FRESHERS ISSUE 2023 SCAN Lancaster University

scan.lancastersu.co.uk

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SCANLU

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SCANLancaster

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STUDENT COMMENT AND NEWS

Established since 1967 Week 1 2023

LANCASTER IS

RANKED TOP 15

IN ALL MAJOR UK

INSIDE:

Spotlight on

Lancaster Societies

LEAGUE TABLES

We spoke to some soceities that we think deserve

the spotlight! Check out the nine societies we

spoke to.

Alternatively, check out some unmissable sports

that you should try this coming week!

SEE PAGES 14, 15, 30 & 31 FOR FULL ARTICLES

Caitlyn Taft | NEWS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

According to The Guardian,

Lancaster University is ranked

11th in the UK out of 121

universities, going up 3 spaces

since last year.

In The Complete University

Guide, Lancaster ranks 10th out

of 130 universities, with an 80%

student satisfaction rate.

In The Times league table, ten

subjects at the University are in

the top 10.

This list of subjects includes:

Linguistics (2nd), Social Work

(3rd), Art and Design (4th),

subjects related to Medicine

(5th), Drama, Dance and

Cinematics (5th).

This list ends with Physics and

Astronomy (6th), Sports Science

(6th), Communication and Media

Studies (6th), Natural Sciences

(7th) and Creative Writing (8th).

Similarly in The Guardian

University Guide 2024, fifteen

subject areas at Lancaster are

ranked in the top ten in the UK.

These subjects are Social Work

(1st), Product Design (part of our

offering from Lancaster Institute

for Contemporary Arts) (2nd),

Marketing (3rd), Biomedical

Science (3rd), Physics (4th), Fine

Art (5th), Creative Writing (6th),

Drama and Dance (6th), English

(6th).

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Multi--Pound

Refurbishment

for University’s

Management

School

SEE PAGE 5

Lancaster MA

Student wins

Northern

Writers

Award for

Poetry

SEE PAGE 10

Creative

Writing

Competition

Results

Revealed

SEE PAGE 26

NOTABLE CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE

MARIA HILL • NAOMI ONAKUNLE • VALENTINA CANESCHI • CAITLYN TAFT

A Letter From The Editor

CONTENTS

News

Comment

Arts &

Culture

Music

Screen

Lifestyle

Creative

Writing

Sports

1-6

8-9

10-15

16-17

18-19

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Caitlyn Taft

scan.editor@lancastersu.co.uk

20-24

25-27

29-31

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Efe Imoyin-Omene

scan.associateeditor@lancastersu.co.uk

This is my first edition of SCAN as Editorin-Chief.

I won’t lie, it’s been stressful trying

to organise everything as someone who has

ADHD.

I’m proud of myself for getting everything

ready for Fresher’s Week. With that, I want to

say a massive thank you to SCAN’s secretary,

Ella Smith, for doing the admin things I was

dreading on doing.

I’m going into my final year at Lancaster. It

feels bittersweet. I’m excited to lead SCAN but

this is my final year studying at this fantastic

university.

I’ve spent my whole

summer getting together

the editorial team for this

year. I’m really excited to

see them all flourish and

edit!

It would be wrong for me not to mention the

amazing Maria Hill. They have been through it all

with me, and has shown me the potential have for

this year.

On another note, SCAN

has been meeting

with the other media

societies (Bailrigg FM,

Take2Cinema, and LA1TV).

As Editor-in-Chief, I’m

thrilled to be doing more

collaborative events with

them.

My main goal for SCAN is to show people how

fun journalism can be. Since joining SCAN, I have

found a hidden passion for journalism that I still

try to pretend doesn’t exist.

Quick thank you Bailrigg

FM for creating an article

for this issue. It was so fun

to work with both Erin and

Jake.

I’d also like to thank my boyfriend, Oli, for dealing

with me being stressed. If it wasn’t for him, some

articles wouldn’t exist. One that comes to my mind

is the recipe article. He’s an amazing chef and

helped me create a few recipes.

