge altered their go about getting in. Ultimately, the bur- is a level playing ield. In reality, it sim- guide me, I had to make sense of them access and outreach schemes only slight- getting in den of access needs to be taken of the ply isn’t. Oxbridge remains a dream myself to make my dream of a Cam- ly, this burden could be lessened. ❞ individuals and shifted back onto the that many don’t even see the point in bridge acceptance a reality. While it is helpful for sixth-formers to institutions. attempting to achieve. I even started teaching my teachers hear from students from similar back- Whether it’s training school staf or I have been lucky enough to beneit about the process, explaining what the grounds, access work should go deeper streamlining the application process, from outreach attempts, and I don’t winter pool meant or reminding them to than school visits and student Q&A more needs to be done to demystify want to minimise the incredible work enter me for my ELAT entrance exam. I panels. We should remove the burden Oxbridge and what it takes to apply, done by Schools Liaison Oicers and hope this is information they are passing from students, and train teachers in the and this will simply never be achieved
Olivia Emily Olivia admissions tutors. However, in my ex- on to applicants now, but the diference art of Oxbridge applications. In such an through student work alone. 18 Friday 25th January 2019 Opinion Brexiteers were wrong to reject the backstop
A mistaken ay’s deal is dead: there is Fears have been expressed that customs unity of the UK as a whole and under- real idea of ‘Britishness’. here won’t be understanding no coming back from the checkpoints, perceived as symbols of mine Northern Ireland’s shared identity one size that its all: the unique position of ‘Britishness’ worst defeat of a govern- occupation by certain republicans, could with both the UK and the Republic of of Northern Ireland demands diferences lay behind the Mment in parliamentary his- once again become a target for terror- Ireland. But this is wrong. Rather than in politics and identity, and we must rejection of the tory. But it is worth relecting on what ist violence. And, often unmentioned, undermining the Britishness of Northern learn to accommodate this. backstop killed it: widespread opposition to the a hard border would close of Northern Ireland, the backstop is necessary to en- To see the backstop as undermining Irish backstop. Ireland’s Irish nationalist community sure that equal consideration is given to Northern Ireland’s Britishness is to see he backstop was a policy intended to from the Republic, isolating them from its people as British citizens. Britishness through a very narrow lens. prevent a hard border returning to Ire- their own country and potentially fuel- Nations like Britain no longer match And when one moves beyond this rigid land. If, after the Brexit transition period, ling resentment of the union. up neatly with the model of a homo- idea of Britishness, and considers North- the UK doesn’t manage to strike a trade Despite all this, the backstop seemed geneous group of people with similar ern Ireland’s unique position in relation agreement with the EU, the backstop the most iercely opposed part of the culture, ideals and values – indeed, it is to Brexit, the impact that a hard border would have ensured that (at least) North- Withdrawal Agreement. he DUP saw the doubtful they ever did. In looking at the would have on people’s livelihoods, on ern Ireland would stay aligned to some backstop as a betrayal of Brexit and of country and what is best for it, we can- the fragile political and constitutional single market rules. Without a backstop, Northern Ireland. Jacob Rees-Mogg said not pretend that such diferences do not situation, and on many of its inhabit- World Trade Organization (WTO) rules that he believed “most of the poison” exist – instead, we must respect them, ants’ identities – I would say it becomes (which would apply by default after the in May’s deal was in the backstop, and and work with them. his is not a mere obvious that a safeguard, in the form of transition period) would mandate that indicated that he might have supported recommendation; it is a necessary condi- the backstop, is absolutely necessary for Britain could not be any more lenient May’s deal had it been removed. Even tion of treating all UK citizens equally, ❝ any EU exit. on goods coming from Ireland than it Jeremy Corbyn opposed the idea, saying of giving them the right to assert their As a remainer, there was much I dis- could from goods coming from any other that the DUP disliked it “for very good identity freely. It’s almost liked about May’s deal. But what was WTO member. and sensible reasons”. If Northern Ireland is genuinely to be a truism at perceived by many to be its greatest It is almost a truism at this point What were these reasons? One of the an integral part of the United Kingdom, if weakness was, in actual fact, a strength: that a hard border would be ruinous for most important was that the backstop it is really to be “as British as Finchley”, this point the backstop showed a willingness to al- Northern Ireland. was seen as a threat to the union. DUP it must not be forced to it into a politi- that a hard low for diferent political and economic Northern Ireland sends billions of Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson said cal, economic, or constitutional mould situations, and to acknowledge that the pounds worth of exports across the bor- that the Government had broken the designed for the rest of the UK. Ulti- border UK is stronger for its diversity. Ignor- der every year, so a hard border would “fundamental agreement” that they mately, Northern Ireland’s belonging in ing Northern Ireland’s uniqueness will have an immense impact on the region’s “would not separate Northern Ireland the United Kingdom is not predicated on would be not make it disappear, and imposing economy, which is still recovering from constitutionally or economically from whether it adheres to exactly the same ruinous for the same trade regulations as the rest the Troubles. It would also undermine the United Kingdom”. Were the deal to trading regulations as the rest of the na- of the UK post-Brexit, on the grounds the Good Friday Agreement, the deal have gone ahead, Northern Ireland might tion. Hence, Northern Ireland must be Northern that this is an essential part of being that brought peace to Northern Ireland, have traded with the EU on diferent allowed to actively contribute to British Ireland British, will only result in alienation. which promised an invisible border terms from the rest of the UK, and, the politics and identity on its own terms, A backstop-free Brexit will make us all
Peter McLaughlin Peter from Carlingford Lough to Lough Foyle. argument goes, this would threaten the adding to the diversity that informs any ❞ much, much poorer. Andy Murray’s everyday feminism is commendable, but it should be the norm
Murray uses he media storm that followed 2012 loss at the Wimbledon inal almost mother’ argument, which implies that feminist example he sets for men and his privilege to Andy Murray’s announcement universally included mention of his tears, men can only care about the plight of women, particularly in sport. he deeply shed light on of his retirement brought with and even very recently, papers took note half of the world’s population on the rooted inequalities in tennis have long the continuing Tit a tide of relection, not just of the emotional delivery of his retire- grounds that it may in some way afect existed; as seen in the Battle of the Sexes sexism in sport on what he contributed to tennis as an ment announcement. Undeniably, he is them indirectly through their personal in the 70’s and more recently in 2016, athlete, but also what he has contributed not afraid to cry. Such displays of emo- relationships with women. Sexism is an when the Indian Wells tournament di- as a man. hroughout his career, he has tion have been a breath of fresh air, help- issue simply because women are people rector, Ray Moore, was forced to resign been an advocate for gender equality in ing to break down the damaging ‘boys in their own right, deserving of equal op- after saying that “lady players” should the sport, writing in his blog for L’Equipe: don’t cry’ stereotype in sports where, too portunities, not because of their relation- “get on their knees every night and “Have I become a feminist? Well, if be- often, physical strength is perceived as ships with men. Perhaps the very fact thank God” for the male players that he ing a feminist is about ighting so that a ❝ the antithesis to emotion. that Murray’s matter-of-fact feminism believes “have carried this sport.” It is woman is treated like a man then yes, I Murray’s everyday commitment to garners such extensive media attention Murray’s calm dismissal of such views suppose I have”. He is equality may have introduced feminism reveals just how far we still have to go: that endears him to the world. He em- His twelve year career is testament to to an audience unfamiliar with its prac- his example should be the norm, not the bodies a feminism that can be adopted this; he has repeatedly argued for equal able to tices and ideals. hrough Murray we exception. by all, for the beneit of all. pay in tennis, and in 2014 he hired fe- challenge have seen this demonstrated again and Yet, he is an exception. And this is he Good Lad Initiative here in Cam- male coach Amélie Mauresmo. It was again. We saw it when he hired Amélie why we celebrate his decision to hire a bridge does the same. Working alongside this decision, combined with the inlu- the status Mauresmo. We saw it when he corrected hugely qualiied female coach; we praise sports teams and the university more ence of his mother Judy, who introduced quo with a journalist on Sam Querrey being the his correction of a journalist’s mistake; broadly, they like Murray are helping to him to tennis, that prompted the un- irst American “male player” to reach a and we commend his support for equal teach men that they can drive positive apologetic feminism now associated the power grand slam semi-inal since 2009, not pay. change. with the Wimbledon champion. After the irst American player. And we saw it hese things, in and of themselves, Ultimately, we live in a university hiring Mauresmo in the face of wide- wrought when he openly declared his opposition are not particularly commendable, and culture where 2 in 3 female students spread scepticism, Murray noticed that by his to Djokovic’s assertion that male tennis they follow in the footsteps of countless have experienced verbal or non-verbal “she was slated every time I lost, which players should be paid more than their female players who have already been harassment at university, where 42% of is something my former coaches never, privilege female counterparts. campaigning for equality. But because LGBT students have hidden their identity ever experienced. It wasn’t right.” He ❞ Yet it is important to note that Mur- he is a man, he is able to challenge the for fear of discrimination and where the concluded that the experience “high- ray is not the epitome of feminism. His status-quo with the power wrought by largest killer of young men of university lighted a few things I hadn’t given loads commitment to equality grew out of his his privilege, in a way that female play- age is suicide. We all have a responsibility of thought to.” experiences under Mauresmo’s coach- ers cannot. to promote equality and challenge toxic To add to this, Murray has, perhaps ing, where he found that “her compe- Hence, it is the way Murray uses such masculinity, and as Murray highlights, unintentionally, continually challenged tence was always under ire”, adding “I privilege that is worthy of attention, both everyday feminism can be the answer. detrimental perceptions of masculinity felt embarrassed.” his shares similarities because of the extensive sexism in ten- Where you go from here is your decision:
Bethan McGinley within sport. Headlines following his with the common ‘what if it was your nis that he ights, and because of the the ball is in your court. vulture
▶ Arts THIRD SPACE II: exhibition preview∙ 20-21 ▶ FAshion MAKEUP AND SPARKING JOY∙ 25 ▶ Film & tV ‘delightfully creepy’: netflix’s YOU∙ 25 Photographed by Sarika Datta 20 vulture Friday 25th January 2019 third space ii: exhibition preview third space is back for its second instalment, following the success of last year’s exhibition. Sarika Datta sits down with curators and contributing artists
“It’s about championing and channeling di- asporic narratives which are often neglected”, states Anki Deo (Pembroke College, Second Year), “we’re here to facilitate these stories, in whatever forms they take”. third space is back for the second year of its annual exhibition, which deines itself as an artistic showcase of experiences of those who identify as from neither “here” nor “there”. Following last year’s exhibition, founder Jay Parekh, now graduated, is trying to generate more awareness than ever of the importance of providing an artistic space for people of colour, particularly within Cambridge. “he third space exhibition allows people to tell their stories and to discuss the vast array of is- sues that afect people of colour”, he remarks. As Anki, co-curator of the exhibition points out, it is an exciting time to be at Cambridge, wherein increasingly more diverse tastes i- nally have the opportunity to be catered for and being both racially and politically engaged ▲ “The third space exhibition allows people to tell their stories and to discuss the vast array of issues that affect people of colour” (SARIKA DATTA) is no longer as solitary an endeavour as it has been in the past. that she submitted last year, a gift bought in tersectionality. “Being both ha-fu (a Japanese the struggles of being half-Indian and half- Edwin Boadu (Trinity Hall, Second Year), fel- Mumbai from her grandmother. She laughs term for half-Japanese people) and being bi- Turkish: “I often worry that my attempts to be low co-curator, mirrors this sentiment, view- as she recalls the cutting ironies the Barbie sexual often places me in a social category of ‘Indian enough’ come across as disingenuous ing third space as a pastiche of those who felt represented. “She bought it for me so I could double-negation. I am neither Japanese, nor when by all accounts I am white passing and they never quite blended into a community be in touch with my heritage but it only re- not-Japanese; neither British, nor not-British; privileged.” It is often the painful process of or particular sphere. He reveals that seeing inforced the idea of colourism and whiteness neither exclusively attracted to people of the learning to recognise that other people’s as- such a space being created in Cambridge is being good.” his year, her submission takes same gender (as myself), nor not exclusive- sumptions do not validate or invalidate an in- “heartwarming” and provides a sense of relief the shape of a traditional form of Hindu art, ly attracted to people of the same gender”. dividual’s notion of identity, and it is this path and comfort: “I moved from Italy to the UK an Indian loral decoration known as Rangoli. She recounts having tried to to embrace this Saie inds herself gradually navigating. seven years ago and am ethnically Ghanian, Deeply personal and sensitive, the piece was double-negation for many years, in the hope For contributing artists Arjun Singh-Lotay thus the notion of diaspora is one that reso- inspired by her desire to explore the toxic de- of gaining a position of acceptance by those (Girton College, First Year) and Victoria Ayo- nates deeply with me. In spite of ethnicity or lineation of South Asian countries while toy- around her, both in Japan and in the UK. deji (Queens’ College, First Year), it will be language abilities, I always felt I was never ing with the idea of using an overtly religious However, it is precisely in letting go of trying the irst time that either of them will submit quite enough to belong to one community”. medium to promote a message of embrace- to grasp a socially accepted identity in both to an exhibition. Growing up in East London Kalvin Schmidt-Rimpler Dinh (Trinity Hall, ment. Being ethnically Indian, yet growing countries that she has found contentment and with ancestral roots in both the Punjab Masters), also a co-curator, expresses the sense up in London her whole life, Anki describes in this airmative third space, a third space and Kenya, Arjun identiies as belonging to of disheartenment that can arise navigating coming to Cambridge as experiencing “a race occupied by her, and solely her. several diasporic subsets and describes how Cambridge as diasporic. Being raised in North awakening”. She recounts her relationship Similarly, Mishal Bandukda (Sidney Sussex this has been sewn into the fabric of his daily Carolina and Berlin respectively and of both with identity having oscillated from being College, hird Year) of British-Pakistani de- life from tying his turban in Kenyan style to Vietnamese and German descent, Kalvin oc- buried and ignored to a state of confusion and scent likens third space to a haven of solace for the everyday enjoyment of adding masala cupies a space of composite identity which upset, until inally settling into a place where those who “fall between the gaps”, coniding spices to his PG Tips. he describes as carrying “several anchors” she can now navigate these contentions from how the exhibition emerged at a time when Similarly, Victoria, of British-Nigerian iden- to which he holds equally legitimate claims. a perspective of acceptance. she truly needed it. Depicted above wearing a tity, also grew up among the wealth of diver- He also notes his adoption of British culture, Running themes throughout conversations necklace constructed of intricate Sindhi metal sity of East London and both artists recall having just started his fourth year studying at touch upon language and clothing as a means and bead work, she explains it was the irst the exploration of self-discovery this allowed Cambridge and how this myriad of ailiations of self-expression and describing how the piece of traditional jewellery she bought with them. Victoria’s navigation between cultural has created a wariness to any strong associa- inability to speak one’s native language can the intention of pairing with Western cloth- spaces as a child is patterned with intimate tions with one particular notion of identity. produce an intense feeling of displacement. ing, regardless of the binary juxtaposition the memories of accompanying her mother to However, he argues that it is through being However, it is perhaps these disjointed gaps combination initially appeared to create. “I Dalston Market to buy ingredients to cook placed in this position of hybridity that he is which enable children of the diaspora to look thought of it as cool rather than embarrassing Nigerian delicacies like jollof rice and listen- able to perceive and better understand cultural inward and create their own spaces of identi- to wear; it’s a symbol of how far I’ve come ing to the thriving music genre, Afrobeats. tensions and his study of post-colonial litera- ication, spaces that are iercely personal and in combatting internalised shame about my Despite having never been to Nigeria, Victoria ture and theory has further opened up these unashamedly bold. For Mia Watanabe (Trinity heritage”. notes that this dislocation hasn’t prohibited realms of understanding that have previously College, hird Year), wearing her haori, a piece Often, members of the diaspora occupy her from creating her own space, given the been sidelined in his personal history. of traditional Japanese clothing, is a small a space whereby the conventional expecta- lourishing community of second-generation third space is, for many students, the irst but profound statement on her autonomy tions of skin tone and appearance are chal- British-Nigerians she has grown up with. In- exhibition they will have submitted work to. as a mixed-race queer woman and gives her lenged, as experienced by Saie Patel (Corpus terestingly, her submission, titled my irst time Anki recalls the white Barbie wearing a sari comfort in navigating the complexity of in- Christi College, Second Year) who relects on in Africa was not my parent’s birthplace, is com- Friday 25th January 2019 vulture 21
▶ members of the diaspora occupy a space whereby the conventional expectations of skin tone and appearance are challenged (SARIKA DATTA) posed of a series of photographs taken during her trip to he Gambia in 2016. She recalls the questioning of her dual identity that she experienced during her time there due to her inability to luently speak a Nigerian language. “I’m slap bang in the middle – I’m not British but I’m not Nigerian. I’m British-Nigerian.” Arjun reinforces this feeling of occupying multiple spaces, describing it as “the shady space in the middle of a Venn diagram” and this sentiment is further echoed by Anki as she remarks, “it’s not about the number of circles, but most importantly the midpoint between them”. After discovering his grandfather’s old ilm camera in the attic this summer, Arjun’s submission focuses on capturing his experi- ences of navigating selhood; “I wanted the lens which my Bapu Ji used to capture Britain in the 1970s to be the lens I used to experience Britain in the 2000s.” he photographs range from images of Arjun growing up with his “little topknot dressed in school uniform”, to capturing celebrations for the festival of Vai- sakh in Southall, the bastion of British-Asian culture which allowed the diaspora a place to discover itself. For many students of colour coming to Cambridge, the obstacles they can encoun- ter are overwhelmingly disorientating and dislocating. Creating platforms such as third space not only permits these artists a platform of self-expression and solace, but it serves as a celebration for students to understand each other’s work and assist one another in their journey of identiication. For Arjun, third space is a way for him to give back to a com- munity to which he is grateful to for the help he received in discerning his multifaceted identity. For Kalvin, it is a path through which he can explore the relationship between ob- ject and memory, delving into the story of his own family’s migration stemming from Vietnam War. Collecting submissions from such a wide array of mediums is a testament to the com- plexity of stories being told about the experi- ences cultivated as a person of colour. “One of the really beautiful aspects I always ind is that even if you take two people who have similar narratives on paper, their work and their outlook will be so much more than just facts such as where you call home and where your parents are from. Standing alone, none of these is ever going to be a full enough pic- ture”, asserts Anki. Representation, dislocation and marginalisation are pervading themes amongst submissions, but these are heeded alongside themes of liminality, freedom and beauty, all of which Jay hopes to expand out- side of Cambridge and into a wider context: “I want to keep expanding third space as a way to give people of colour the opportunity to tell their stories in other cities as well as commission work from rising artistic talent”. In an increasingly divided and hostile world which forces categorisation and sticks labels where they are unwanted, it seems that third space has come at the very time we need it most, generating the nuanced and multifac- eted conversations that must be had in order to move forward. he exhibition third space will be held at Sidney Squash Courts on Saturday 26th Janu- ary, 7-11pm, with a ilm screening at 8pm and spoken word and musical performances at 9pm. On Sunday 27th, the exhibition will be open from 10-5pm for standard viewing. 