Finally, I would like to

thank everyone who

has helped create this

Fresher’s Issue. It’d be

impossible to do it all

on my own. You’re all

amazing writers and

editors.

As it’s a new year, we would love to see new faces

as writers, photographers, illustrators, graphic

designers, website designers, and more. If SCAN is

something you might be interested in...

Join the team by messaging us on

Instagram @SCANLancaster

or email me at

scan.editor@lancastersu.co.uk!

Caitlyn Taft (@Caitlyn_Taft)

ARTS ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Maria Hill & Sky Fong

scan.artsassociate@lancastersu.co.uk

ONLINE EDITOR

Laura Johnson

scan.associateonlineeditor@lancastersu.co.uk

NEWS EDITOR

Adrian Collis & Emily Holtom

scan.news@lancastersu.co.uk

COMMENT EDITOR

Atiya Mahboob

scan.comment@lancastersu.co.uk

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Naomi Onakunle & Amy Dixon

scan.arts@lancastersu.co.uk

MUSIC EDITOR

Valentina Caneschi & Lexi Joyce

scan.music@lancastersu.co.uk

SCREEN EDITOR

Amy Brook & Freya Stoodley

scan.screen@lancastersu.co.uk

LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Georgina England

scan.lifestyle@lancastersu.co.uk

CREATIVE WRITING TEAM

Noor Rakha & Elizabeth Brooks

scan.creativewriting@lancastersu.co.uk

SPORT EDITOR

Will Jones & Peter Murdock

scan.sport@lancastersu.co.uk

MEDIA & PUBLICITY OFFICER

Bethan Williamson

The Editorial Committee above is responsible for

all content and production of SCAN. Compliments,

comments and complaints to be addressed to

Editor in Chief in the first instance. VP Societies &

Media, Danny Goodwin, is responsible for all legal

matters and significant reputational harm and can be

contacted at su.vp.societiesandmedia@lancaster.

ac.uk.

(Printed by Mortons)

Uni News at a Glance

ReStore:

Sustainable

Shop

Coming to

Campus

Lancaster University is dedicated

to their commitment to

sustainability. The university are

taking this commitment further

by opening a sustainable shop on

campus called ReStore Lancaster.

ReStore will see Lancaster University

working in partnership with St.

John’s Hospice and Green Lancaster.

The shop will donate a percentage

of its profits to both St. John’s

Hospice and Green Lancaster.

The shop will be half charity

shop with donated items for

sale, alongside selling affordable

and eco-friendly products.

The items ReStore will be

selling will range from clothing,

cycling equipment, eco-friendly

toiletries, homewares, and more.

ReStore will aim to host

events and workshops to raise

awareness about sustainability

and ethnical consumption.

It is expected to open in

October, and will be located

next to Costa Coffee on

Alexandra Square.

Student

Union:

Sports

Day

On Thursday

5th, the

S t u d e n t

Union will

be holding

a Sports Day.

It’ll be at

1-4pm on Rugby

Pitch 1, but will be indoors

if the weather isn’t suitable.

In this, you will wear active

clothing and your college

colours to play fun activities

like the egg and spoon race.

Head down to

Rugby Pitch 1

on Thursday

to see which

college will

e m e r g e

victorious!

Literary

Festival

Returns

The bi-annual Literature Festival

is back from 5-10th October, with

events in The Storey and The

Round, at the Dukes Theatre.

Students and the public alike

are invited to author and poet

conversations and readings.

On 7th October from

4:30-5:30pm, Lancaster

University’s own Zoe Lambert

will be in conversation with

James Clarke and Jo Baker

regarding their books’, Sanderson’s

Isle and The Midnight News, voice,

style and narrative point of view

at The Round, the Dukes Theatre.

On 8th October from 5-6pm,

Lancaster University’s own

Eoghan Wells will be with four

poetry pamphleteers, Natalie

Sorrell Charlesworth, Neil Curry,

Roshni Gallagher and Dan

Power at The Storey.

All the events, online

and in-person, are

free, however they are

accepting donations

to help pave the

future for the festival.

Book your tickets

and find out more on

their website: https://

litfest.org/.

The Underpass

Has Underwent

Redevelopment

From 24th July to 25th August, the

University Underpass was closed as

it underwent redevelopment works.

The Underpass Redevelopment

Project carried out important

remedial, redevelopment and

decorative work.

The reason for the

redevelopment was

to improve the user

experience.

The improvements that took place

included resurfacing of new and

existing flooring, new and improved

lighting, improved drainage, and a

redecoration process.

Benches and additional

lighting will installed

later in the year.

scan.lancastersu.co.uk SCANLU SCANLancaster

3

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Lancaster Is in the Top

15 of All Major UK Uni

Ranking Leagues

It continues with Computer Science

and Information Systems (7th),

Geography (8th), Mechanical

Engineering (9th), Chemistry

(9th), Mathematics (10th),

Business and Management (10th).

The university has

consistently placed

in the top 15 in all

major UK university

league tables. In

addition, Lancaster

University was named

“University of the

Year” in the Educate

North Awards 2023.

88% of Lancaster students

rated their academic support

positively according to this year’s

National Student Survey (NSS).

More than 91% had

a positive view of

Lancaster’s learning

resources which include

the library, IT services, and

ease of access to subjectspecific

resources.

The

library has

previously won awards

like the prestigious

Collaborative Award for

Teaching Excellence

and the Times Higher

Education awards in 2022.

The Vice-Chancellor Professor Andy

Schofield has said:

“Lancaster’s

performance in the

three major UK

league tables

demonstrates

that we are

an academic

powerhouse

that combines

high-quality

teaching and

research with

a strong sense

of community

and belonging.”

In international

ranking leagues,

Lancaster University

has risen 24 places in

the QS World University

Rankings 2024, listed as 122nd out

1,500 universities across the world.

In this ranking, Lancaster

remains the highest

ranked non-Russell Group

institution in England.

Similarly, Lancaster also came

24th in the global league table for

sustainability and 5th amongst UK

universities.

More recently, Lancaster

has been awarded the

Gold standard in Teaching

in the Teaching Excellence

Framework (TEF) 2023.

Gold being the highest

possible rating.

The Gold standard will remain for four

years. This reflects the University’s

outstanding student experience and

student outcomes.

This all provides prospective

students with information to make

an informed choice on whether they

want to go to Lancaster.

With this information, it seems like

Lancaster is only going up the ranks

in the years to come.

Photo Credits: Lancaster Students’ Union

Front page story Photo Credits:: @lancasterunichem on

Instagram

4

SCANLU SCANLancaster scan.lancastersu.co.uk

N e w s

NEWS EDITORS:

Adrian Collis

& Emily Holtom

What Do Students

Want From Extravs?

Caitlyn Taft

Editor-In-Chief

For Freshers who don’t know,

Extrav(aganza)s are basically massive

parties thrown by every college to

celebrate the end of the academic year.

Back in August, we asked questions about this

year’s Extravs. Many students had a lot to say

about what they loved and hated about the end

of year celebrations; from questions ranging to

favourite Extrav theme to why students opted

out of joining in with the fun.

The story highlights were

accumulated from around

140 students who attended

Extrav.

The first question: How

many Extravs did you

attend this year?

60% of the 140 students only attended

one Extrav. 23% ended up going

to two Extravs, whilst only a small

percentage (7%) attended three

Extravs. The remaining percent, 9%,

attended more than four.

However, the students who attended

more than four where those who were

working. For example, future FTOs, students

working on media, and friends of bands who

were tasked for taking photos and videos for the

bands’ social media accounts.

The second question: To

those who went to none,

why didn’t you attend?

I know many students who didn’t attend any

Extravs, but I wanted to find the main reasons

why students weren’t appealed by the end of year

events. I’ve identified four reasons why students

didn’t want to attend Extravs.