24 vulture Friday 25th January 2019 Rethinking what is beautiful to conform to a preconceived Columnist Caterina notion of perfection. Bragoli discusses he curse of comparison plays a vital role in the cul- the effect of long- tivation of this social pres- held standards in the sure. he dissemination of images surrounding what industry women are supposedly as- piring to look like will, with- he fashion industry progresses out doubt, feature models forward with intangible speed, wearing highly sought-after Twhether through the seasonal clothing, alienating a signii- rotation of garments or the way in which cant proportion of consumers consumers are fed fast fashion. This who inancially can’t aford rapidity rarely allows a glimpse into the to keep up with the inancial hard-hitting realities that occur behind the strain and disposability fac- scenes, or at the forefront of campaigns, tor of fashion. hese factors which are camouflaged by a façade of serve to catapult the fashion aestheticism. The problematic standards industry to a realm which is within the industry require addressing unattainable for many people amidst the tumult of advertising, modelling across an array of demograph- and creating. ics. With an untold number of Advancing forward with its unprecedent- women partaking in this cruel edly swift churning out of garments and ad- game of comparison, feelings vertisements in an attempt to keep people of inadequacy run rampant. enthralled and captivated by the perplexing Fashion is lauded for playing glamour of the fashion industry, an environ- such a crucial role in enabling ment of ever-changing trends has undeniably those who are artistic, unique emerged. Whilst we are often programmed and original in their own way. to seek comfort in the notion of an absent However, by placing the in- corporate aesthetic, this idea has gradually dustry on such an inaccessible been contorted into the problematic concept platform, what once was a vi- of the ‘aesthetic trend’. We are encouraged to tal source of refuge becomes seasonally scour through various media out- something only for those able lets, whether it be Instagram or Vogue, looking to pay the price. for the most desirable items that are being When most people are hailed as the next big thing. Disposability rears asked about problems in the its head in this instance, with those coveted world of fashion, there is one items having a life span of approximately four topic that is at the forefront months, solely to be deemed outdated. of most answers: body image. he efect of this is far more deep-rooted: it More speciically, the arche- serves to exacerbate the unattainable images typal body image associated of perfection that women are consistently fed with the modelling industry. A daily. hese toxic notions of what constitutes constant, stationary aspect of lawlessness are leeting. How can a stand- the industry is the notorious ard of perfection be established when what’s use of ‘underweight’ women fashionable changes (quite literally) like the to model. It is fundamental to seasons do? he coveted aesthetic trend of the acknowledge that this impor- moment, whether it be embellished designer tant topic is being discussed logos emblazoned on garments or homages to – perhaps not particularly ac- 90s dresses, is temporary, thus contradicting tively – by speciic European any idea of a consistent ‘perfect look’. And so, countries such as Italy, Spain the aesthetic trend fosters an environment and France, and action is be- ▲ Industry beauty standards have cultivated a culture of conformity. (ALISA SANTIKArN) of inadequacy and incompletion. In reality, ginning to surface. France has legislated that as opposed to shoppers locking to partake models are required to provide medical certii- be conined to embrace a sole body type? he also has the capacity to leave severe scars on in this seasonal masquerade, people should cates to conirm they are healthy enough for female spectrum of beauty is unbounding due young women trying to ind their identities. be encouraged to shun emerging trends in work, after banning extremely thin models. to its sheer enormity and variety. Shunning hese instances of women banding together favour of what they feel works best for them. Yet, does this emerging change really make the vast majority of women in such a callous and trying to exert control over such a vi- If fashion is a mode of expression, why are we a diference? way is detrimental to any progression occur- tal problem displays a sense of unparalleled being fed transient corporate aesthetics that For years, the fashion industry has project- ring within the industry. solidarity. It proves to an industry that has are changed at least four times a year? ed what is a widely-acknowledged portrayal Trickling into the media gradually are im- been set in its ways for decades that change Feeling the unyielding insistence to remain of what the ideal female body is: tall and slen- ages of various sized models gracing catwalks is going to happen, or else the industry will up-to-date with cutting edge trends evokes der. Whilst it is important to acknowledge or covers in an attempt to promote the ac- ostracise itself as more women are praised pressurising feelings. his ties into an equally that this is a body type many women have, ceptance of all body types. here should be for their natural bodies. fundamental consequence: the societal pres- and shouldn’t be attacked, the damage that no single standard when it comes to body Fashion will always be a vital mode of ex- sure surrounding fashion. Fashion was - and the gloriication of this image has caused to image: our bodies are our bodies and it should pression to people across the globe, allowing undeniably remains today - a creative and young women is relentless. “Exposing young be as simple as that. his idea prompted 37 them to channel their originality and creativ- expressive art form that has morphed into people to normative and unrealistic images leading models, including Iskra Lawrence ity in an eclectic way. Yet, the unattainably an indicator of social status. Fashion is es- of bodies leads to a sense of self-depreciation and Savina Karlsson, to write a letter to the high levels of body image that have been set sentially utilised as a weapon against women, and poor self-esteem that can impact health- fashion community pledging their support for decades seem so infallible. By remaining a set benchmark that only a select few can related behaviour,” says French health and for the National Eating Disorders Association. such an intrinsic part of the industry, masses really reach. An unfortunate target for this social afairs minister Marisol Touraine. What hey urged the American Fashion Industry of people who are keen participants will con- tirade of pressure to dress in a way deemed Touraine states has great signiicance: this to ‘prioritise health’ and ‘celebrate diversity’, tinue to be ostracised. he damage that has fashionable is teenage women. Searching intangible perception of the most coveted two factors that need to be addressed on a been caused by unfair and alienating beauty for your own identity becomes increasingly female body type that has been consciously global platform. he letter claims that eat- standards may never be eradicated, but with challenging when you are fed an image of accepted for decades has never truly had to ing disorders have the highest mortality rate the promise of change ushering its way into what that identity should be. Stepping out of account for its unfathomable impact. In an out of all mental health illnesses, which is a the forefront of the media, a new beauty the door into a street of judging stares when ever-progressive socio-political climate, with harrowing reality that drives the cruelty of standard can be established: that there is no someone looks diferent is a calamitous real- the emergence of modern-day feminism as an this aspect of the industry home. Fashion is room for standards. ity for untold amounts of teenagers refusing immovable political force, how can women and should continue to be empowering, yet it Friday 25th January 2019 vulture 25 Makeup’s purpose: sparking joy? Phan. hen came people like Tati Westbrook Cie Jen Wong and Jefree Star, whose videos I devoured. I Fashion co-editor used to joke that I was great at makeup in theory. I could tell you what every step in a y first ever makeup product was makeup tutorial was. I loved the idea of make- a pink, glittery L’Oréal lip gloss up – the idea that you could change how you Mbought by my mum when I was look was magical. In those awkward teenage five. I remember applying the sticky gloss years, all I wanted to be was to it into what that was all the rage in the early 2000s, was ‘popular’. he Instagram style of makeup I feeling so pretty with shiny lips whenever I was heavily exposed to told me that I needed went out with my family. to do everything from concealing, to baking I was frequently exposed to makeup while and the list goes on. growing up. As a Chinese dancer, heavy stage I remember begging my mum to buy me a makeup was one of the irst makeup looks I full face of makeup when I was maybe 16 or wore. When I look at photos of myself having 17. She lat out told me no, that I didn’t need makeup put on by dance mums, and all those makeup. She told me that I could continue strong (unblended) eye looks, I’m thankful having lipsticks, and that she would buy me that stage makeup remains on the stage. whatever I wanted when I graduated. Almost every girl’s irst makeup inspiration In hindsight, I’m glad she did that. I think would be her mum, and I was no diferent. I she wanted me to learn how to be conident in learnt a lot from her, and picked up my love my own skin, and to understand that beauty ▲ ILLuSTrATION FOr VARSITY BY ALISA SANTIkArN of lip products from there. Lip products were comes from within, as cliché as it might sound. the only products that I was allowed to use, When brands like Glossier and Milk Makeup I like looking glowy (and occasionally blind- Today, I think that after a year of experi- and I took advantage of that. A lip product burst onto the scene, I understood where ing) to ensure that my future is as bright and menting with makeup, I inally know what collection was amassed, growing to the point she was coming from. In those two brands, I shiny as my cheekbones are. my makeup look is. Glowy skin with a hint that it was practically unusable. My school found a message that really resonated with My irst big makeup shop happened at Se- of colour and gloss is usually my go to when didn’t allow makeup and lipstick was purely me. Makeup should be about enhancing what phora, the makeup utopia. I bought my irst I have the motivation to look halfway decent. a weekend thing. But, I soon realised that lip- you have, and it can be really easy (this was eyeshadow palette and highlighter. Since Glowy skin with a more blinding highlight, stick was a mainstay in my routine. he whole important – I am too lazy to do an hour-long then, I’ve slowly added to my collection. My a striking lip and some colour on my eyes bare face, bright lipstick aesthetic was mine. routine everyday). Not only that, I loved the makeup shopping philosophy is simple: if I is what I fall back on when there's an event. I still irmly believe that a good lip rounds of aesthetic of the two brands. want it, I can wait, if I need it desperately, I’ll It’s quite laid-back and simple in comparison the entire look. Beyond my love of bright pink-toned lip- buy it. he concealer purchase, for instance, to the intricate makeup tutorials I spent my Fast forward to my teenage years, and stick, I also discovered my true soulmate – was in preparation for late nights in my de- teens watching, but it’s me. In all honesty, YouTube/Instagram started to be a massive highlighter. his was a natural consequence gree, and it has been very worthwhile. he I really do love makeup, and think I always thing. Like everyone else my age, I was ob- of seeing beauty gurus slap on highlight to blush was for revival after dying in reading. will. It makes me happy, and that should be sessed. I still remember watching Michelle “glow for the gods”. It just resonated with me; It has been worth it, too. the purpose of makeup: to spark joy.