45% of students expressed concerns over the

pricing of the events. A few students stated that

the events were

“Not worth the money.”

Lancaster student who revealed why they

didn’t attend any Extravs.

This year, a ticket to attend one Extrav costed

£14.37. Last year, a ticket cost £13.31. Whilst a

£1.05 increase doesn’t seem like a lot for some

students, others struggle to justify the expenses

of attending an event which they’ll spend more

money at, if they intend on drinking.

28% of the students said they were at home when

the Extrav week begun. A lot of students had

exams late into the term and were exhausted.

One student commented about how they

understand why the Extravs are so late, in order

to accommodate to the majority of students, but

it was held way too late for them.

18% of students who didn’t attend said the events

didn’t appeal to them. 9% of which said the

events are mostly targeted towards students who

drink, which doesn’t appeal to sober students.

Even the Extrav has events that aren’t all about

drinking, like bungee runs and Just Dance,

weren’t enough to persuade some sober students

into going.

The third question: Which

Extravs did you attend?

To recap, there were 8 Extravs. Bowland held a

70s Disco, Cartmel held Toystrav, County held

Shrekstrav, Furness held Super Sneakystrav,

Fylde held Fylde Gone Wild, Grizadale held

Grizjail, Lonsdale held Mariostrav, and Pendle

held Stranger Things.

Grizedale scored the

highest percentage

of voters with 17%.

Then, following up

with 15%, is Pendle.

In joint third is

Furness and County,

both achieving 13% of

the votes.

In joint fourth is Bowland

and Fylde with 12%. Lonsdale

came in fifth with 10%. Finally, Cartmel had the

remaining 8% of votes.

It’s important to take into

account that not every

student who went to these

Extravs voted. These votes

were from only a small

portion who attended

these events.

The people who set up these Extravs should be

proud of the amount of fun they were able to give

to each of their attendees.

The fourth question:

What was your favourite

theme?

Students choose which Extrav to go to based

on the theme of the night. Having an exciting

and interesting theme makes students want to

attend them.

This means the theme

each college chose was

really important in how

many attendees they’d

have.

More students (272 to be exact) voted on this

question as they weren’t forced to attend to

choose which theme they liked the most.

Even though this college was fifth in attendance,

Lonsdale scored the highest percent in this

question with 18%. Bowland was a close second

with 16%. Grizedale had the highest percentage

of attendees, but only scored 15%.

In joint fourth is Pendle and County with 11% of

the votes. In joint fifth is Furness and Cartmel

with 10%. Last but not least is Fylde with 9% of

the votes.

The fifth question: Was

there anything you

felt was missing at the

Extrav(s) you went to?

This question is incredibly subjective to the

students who answered it. However, I have

chosen the two most popular answers.

The first answer that most students wished was

at their Extrav was food. Some colleges supplied

snacks like chocolate and cotton candy. The

majority of them didn’t have any actual food. One

student commented saying,

“The food included in

our ticket wasn’t allergen

friendly”.

Lancaster student who commented on the

lack of allergen friendly food and snacks

available at Extrav.

This meant that some students couldn’t have

any of the snacks either. People may argue that

Extravs are parties so there isn’t a necessity for

food. However, this could be a thing for colleges

to think about in the future.

The second answer was about the lack of

activities. Some Extravs had lots of activities

whilst others heavily focused on the drinking

aspect. A few students compared pervious years

Extravs to this year, with one student saying,

“Remember when there

was a dinosaur sand pit

last year? Miss her.”

Lancaster student who’s comparing the

activities of this year’s Extravs to previous’

ones.

Obviously it’s difficult to attend to the needs of

thousands of students, however this provides

colleges with the opportunity to broaden

their activities and find other ways to keep the

students attended.

The final question: What

are your predictions for

next year?

As I previously said before, themes are so

important for attracting attendees to Extrav. I

asked this question to grasp the full idea on what

students truly want from Extrav. Here are just a

few answers that students said:

“Star Wars”

One of the most popular answers for Extrav

theme predictions.

“Barbie”

The most popular answer for Extrav theme

predictions.

“Harry Potter”

Another popular answer from students about

theme predictions.

Conclusion

After reviewing all the questions and doing maths

for some of them, I’ve come to the conclusion

that students want more from Extrav.

The only problem with

that is the costs of them.

It’s difficult for colleges to

appease all students but

everything I’ve discussed

is something that they

could think about.

It’s obvious that students like the Extravaganza

week but some don’t see the point of them. That’s

okay because there’s a large amount of students

who love attending them. But is it worth the

money if there’s no activities or food?

Some students commented on whether Extravs

will be around this time next year because of

those two main issues.

To some students, yes

it’s worth every penny. To

others, they’d rather be at

home.

Appealing to students who remain in Lancaster

is important for the survival of Extravs. I hope to

be attending many more next year.

Photo Credits: Lancaster Student Union on Facebook

N E W S


5

Multi-Million-Pound Refurbishment

for University’s Management

School to Begin Next Spring

Caitlyn Taft

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Lancaster University has appointed a

contractor to do a full-scale refurbishment

of the Management School (LUMS) East

Estate buildings.

The refurbishment will start next year

and will complete the Management

School’s redevelopment after its new

£26 million building opened in 2021.

The new facility, named

the ‘West Pavilion’ is a

five-storey facility. It holds

three new lecture theatres,

two executive teaching

suites and three floors of

workspace for students

and staff.

Colon Construction has been assigned as the

Principle Contractor for the first stages of the

refurbishment project. Colon Construction is

an award-winning company based in the North

West of England.

The project will include an

extensive refurbishment

of the existing LUMS

buildings and spaces,

aligning them with the

new design and upgraded

facilities provided by the

West Pavilion.

This will improve teaching

spaces and revamp meeting

rooms, office spaces and

other facilities of the sort.

Work on

LUMS will

involve a design

team which will consult

the design process

with staff, students, and

wider stakeholders. It’s

anticipated that physical

work will begin next Spring

and will conclude by the

end of 2025.

Deputy Dean of Lancaster University

Management School, Professor James

Faulconbridge, said:

“We look forward

to working with the

appointed contractors

to further develop

the design for the

refurbishment of

our East Estate.”

“ As one of oldest

business schools

in the UK, the design

will be sympathetic to

our heritage but will bring

the 1970s aspects of our

buildings into line with the

first-class, modern facilities

provided by our new West

Pavilion.”

“This will mean our staff and

students will have access

to the same high standards

and exciting spaces in all

corners of our Management

School.”

Photo Credits: Lancaster University Website (https://

www.lancaster.ac.uk/conferences/meetings-andevents/)venues/west-pavilion-/)

A Guide to Understanding Stagecoach

Maria Hill

ARTS ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The buses around Lancaster can

be precarious at the best of times

with their sudden cancellations

and dreaded ‘FULL’ signs.

So, here’s a small guide from an

experienced stage-coach traveller

to make your journeys a little less

annoying.

You can pretty much get

on every bus that arrives

at the underpass into

Lancaster City Center,

including the 41 to

Morecambe and the 42

Blackpool that both stop

at the bus station in town

before heading to their

terminating destinations.

However, the fastest bus into town is

the 1A, and I’d say it’s worth the wait.

The number 4 bus and

the number 100 bus fill

up very quickly as they’re

the only buses that go

through Bowerham where

a lot of second years,

third years, and locals

live.

Often the students who need to get to

Bowerham wait for long times in the

underpass.

People who are going into town fill

the 100 or 4 instead of waiting

for any of the other available

buses.

The number 4

goes directly

to the train

station

and is very

precious to

the students

living near

the station.

Other advice to

freshers: the 100, if it

stops on the far right

end of the underpass, it’ll

take an extra 15 minutes as

these ones go all the way around

campus before coming back to the

underpass again and then heading to

town.