Seater Single Deckers Up to Seater Doub Up to 61
84 le Deckers 32
for 32 years.
Email: [email protected] 24 vulture Friday 25th January 2019 Staging in the sunshine: open-air theatre in Cambridge
▲ Minack Theatre near Porthcurno in Cornwall, England. (BENutzER:ChEF)
Jess Beaumont relects would travel around the city to perform to how convincing the performances. Without the widest possible audience. he open-air the simple solution of a backstage area, it on the pros and cons theatres of the 16th century long preceded becomes a logistical nightmare to maintain their covered cousins, and as such many the boundaries of the stage-area, and so the of venturing outside of Shakespeare’s plays were written with parameters within which the audience is a quasi-outdoor staging in mind. You could asked to suspend their disbelief collapse. for theatre this term argue that it is harder for a director to evoke If a production aims to avoid the noise the Forest of Arden or Italian countryside problems with an evening performance, t’s currently so cold outside that my in the conines of an indoor venue than to they then have to contend with the twi- feet start hurting whenever I leave the situate Juliet’s balcony in a terraced garden. light; lengthier plays may ind their inal Ihouse, but that also means I am longing I once saw the varied locations of Romeo scenes take place in complete darkness. for summer and everything it brings. and Juliet depicted entirely in and around Natural lighting and weather conditions Reading a book on a sunny window sill, a VW camper in the middle of a park. must be taken into account by directors. If turning every possible meal into a picnic, he capacity of Cambridge colleges for the sunset does align with the performance, exams being over… Last year, prelims safely these kinds of performances is huge. he will it be counteracted or complemented out of the way, much of my summer term majority of colleges have an abundance of by lighting choices? In established outdoor was taken up with rehearsing for two May open, grassy courts surrounded by impos- theatres, such as the Porthcurno’s iconic Week Shakespeare plays, both of which we ing historic architecture, while sculpted ❝ Minack heatre, weather frequently does were to perform outdoors. Whether I made gardens and the occasional dark, wild not afect the fact that the show must go a mistake thinking I could regurgitate that corner are to be found all over the univer- The weather does not on, but in Cambridge, on the door sales can sheer amount of the Bard in one go isn’t up sity. When outdoor performances are so affect the fact that be crippled by drizzle. for debate. tempting in the summer months, it is per- Sometimes, when the stars align prop- More importantly, the vitamin D deiciency haps dangerously easy for the content to the show must go on, erly, the greatest disadvantages to outdoor I’d developed in my irst two terms was become somewhat repetitive. In the past but in Cambridge, on theatre can be their greatest advantages. almost instantly cured. We never needed to four years, there have been twice as many In 2014 I saw Arthur Miller’s All My Sons worry about inding rehearsal space – with summer term performances of A Midsum- the door sales can be at the Regent’s Park Open Air heatre. he few overcast days, let alone wet weather, mer Night’s Dream in and around Cambridge. crippled by drizzle outdoor setting of this play lends itself to almost all of our rehearsals were outside, And with so many performances going on ❞ an open-air performance, but the central by the river, under trees, in college gardens. each year, originality is arguably becoming London location could not help but occa- It is an idyllic image, and at Cambridge, harder and harder to come by. It becomes sionally break my immersion in the rural we’re on the whole extremely lucky to have an uphill battle to stage a fresh take, even Midwestern setting. such a saturation of beautiful and historic if performed on a lat, perfectly manicured At yet, as the play reached its climax, outdoor spaces. And the amount of space is college lawn. with Chris reading his brother’s letter, his needed – last year there were six diferent here is also no getting around that dialogue was punctuated with the roar of a Shakespeare plays running across Cam- performing in college outdoor spaces has jet engine on the London City Airport light bridge in May Week. some pretty major drawbacks. When using path. No ambient noise could have been Outdoor performances are inextricably a court lawn rather than a secluded garden more appropriate or better enforced the linked to theatre tradition. he earliest the performance is inevitably plagued by emotional weight of the scene. Although formal plays in England were performed interruptions from residents and other col- maybe it was the combined quality of the outdoors as part of religious festivals. In lege events, especially towards the end of performance and expert writing that meant 1379, when the York Mystery Plays were the summer term, when societies venture I was fully engrossed in Miller’s world, performed as part of the festival of Corpus outdoors for garden parties. his distracts rather than the outside world distracting Christi, the tradition of moving pageant both actors and audiences, and counteracts me, distractions were incorporated into wagons was well established – the plays any possibility of full immersion, no matter the world of the stage. Friday 25th January 2019 vulture 25 It’s time to wine down comes bitter. on what to drink this week if you're looking (with 10% student discount). Edward Pinnegar picks So why don’t white wines ‘age’ like reds? for the perfect glass of wine to drink alone or A great introduction to Bordeaux, one of the off his student wine My grandad used to think that all wine im- share with friends. world’s most famous wine regions. A medium- proved with age. ‘An older vintage,’ one of us It’s week 2 and it’s cold, so this week’s sug- bodied (ie. slightly ‘lighter’) style than the column asking: red or would say (with much trepidation) as a 1974 gestions are two very diferent styles of red, above. It even won a gold medal in 2016, so Sainsbury’s red emerged from the cupboard, and a white. All are available from a Cam- hey it must be good (these do genuinely count white? with forty years of dust to match. bridge branch of Sainsbury’s, Aldi or the Cam- for something). My grandad was wrong, and we drank a bridge Wine Merchants. If it were human it’d be: your friend’s dad ine can seem very complicated: lot of salad dressing. Vicente Faria Animus Tinto 2017, Douro (Por- who’s sixty-something but still actually rather it’s tied up with strange jargon he idea of aging a wine, at least, is that tugal). Aldi, £5.49. Vegan. cool. Wand people with scrunched- it’s meant to improve after a bit of time sit- As a rule of thumb Sainsbury’s wine isn’t Sainsbury’s House Sauvignon Blanc, West- up noses who swill it about in glasses ting around. Some do, some don’t – but again, always great value, but this easily beats any- ern Cape (South Africa). Sainsbury’s, £4.80. the size of Wales. At Cambridge it’s often it all comes down to the skins, and a bit of thing you’ll get there at that price level. he Vegan. encountered at formals, drunk after straight-forward chemistry. It’s the presence sort of red that’ll warm you from the inside. Don’t be put of by the bland label! You’ll be (occasionally during) unintelligible Latin of polyphenols – the colour pigments, lavour Best with anything a bit heavy – think cheesy pleasantly surprised by this crisp white. Leave graces under portraits of obscure men compounds and tannins (the stuf in red wine or meaty – or, for a vegan option, anything it out of the fridge for 20 minutes prior to whose glassy, all-seeing eyes seem pretty that makes your mouth feel a bit dry) – that with Quorn, mushrooms or beans. drinking. Typically described as ‘fruity’ – you judgemental about you. inluence the rate at which the wine reacts If it were human it’d be: renowned for giv- might get a hint of grapefruit or lemon. Have For those who chose to drink, there is one with oxygen. ing good hugs. with something lighter like ish, or anything important question: red or white? As a rule of thumb, deeper reds – ones that Chateau Curton La Perriere 2014, Bordeaux with (cooked) peppers, onions or avocado. his question is a great starting point for have a darker colour and a richer lavour – (France). Cambridge Wine Merchants, £7.08 If it were human it’d be: unequivocally spicy getting your head around what you really like tend to age better because they have the nec- af. about wine. Basically, reds are fermented with essary chemical structure and tannin levels their skins on and whites aren’t. to improve. After harvesting the grapes, they’re crushed Lighter reds, which have lower levels of and destemmed – leaving an unappetising- phenols and so are more chemically unstable, sounding mixture of seeds, skins, pulp and don’t stand up so well to years stashed away: juice. After fermenting, more often than not too much oxygen and you might just end up in stainless steel, but traditionally in vats, with a sad old vinegary salad dressing. sometimes trodden by foot, the wine is run Cruelly snatched from their skins at birth, of and the pulp pressed again to extract the whites are usually similar. Some types remaining juice. of white grape are exceptions: more Press too softly and all the tasty, healthy chemically complex Chardonnays, compounds (called polyphenols) – which Viogniers and Rieslings can keep and tend to be in the skin and the seeds of the improve… if you have the self-discipline grapes rather than in the leshy pulp – will not to hoover them up in the meantime. ▲ Illustrations for Var- be wasted. Press too hard, and the wine be- On that note, I'd like to ofer a little guidance sity by Rebecca Grubb
only £8.00 worth of ingredients and 20 min- ❝ hink of your future self and the need to utes of your time, you can put together a meal cook.” Food is meant to be enjoyed with peo- for two. And herein lies the beauty of the dish, Chicken ple; it is a break from the day, a chance to clear The joy of which is best appreciated when shared with Piccata, your mind, and forget about work for an hour someone else. or so. What better place than Cambridge to I asked Tim, “What is the best way to start served give it a go? cooking in getting into cooking?”, and his response was, with Gabriel, a third-year Lawyer from Singa- “When I invite friends over for dinner, they pore, was my inal port of call. His dish was a want to reciprocate.” creamy classic crowd-pleaser; a gooey, chewy, melt-in- Food is meant to be enjoyed with people; polenta the-mouth, chocolate-chip brownie. Baking is Cambridge it is a break from the day, a chance to clear a cheap and eicient way of producing tasty your mind, and forget about work for an hour and treats that are a guaranteed pick-me-up. Zach Lande or so. What better place than Cambridge to crispy For Gabriel, however, baking is just one of give it a go? many skills which he had to learn when he hen I was in my second year, he Italian theme continued when I paid a roasted moved overseas and started living by him- I started to try my hand at visit to Luca and Federica, two fourth-year En- aspara- self. Figuring out how to cook was not just Wcooking and venture away gineers who made a Southern Italian-inspired gus is a a means of survival, but also a continually from Hall, the college’s reliable bastion spaghetti. he dish was invented during Easter satisfying experience that gave him the abil- of student nutrition. I swiftly found that term, when they desired to make something Sicilian ity to make anything he wanted. In his small a self-sufficient method of sustenance tasty, using healthy ingredients, to get through delight gyp, the basic equipment and facilities do not was incredibly fulfilling, especially when the exam season. limit his passion. I shared my new-found skill with my he pasta itself is a rif on a classic spa- ❞ Even though Gabriel only has a microwave friends. This made me curious to discover ghetti alla puttanesca, with a few personal and rice cooker to work with, the possibilities what other students in the college were touches. At a cost of £5 for two people, and are endless. In Singapore, “food is the national concocting in their kitchens and gyps. only 30 minutes of efort, it is a masterpiece religion and a massive part of Singaporean Tim is a PhD student from New Jersey in simplicity. culture.” with strong Italian-American roots. His dish Federica emphasised the inluence of her He is a “huge fan” of adding a personal of choice was an authentic nonna (grandma) family and friends on her cooking, since eat- touch to his food, so he seeks inspiration by recipe, a tangy Chicken Piccata, served with ing is always a social occasion in Italy. Passion browsing individual blogs and inding peo- creamy polenta and crispy roasted asparagus. for food reigns supreme, which, according ple’s recipes and ideas from there. It has remained unchanged for generations ❝ to Luca, is what “distinguishes Italians from he meals I shared with these students since its origins in Sicily, birthplace of his other cultures. he English don’t put in quite showed me that cooking is indeed more ef- grandmother. As a irst-generation Italian in At a cost of £5 for as much passion. In the UK there is a stronger fort than ordering a takeaway, microwaving America, she preserved her home cuisine in two people, and only link to working and being eicient. Food is a a ready-meal, or having your parents cook a new and foreign land. necessity, whilst in Italy it is a daily ritual.” for you. Tim’s motivations for cooking the dish re- 30 minutes of effort, So how can we, as students, learn to devel- More importantly, cooking is a continually main the same: “Making the food that you it is a masterpiece in op a passion for food? Luca suggests that you rewarding, and often therapeutic, life skill. It would normally have at home is a way of get- should “trust yourself to buy the ingredients is also a shared experience, a way to express ting over homesickness. simplicity you need to make the recipe, because then yourself to someone you care about. hat It’s basically nostalgic comfort food.” With ❞ you have no excuse not to make it. someone can even be yourself. 26 vulture Friday 25th January 2019 FollowingYou After watching Netlix’s chat about diferent authors, but in the end she leaves without passing on her number. latest hit-show, Shannon So Joe does what any of us would do: he tracks her down on Facebook and Instagram. Phillips questions just Scrolls casually through her photos. Finds how far social-media her address. Steals her phone and reads her text messages. Follows her to various social stalking should go gatherings. From the get-go, You veers from satirical romantic drama into true crime and Developed by Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble back again. It subverts typical genre tropes Starring Penn Badgely, Elizabeth Lail, at every corner and takes you along for the Luca Padovan ride. Of course it’s not entirely believable – Currently available on Netlix take Joe’s magic baseball cap of invisibility or ★★★★☆☆ Beck’s ability to write bestsellers under du- ress. Still, it’s clever enough to be entertaining. ▲ Penn Badgely pursues Elizabeth Lail in Netflix's new drama series (NETFLIX) t’s the season for guilty binge-watching You is a social media horror story with the Iand You makes for delightfully creepy killer hiding behind shower curtains and jars psychotic tendencies and need for control. She has many unhealthy relationships which late-night viewing. After spending a of teeth stashed in the bathroom tiles. Beck is Because Joe steals Beck’s phone early in she comes to realise she’s better of without, few months airing on TV very much under relatable in that she is incredibly blasé about the show, we’re also given a unique angle on but in attempting to solve all of Beck’s prob- the radar, You has recently been enjoying her privacy settings, as most of us are. At some dating in the 21st century. Haven’t many of lems for her, Joe removes her of any agency. an explosion in popularity following its level we all suspect Facebook is listening in on us wanted to know what the other person It is a damning reminder that even as we try availability on Netflix. But why the sudden us even though we do nothing about it. In this was thinking when we starting dating them? to help the ones we love, we need them to surge in interest? narrative, Beck’s carelessness leaves her open Was that moment signiicant? (Yes!) Do their want to help themselves. Meet Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley), the to observation and eventually to manipulation friends like me? (No!) Was the sex just as bad Instead of being a nuanced anti-hero, Joe is adult-world, book-store managing reincarna- and heartbreak. Joe seems to think he sees the for them? (Deinitely.) a villain who ends up doing some good along tion of Gossip Girl’s Dan Humphrey, complete ‘real’ version of who Beck is and not the fake hroughout the show Joe is made to be the way. he audience is left more than a little with self-righteousness and sarcastic social social media persona she projects to the world. uncomfortably relatable. As he justiies his disgusted by him at the end of the show. Even commentary. Except this time we’re privy Joe himself is social-media shy (when he’s not own actions, we are caught agreeing with the potentially redemptive subplot with his to his inner monologue from the beginning. using it for stalking purposes), disdaining peo- him, secretly hoping he gets away with what- next-door neighbour’s kid turns to corruption In the irst scene, aspiring writer Guinev- ple’s false façades and vain ambition for the ever he is planning. After all, he’s doing this in the end. he narrative style also means that ere ‘Beck’ (Elizabeth Lail) swans into Joe’s ‘authenticity’ of his rare books and vinyl. Of in the name of love, right? But this is not the we are robbed of Beck’s perspective entirely bookstore and the two converse lirtatiously. course, as an audience we are aware that Joe’s Breaking Bad anti-hero story of Walter White by the end of the season, thus forcing us to hey judge the choices of other customers and good-guy presentation is a façade masking his where the protagonist ends up unwittingly focus solely on Joe’s increasingly manipula- doing the wrong thing in spite of good mo- tive actions. More than being a cautionary tale tivations. At points it does appear that way, about social media, You becomes a warning especially when Joe is playing the supportive against trusting people blindly – on social boyfriend. Instead, his underlying motivation media or otherwise. he Mays is selish. He has to be in control. He wants to In the end, despite its unique and clever do what’s best for Beck, provided it’s on his blend of plot twists, tense moments, and terms. Joe spends all of his time striving to genre-hopping, You leaves us with an unset- remove the obstacles between him and Beck, tling message. People aren’t who you think Call for submissions! whatever the personal cost to Beck herself. they are… they’re worse.