If you’re traveling off

campus during bus rush

hours (usually about 5pm

after lectures) then try

and wait for half an hour

to get a more off-peak

time as the underpass

can be chaos at times.

Most importantly, download

the Stagecoach app.

It’s your bible.

Also, if

you’re

living off

campus,

you can

get a

yearly

bus

pass to

save on

buying

hundreds

of returns

from the

university.

The Terms 1-2-3 bus pass

costs £340 which is a lot

of money at first look but

compared to how much

you’ll take the bus, it’s

worth it.

The pass is only active during term

time, though there is an annual pass

you can purchase for £465.

Both passes don’t pay for

the bus to Morecambe

if you’re wanting a

daytrip to go bowling. I

recommend just getting

the train to Morecambe,

it’s faster and cheaper.

If you’re ever confused, don’t be afraid

to ask someone or have a look at the

Stagecoach app.

Photo Credits: Caitlyn Taft

6

N E W S

Meet your

Liberation and

Campaign

Officers

Caitlyn Taft

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

LCOs are volunteers working alongside

their studies to represent students

in specific marginalised student

communities.

They lead forums working to build

communities to influence change in order

to improve the experience for these students

beyond the forum spaces.

Thomas Cross

(they/them)

LGBTQ+ Students’

Officer

Aiming to make the forum a safe and

comfortable place for all queer students,

encouraging societies to sign an inclusion

pledge, and standing up for trans rights.

Molly O’Reilly-Kime

(they/them)

Postgraduate & Mature

Students’ Officer

Hoping to re-establish the Postgraduate &

Mature Students’ Forum, pushing for yearround

postgraduate events and familyfriendly

spaces.

Annika Budhrani

(she/her)

International Students’

Officer

Creating new partnerships with international

societies, delivering lots of meet and greeets

for international students to connect with

each other.

Aminah Mann

(she/her)

Racial & Ethnic Minority

Officer

Passionate about inclusivity and diversity,

and hopes to contribute to students’ overall

satisfaction by reviving the Racial & Ethnic

Minority Forum

Hana Dodsworth

(she/her)

Women+ Officer

Wants to start more conversations, create

a diversity pledge for The Sugarhouse and

create meaningful campaigns within the

forum.

Luke Halpin (he/him) &

Rowan Birch (they/them)

Students With Disabilities

Officers

Want to improve the accessibility of university

life, supporting adn amplifying disabled

students’ views, experiences and insights, and

want to cultivate a supportive community

with the Forum.


The New FTOs and their

Goals for the Year

Caitlyn Taft

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

During every academic year, the student union

gets a new group of full-time officers (also known

as FTOs).

Elected by students in the past March, these FTOs do

various jobs like managing societies, making sure the

university is accessible and welcoming, supporting

students through their academic studies, and much

more.

Here’s a shorten version of each FTOs manifesto goals.

(she/her)

su.president@lancaster.ac.uk

• Tackling problems such as parking on

campus, ensuring safe transport at night,

and reforming the buses.

• Reforming student services to actually

serve students by improving the

university’s counselling and mental health

services, ILSP provision for students

waiting for diagnosis.

• Continuing the university’s current cost of

living support.

(he/him)

su.vp.education@lancaster.ac.uk

• Reform flawed systems including ASK to

ensure all videos provided are accurately

transcribed.

• Representing the student voice at all levels

and have a place in faculty forum meetings.

• Provide effective financial support during the

Cost of Living Crisis by promoting financial

aid, providing financial literacy courses, and

continuing the Breakfast and Supper Club.

• Streamline the process of Extenuating

Circumstances, reform the Personal

Extenuating Circumstances (PEC) system,

and standardise extension request forms.

(he/him)

su.vp.uniondevelopment@lancaster.ac.uk

• Supporting students in the Cost-of-Living

Crisis.

• Enhancing relationships across the

collegiate system and introducing a

collaborative culture.

• Real action on the Climate Crisis.

• Ensuring the deserved

(he/him)

representation of Postgraduate

su.vp.sport@lancaster.ac.uk

Students.