with the past – it is a ilm made for the present, Vice as obvious a veiled comment as Charlie Chap- lin’s Adenoid Hynkel in he Great Dictator. Directed by Adam McKay he diference between Chaplin’s master- Starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell piece and McKay’s car crash is that the former Released 25 January knows when to be silent. Talking never ceases ★★☆☆☆☆ in Vice. Christian Bale delivers his speeches Lillian Crawford with a forced growl, straining to mask his natural tones and project through endless alfway through Adam McKay’s prosthetic layers. Hdocusatire Vice, the credits roll as he noise gets louder. Satire can misire, Dick Cheney (Christian Bale), retired but Vice doesn’t want simply to be comedic. from politics, sits in the sun with his family. It It wants to give a version of events, while is a cruel joke, not only in the prospect of the knowingly biased, that will teach American he Mays Anthology is delighted to announce that submissions for former American vice president abandoning viewers a lesson or two about megalomania- our 27th edition are open. the corridors of power for summer picnics, cal practices in their nation. To do so, McKay but more in waving a way out under our pulls out every gimmick in the book. He forces he Mays is the premier student anthology, publishing the best new noses. Until this point, the audience has us to read slide after slide of sickly yellow text, been under an attack of absent-minded cuts, to watch real footage sandwiched between writing and art from Oxbridge students each year. Widely credited parallel shots, and mediocre caricatures. The reconstructions and still photographs. with launching Zadie Smith’s literary career, he Mays continues to opening text informs us that the filmmakers A few faces amongst the torrent of images attract the brightest creative talent from both universities. Previous have done their “fucking best” to tell the that awash the viewer stick. Torture victims. guest editors have included Kate Bush, Stephen Fry, Rupi Kaur, Nick truth. What we get is a fucking mess. Tony Blair. Mike Pence. A beaming vintage Cave, Patti Smith, Colm Toibin, Jarvis Cocker & Ted Hughes. his was, of course, to be expected. McKay, Donald Trump. hey go by in a lash but stay having already lung of his farcical Anchor- long enough to ensure you register them and man days in pursuit of relevant cinema with give a knowing hum. It is a ilm deliberately We are seeking submissions of student poetry, prose, and art. 2008 inancial crisis-drama, he Big Short, has designed to be seen by Americans, knowing evidently been scratching his head for a simi- that it will stir them into a frenzy of debate. For more details see www.themaysanthology.co.uk/submissions/ lar project. he beneit of a subject as secre- Given the mania of the current climate and or follow our Facebook page. tive as Cheney is that fabrication becomes a the fractious nature of society, such a child- necessity, something one would imagine to ish display of hate-mongering can only be facebook.com/heMaysAnthology twitter.com/MaysAnthology be diicult when the events depicted remain condemned. At least we in Britain can look on in living memory. hat would be worthy of without investment, safe in our own strong analysis if Vice was even remotely concerned and stable island across the sea. Friday 25th January 2019 vulture 27
▲ Clockwise from left: Mural tribute to Aaliyah in Detroit (PICRYL); Jovante Cunningham in Lifetime's Surviving R. Kelly (LIFETIME/YOUTUBE); R. Kelly's 'Backyard Party' music video(RKELLYTV/YOUTUBE) R. Kelly: drawing the line between man and music
ly distressing to know I had been supporting nently. In the wake of the the music of a man who groomed a 15-year-old Today, revisiting R. Kelly is always a matter documentary Surviving Aaliyah, another artist whose music I grew up of pain. he bop is an instance of how we are loving. A man, whose fame for having been all quite capable of being complicit as fans of R. Kelly, Shameera Lin caught on tape peeing on an underaged girl problematic artists. I’m certain most, if not all, re-examines her previous sexually, matches his musical fame. of the attendees at the bop were not inherently How could I not have comprehended my bad people, but it is far too easy to turn the admiration for the star complicity earlier? other cheek when you are blinded by your At the peak of my R. Kelly phase in 2012, he ❝ enjoyment. When the temptation to revive the and considers how was well-established as the man on the pee Today, pleasure I once derived from his music resur- listeners are complicit tape. I would crack jokes on the subject matter. revisiting rects briely, even if it lasts a mere ten seconds, I found a now-infamous video of R. Kelly and R. Kelly is I would automatically remind myself of why I Aaliyah on BET, where Aaliyah called Kelly her stopped listening to him. R Kelly’s lyrics seem t a recent bop, coming several “best friend in the whole wide world” in re- always a to me exactly like the person he is now known months after Ben Zand’s incisive sponse to allegations of a relationship between matter of to be – sexually denigrating, narcissistic and Adocumentary on the allegations them – a sentiment Kelly reciprocated when he simply vile. pain ❞ surrounding R. Kelly was released, thanked his ‘best friend’ [Aaliyah] at the 1994 As an English major, I am often taught ‘Ignition (Remix)’ was blasted through Billboard Awards. Music magazine Vibe later to distance the writer from the craft. When the loudspeaker. A synchronous mass of revealed a marriage between the pair. the lines are blurred between art and reality, drunken students grooving to the refrain of his trend was further seen in an inter- however, that is when you know you must ‘bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, view Kelly had with music journalist Toure take a stand. Much like Ted Hughes, I perceive bounce, bounce’ suffocated my senses, after being cleared of charges in relation to Kelly’s work as an extension of the man, but I dominating the buzzing setting. No signs of the tape. Asked if he liked teenage girls, Kelly no longer allow him to proit of my enjoyment. outward distress, at least to me, to be seen. could not help requesting for a telling clarii- Instead of consuming anything made by a once I, on the other hand, froze upon recognis- cation: “When you say teenage, how old are loved monster, take a moment to listen to those ing the voice of the man whose sound domi- we talkin’?” whose lives have been altered irrevocably by nated an embarrassingly sizeable portion of I was blinded by my love of his music. En- their actions. In my case, watching Surviving the soundtrack to my formative years. I felt gaged in a wholesale purchase of an insidious R. Kelly has been more of an eye-opener. In violently ill for a moment, unable to distance idea, I saw the relationship between Kelly and this important documentary series, survivors myself from what I was now wholly aware Aaliyah as one of forbidden love, spurred on by vividly describe the horrors of being involved of, yet without a direct connection to: this ❝ my own problems with having fallen for much with Kelly – I can only apologise to them for monster I had once called one of my favourites older men as an impressionable teenager. having not heard their experiences before. only two years prior. When the lines are I projected my romantic desires on what Like those at the bop, I am not an inherently Until now, I have been unable to untangle blurred between art was a clear instance of predatory behaviour. bad person. And whilst I am tempted to deem myself from the knots of humiliation that form and reality that is I was Aaliyah, and the object of my afection anyone who still listens to R. Kelly a morally in the depths of my consciousness, when mo- when you know you was R. Kelly. Except that she got him, whereas dubious character, a personal connection with ments of pleasure arise from listening to a ❞ I never did (thankfully). I gained inspiration art often leads us down the path of ignorance verse from some R. Kelly tune for which I must take a stand from Aaliyah’s crooning, about how her love – I understand this far too well. Getting past once had fond memories. Fleeting pleasure, for someone whose “age ain’t nothing but a my engagement in what I see as a personal prolonged shame. number” would remain unchanging in a song failure requires more than just boycotting R. Finding out that a beloved artist has acted penned by, you guessed it, Kelly himself. Kelly’s music. I have made a lifelong vow to unforgivably is indeed a life-altering experi- Only years after did I truly understand the myself: I will always do my best to develop ence. I cannot recall, and I would rather not, truly poisonous implications of a 27-year-old a discerning perspective toward any kind of the exact moment I realised listening to R. Kelly man wanting to marry a 15-year-old (spoiler: creative consumption I choose to engage in. would no longer cohere with my conscience. it’s never about love), but this was also be- Now I can say to R. Kelly, with all certainty: As a survivor of sexual assault, it was especial- fore I had denounced Kelly’s music perma- ‘thank u, next.’ 28 Friday 25th January 2019 Science Meeting the hackers of the future
Reporting from the University of Cambridge's annual hackathon, Science Editors Zak Lakota-Baldwin and Marco Oechsner ind a wealth of creative projects produced by a diverse group of students
What comes to mind when you picture a hacker? For many of us, the stereotypical image is of a pallid, hoodie-clad teenage boy, breaching Facebook’s inner walls and leaking sensitive information from the safety of his basement. Spend a few minutes talking to any of the bound- lessly inventive and enthusiastic stu- dents at Hack Cambridge, the Univer- sity’s 24-hour hackathon, and you would come away with an entirely diferent impression. he event, which took place at the Cambridge Corn Exchange and Guildhall over the weekend of January 19th and 20th, brought together hundreds of bril- liant young hackers from universities around the world. hey collaborated and innovated, using their hacking skills not, as the name may suggest, to tear down irewalls, but to build something new. he core idea is at once simple and thrill- ing – in the 24 hours allotted, the hackers are challenged with putting together an original, exciting creation, be it a piece of software or hardware. When the dust settles, the big name sponsors and judg- rithm, and the male to female ratio was ▲ Teams of fall induced by a stroke, which would ply technology and human ingenuity in es (among them representatives from just way too high.” He added that the students then notify the friends and family of the a constructive manner. Hackathons such Microsoft and Amazon) award prizes to focus on improving representation at worked on a stroke victim with a video of the fall and ▼ A smart as Hack Cambridge represent a unique their favourites, and the hacking eforts the hackathon came from a desire for huge variety of give them the opportunity to immedi- mailbox capable opportunity for young people to try of all are celebrated. people to appreciate that “anyone can projects over ately alert emergency services. Another of physically things out in an inspiring and empow- Varsity spoke to Timothy Lazarus, a hack, irrespective of your background – the 24 hour team, seeking to combat fake news and sorting spam ering environment, where for 24 hours third year CompSci at St. John’s and the if you’re given the opportunity to make period media bias, devised an extension to (MArCO OECHSNEr) anything is possible. General Manager of Hack Cambridge, something amazing, you will.” (MArCO OECH- Google Chrome which records and as- about the history and ethos of the event. he hackers, unsurprisingly, did not SNEr) sesses the articles that a user reads in Now in its fourth iteration, it shares disappoint. Speaking to the cheerfully order to build up a personalised political many of the features of the famous US exhausted teams, many of whom had spectrum and recommend alternative hackathons that inspired it, but has come barely managed an hour’s sleep between sources for a more balanced view. to stand out in one crucial way – rather them in their creative frenzy, it was strik- he remarkable diversity at Hack than operating a simple sign-up system, ing to see what a broad range of prob- Cambridge was apparent not just in gen- it has a selective application process, and lems they had applied themselves to, ❝ der, but also in geographical distribution. uses a sophisticated algorithm to ensure and how ingeniously they had solved Anyone One particularly diverse team included a diverse mix of participants. them. students from Germany, Canada and Lazarus explained: “In the irst year, One team designed an app capable can hack, Egypt, who found common ground in we didn’t develop this complex algo- of using camera technology to detect a irrespec- their frustration at what they perceived to be a lack of any suitable note-taking tive of apps, and rectiied this by simply design- your ing one themselves. back- To appreciate what a truly global phe- nomenon hackathons are set to become, ground take the example of Major League Hack- ❞ ing (MLH). An American company which has now spread to Europe, it provides support for hackathons (including Hack Cambridge) in the form of hardware, pro- motion, sponsor contacts and inancial backing. In 2013, the year of its founda- ◀ he irst tion, MLH helped to facilitate ive events place prize, in North America – now it supports over awarded for 250 across two continents, and looks set the most to expand ever further. innovative he future of hacking is bright, and as hacking the world continues to present us with project (MArCO novel challenges, it seems more impor- OECHSNEr) tant than ever that we seek ways to ap- F 25 J 2019 29 Science New year, new me? Not if you don't really want to change
ure, it’s a stepping stone to getting the status, amazing experiences, nights in right answer. And I think that mindset fantastic restaurants, then not everyone really helps to put yourself out there.” can and that’s the simple fact . . . but Such an attitude, he adds, would also we’re constantly bombarding ourselves solve the main problem of many a late- with people who are above average, and night essay writer. “Procrastination is nd ourselves wanting.” If there’s little oten seen as a way of avoiding future contentment to be found in the super- judgement . . . I think that one of the vision room or online, I ask Dr Erskine tragedies is that people view failure as how people can nd happiness. Unfor- detrimental.” tunately, the psychologist has more bad Further, Erskine urges students to be news. “You can never be consistently, realistic with themselves and not set too chronically happy”, he says, but this is a high a bar – “Why make life hard? It’s good thing as if it were the case “it would hard enough already” – and come to be a calamity… imagine being in love, terms with striving to be the best they you’d not notice a car when you cross can, but not more. But with a willingness the road.” Rather, we should aim for to fail being massively bene cial, as Ersk- general contentment in our lives, “what ine argues, I ask why so few people seem makes a huge di erence in future happi- to have this trait. e numbers seem to ness is having more time o . . . beyond be going down, Erskine responds, partly ❝ £40,000, earning more doesn’t make us ◀ Illustration by due to social media. You can happier. If you want a contented life, Chloe Marschner Cambridge provides many opportuni- buy experiences not things. And then for Varsity ties for that idyllic Instagram shot over never be focus on relationships with people that the Cam, or that classic millennial snap consist- mean something to your life. at will of avo toast, but Erskine sees no sign ently, be a contented life.” that this is making any of us happier, Ater an hour of discussion, Dr Erskine or more resilient against let-downs or chronical- excuses himself to head outside for a criticism. “It sells a lie that everyone can ly happy smoke. I follow him out to leave through win, and it’s just not the way the world a cloud of cigarette fumes driting o works. So if you are chasing nancial ❞ into the crisp January air.
research boils down to, essentially, is With two thirds of British that people only change their behaviour adults failing to keep their when they have a strong enough desire New Year resolutions for to keep going despite the challenges. A more than a month, Raphael helpful factor would be a conscientious personality without a high degree of Korber-Ho man spoke to neuroticism, but Erskine believes that behavioural psychologist Dr. more important is having a support net- James Erskine to nd out why work: “If you haven’t got support … you’ll frequently fail.” January can be a di cult month, with the Part of the reason why so few resolu- new year’s festivities soon giving way to tions make it out of January is due to a gloomy return to work. ere are short what Erskine calls the ‘what the hell days, long nights, and the weather only e ect’. “Where I think resolutions and gets colder. For many, January brings intentions fall down”, he elaborates, “is with it an extra strain in the form of at- on you being overly hard on yourself tempts at New Year resolutions, oten when you fail. e classic is not that you focused on weight loss, quitting smok- don’t succeed. You succeed for a time, ing or other forms of self-improvement. and then you fail. At that point you have Searches for gyms on Google spike by a choice, you can re-instigate it, or you up to 40% in January in some cases, can say ‘what the hell’ and go o the with gyms recruiting as many optimis- rails. e classic is you go o the rails.” ❝ tic would-be tness gurus as possible e key to not falling at the rst slip up, each new year. At low-cost Planet Gym, Erskine says, is not to worry too much One of the around 50% of their members don’t even about the failure. tragedies make a single visit. Why are people sta- It’s important that if “you have one tistically so unlikely to follow through on cigarette on 15th January [you don’t] is that their own goals, even when the bene ts view that as cataclysmic. Say, ‘ok, I people are so clear, and the costs, with habits had one cigarette, not such a massive such as smoking, so dear? is was the deal… I’m still a non-smoker.’” Decid- view question that a sold-out audience at ing to give up is just making the failure failure as the Blue Moon Pub had come to nd permanent. detrimen- out from a man who has spent decades Failure is a theme which runs through researching this question. our interview, with Erskine decrying tal “ is time of year, it’s a little arti - the emphasis placed on it, especially ❞ cial”, Erskine tells me over a beer in the by Cambridge students. Somewhat pub where he is about to give his talk gloomily, Erskine makes the point that at an event run by the Cambridge Skep- freshers arriving each September are tics. “Because it’s the right time of year, “setting themselves up to fail because people decide unilaterally that they are you come to a place which is so selec- going to change, and it’s not a great way tive in its criteria for entry that you’re of doing it because you have to be ready among the best of the best. Anything for the change.” I ask what being ‘ready’ less than great, you’re found wanting.” would entail, and he responds that this So does Cambridge produce as much low occurs when “your back is against the self-esteem as it does good grades? It all wall, you have to change now. If you’re depends on outlook, as Erskine points not sure or you’re ambivalent, it’s just out: “ e way around that is not to mind not going to work.” What Dr Erskine’s failing, basically . . . failure is never fail- 20%OFF FOR STUDENTS Sunday-Thursday
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20% of Food Bill Only, Valid all day Sunday to Thursday, ofer only valid of the food bill, maximum 6 guests per table, subject to availability, VALID student card must be shown for each guest redeeming discount, not valid with any other ofer, all ofers are subject to managers discretion friday 9th november 2018 31 Sport Former CURUFC captain: “he experiences that we had and the team culture that we created was special” Speaking to William Ross, Nick Koster relects on his experiences as Cambridge men’s rugby captain
tanding tall at 6ft 4in and weigh- ing in at 242lb, the imposing ig- ure of Nick Koster at the back of Sthe scrum is certainly one that opposing forwards will be glad to see the back of. Described in the aftermath of last month’s Varsity defeat by coach James Shanahan as a “warrior and out- standing leader”, Koster certainly led from the front on the big day, not only scoring a try but leaving the ield with blood gushing from an open eye wound and more blood pouring out from a cut on his head, an image which embodied the culture of bravery and unlinching commitment to the cause that Koster instilled in his team. Indeed, relecting on his tenure as captain at CURUFC, Koster is particu- larly proud of the team culture fostered during his time at the club: “he feed- back I had from players at the end of my captaincy was that it was, in spite of the loss, an experience that they re- ally enjoyed and one of the best experi- thought they could. For me, that’s prob- up with no egos involved, people just ▲ Koster led of only playing friendlies rather than ences of their lives. Unfortunately, rugby ably one of the greatest experiences of turn up and play a sport that they all the men’s Blues league-games before the all-important teams are measured by the scorecard my rugby career: being able to inluence enjoy playing, they enjoy each other’s at last year’s Varsity match, Koster is similarly keen but I think that there’s so much that we team culture and actually contribute to company and it adds such a diferent Varsity match to preserve CURUFC’s idiosyncrasies: achieved in terms of the friendships that my team being very successful despite ❝ dynamic. Everyone has one goal that (KEITH HEPPELL/ “You’ve also got the fact that you play we grew and the experiences that we the fact that we had one half of rugby they’re striving for and that’s to win the CAMBRIDgE a load of friendlies and then you’ve got had and the team culture that we created at the Varsity Match where a lot went I wouldn’t Varsity match, but when you play pro- INDEPENDENT) the one massive game at the end of it. I was special.” against us” want to be- fessionally it’s pretty much everyone for wouldn’t want to become like another Koster’s Cambridge team, largely he culture at the club was so strong, himself because everyone wants to get rugby club that plays in a league - there comprised of undergraduates, came up in fact, that Koster readily admits that come like another contract and the most important are enough of those. For me the unique against a vastly experienced Oxford side he enjoyed his time playing rugby at another thing is that you get another contract - at experience was that it was twelve weeks containing seven players with profes- Cambridge more than he did at any of the end of the day, it’s what you’re doing and literally nothing else mattered apart sional experience. If anything, however, the professional clubs that he played rugby club for a living.” from the Varsity Match. the team’s inexperience adds to Koster’s at (Bath, Bristol, Western Province and that plays When asked to impart some advice he memory of last month’s Varsity pride. Stormers). “hroughout my professional about the role to incoming captain defeat is so fresh that it is perhaps easy “For a team of undergrads to be able career when you speak to people about in a league Stephen Leonard, he highlights the to forget that Koster was part of the 2017 to put in the performances that we did their best rugby playing days most of - there are importance of “embracing the unique match-winning Varsity team, a moment during the term - to win seven out of those guys ironically enjoyed their ama- enough of challenge and making sure that it stays which he ranks as his proudest achieve- ten games going into the Varsity match teur days more - I saw that when I played a unique challenge.” ment in a rugby career which also in- - was to me something that I was really at Cambridge. those “One of the special things about cluded appearances for the South Africa proud of and we got so much out of the When you play with a bunch of peo- ❜❜ CURUFC is that the captain’s role is so Under-20 team and the Barbarians. group. Everyone gave a lot more than ple who aren’t paid to play rugby and unique - you select the team, you make “I’d just started studying at Cam- they thought they could and a lot of peo- they play for the love of the game it’s a the big decisions, and you run the club bridge, I study part-time so I was look- ple achieved a whole lot more than they bit diferent. Because everyone’s turning to a large extent. And even though we’ve ing for a job, I’d just had a kid, I’d just got an extremely talented coach in James moved back to the UK from South Africa, Shanahan, I think it’s important [that the ❝ and my body was pretty knackered after captain retains his powers].” We’re not playing professional rugby for ten years. A lot of people are talking about It was so outside of my comfort zone - I changing things to be the way that it going to was meeting all these new players, guys runs at other clubs but it’s very impor- attract who are extremely bright and there was tant for us to remember what our sell- a cultural diference to anything that I’d ing point is and that’s tradition, history 25,000 ever been a part of so to experience all and all of that stuf. We’re not going to people to of that and all that change and to still attract 25,000 people to Twickenham if be able to contribute to winning on the it doesn’t stay unique. Obviously you Twicken- day against all the odds was probably need to lead by example and make sure ham if it the best achievement of my career in that you play well but for me one thing the circumstances.” ◀ Koster prior to that sometimes goes unnoticed is how doesn’t Dedicated, courageous and eloquent, the 2018 Varsity unique this club is and how important stay all at the same time, Nick Koster will match (THE it is to keep it unique.” unique certainly be remembered as a legend of VARSITY MATCH/ Pressed on the distinctive structure Cambridge University rugby. YOUTUBE) of CURUFC’s season and their format ❜❜ 32 F 23 2018
Embracing a unique challenge: William Ross speaks to former CURUFC captain Nick Koster 31 Sport
Cambridge 6
De Montfort 2
▲ On Wednesday, the women’s badminton Blues recorded a 6-2 victory over De Monfort University in the BUCS Midlands 2B division, moving within four points of the division leaders NICHOLAS FOONG How fair is the tennis scoring system?
Finn Ransom talks to Dr Chris set sustains the competition in a way a tive increase is greatest, but in absolute ten in a quick- re eight-player knockout. running tally would not. In other words, terms it is minimal. When a player who Fast4 Tennis has swept the UK domestic Hope about his work analysing the format counteracts dominance and is strong on serve plays one who is ex- circuit, and in November the ATP once the pros and cons of the sport’s maximises the ‘weaker’ player’s chances ceptional, though, the weaker player in again ran its own ve set iteration at the of causing an upset. But is this fair? this instance for men wins 7.7% more second NextGen Finals. Sets were rst unique format “If you have somebody who is a better matches than if the scoring system were to four games, with no advantages and player and somebody who is a slightly points-based; for women, a substantial decided by a tiebreak at three games all. weaker player objectively,” as Hope put 3.2% gain. More than that, things are ere were bigger points, more o ten. ose Mourinho would have us be- it to me, “how o ten under this format made exponentially more competitive Hope intends to repeat his modelling lieve that sport is the domain of does the worse player win?” the narrower the margins. Tennis makes on this format ahead of Wimbledon, and the soul not the mind. Logic and Hope categorised players into four dominance hard and drama easy. he expects to nd that it is even more un- Jnumbers have no place. “ e way qualitative groups to gure this out – is might seem like the misguided fair. “And that’s something fanws, play- people that don’t understand football moderate, good, strong, or exceptional pedantry of a mathematician. For one, ers and administrators in the game have analyse football is with stats,” said the on serve. Hope decided that for men this being the best is not necessarily reduc- to consider seriously,” he said bluntly. “It Portuguese a ter the Manchester derby; would mean having a minimum win per- ible to winning the most points on serve. may well be that it would be worth going “I don’t go for stats, I go for what I felt ❝ centage on serve of 62.5%, 67.5%, 72.5%, And it’s only right that some points are to that format for at least some competi- and I watch in the game”. Tennis or 77.5%. For women, 55%, 60%, 65%, or worth more than others; tennis should tions. But if it turns out that it’s an awful Last month I spoke to the bespecta- 70% to re ect the lower percentage of be as much a test of mental steel as phys- lot more unfair then people might want cled enemy. Dr Chris Hope, an Emeritus makes points won on average on serve on the Could you be ical skill. Hope accepts that numbers can to think twice about it.” Reader in Policy Modelling at Clare Hall, Women’s tour. a match for only tell part of the story. “Everybody A fortnight a ter we spoke, the Aus- specialises in the metrics of public pol- dominance It was then a matter of using the same Varsity? Email has to decide that for themselves,” he tralian Open announced it would be in- our sport team icy, using models to investigate climate probabilistic techniques Hope adjusted insisted. troducing a rst-to-10-points tiebreak at hard and at sport@varsity. change policies in countries across the for Premier League managers to calculate “Some people are passionate that 6-6 in the deciding set. “We went with co.uk to get globe. drama what kind of bearing tennis’ format has we should go over to a more straight- [this format] to ensure the fans still get involved e Cambridge academic has also easy on a one-sided match-up. Hope simu- forward scoring system. But for oth- a special nale to these o ten epic con- turned his metric dark arts to sport: in lated a match under tennis’ typical scor- ers it’s one of the glories of tennis that tests,” announced tournament director the summer of 2002, Hope calculated a ❜❜ ing system over 100,000 times with his you get all these mini-dramas and you Craig Tiley. strategy to determine the best time for a model; he then did the same for a run- don’t have long periods where it’s re- But the one thing we truly want and Premier League club to sack its manager. ning score with each player alternating ally boring. expect of sport is justice. We are cheated Recently, Hope has been absorbed by a serve for six points. e winner would be “All I can do is put out the facts and by numbers in the world all the time, quite di erent conundrum. the rst to 151 points for men, or 91 points ask whether we think that is a reason- from referendum results to the price Tennis is a sport steeped in numbers: for women, the average length of an ac- able trade-o to have in order to have a of a pot of strawberries and cream. We points lead to games, games to sets, tual ve or three set match. is way a more exciting game.” And yet the evi- expect better of sport. e score must re- sets to matches. e fragmented scor- win percentage could be calculated for dence that tennis is walking a dangerous ect what we see and, I daresay, feel. As ing system is one of the sport’s major various underdog encounters under the tightrope with its formats is everywhere. soon as we lose that, we lose interest. strengths – in Hope’s words, it makes for two formats, and compared. ere have been six ‘Tiebreak Tens’ tour- Perhaps tennis should be careful what various “mini-dramas” over the course of When the ri t is large – between naments in the past three years, where it wishes for. a match. e return to 0 every game and moderate and exceptional – the rela- matches consist of just one tiebreak to