• Providing more support and communication to college and

recreational sports teams.

• Improving and clarifying the merchandising of sports clubs.

• Streamlining the committee handover process.

(he/him)

su.vp.societiesandmedia@lancaster.ac.uk

• Working with Societies Committee,

opening affiliation to new groups, and

structured support for the re-affiliation

process.

• Having society and media groups be

represented by widening participation

in Roses, society showcases, society and

media awards.

• Internal review of Societies affiliation with

Sports Lancaster.

(he/him)

su.vp.welfare@lancaster.ac.uk

• Push the University to freeze the everincreasing

cost of campus rent.

• Safe Drug Policy focused on harm reduction

with educational campaigns and Safe Drug

testing kits in your Students’ Union.

• Lobby for the City Council to include

and update Anti-Spiking Clauses in

venue licensing and encourage venues to

implement further safety measures.

If you’re interested in reading

their full manifestos,

head over to the Student Union

website:

https://lancastersu.co.uk/

officers


7

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USE CODE: HALFOFF!

T&C apply. Boring legal stuff at dominos.co.uk

8


C o m m e n t

COMMENT EDITOR:

Atiya Mahboob

My Experience With Alcohol

Misuse: The Normalisation of

Alcoholism is British Culture

Caitlyn Taft

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

When I tell people I have a

drinking problem, they laugh

and say “Don’t we all?” “It’s all

part of being a student.” So, it’s

normal if you drink yourself into

a blubbering mess on your cold

kitchen floor on a Wednesday

afternoon.

This is something that took me

years to realise. It wasn’t a quick

process. I didn’t drink one VK

and tumble into day-drinking

from 9am to 7pm.

However,

British culture

has normalised

drinking

excessively. We

drink when we watch

football. We drink when

it’s hot outside. We drink

when we finish our final

piece of university work.

Someone who I’m no longer friends

with taught me how to cover up stolen

alcohol two days after my fifteenth

birthday. “Draw a line where the

alcohol used to be with a whiteboard

pen, and fill it up with water.”

According to the NHS

website, a study that Drink

Aware did back in 2018,

one in ten pupils aged

11-15 had drunk alcohol in

the last week.

We started drinking in fields, drinking

neat liquors until someone threw up.

Talking wasn’t important to us on these

nights.

As a person who struggles

with social situations,

it was amazing. I didn’t

have to panic about being

funny because everything

is funny when you’re

underage and drinking.

As a joke, my friend pretended to

phone the police at one of our parties.

Three hours later, the police turned up.

They saw us all intoxicated, alcohol

bottles covering the fireplace in the

living room.

They saw it all and left

without mentioning

anything.

I hid my hangovers from my parents;

feeling too ashamed to admit that I was

committing a crime. Once at a party,

I heard a girl bragging about how she

had been drinking since she was twelve

years of age. I decided not to drink for

the rest of the night out of pure

shock.

Whilst writing this, I

stumbled across a Reddit

thread about someone

who had stopped

drinking but came to

the realisation that

alcohol is so ingrained

into British culture

that, once you decide

to stop or slow down for

the week, it almost feels

like you’re being ridiculed.

You’re an outcast in a group

where you once centred.

My problem with alcohol

accelerated once I arrived

at university.

Coming out of a horrible breakup, and

being able to have freedom for the

first time in my life, I went off the rails.

Every night out was an opportunity

to outdrink everyone. It became a

masochistic game.

I needed alcohol, I

thought, it made me

sociable. Now I was

eighteen and I could buy

as much as I wanted.

In ‘Alcohol Use At UK Universities’,

Nichola Gambles, Lorna Porcellato,

and Kate Fleming’s state that “alcohol

was viewed by new students as a social

lubricant” and “If You Don’t Drink at

University, You’re Going to Struggle to

Make Friends”.

For me, this was the primary

factor for why I started

drinking. I struggled with

making friends and I wanted

people to think I was fun

to be around. I only knew

how to have fun when I had

Vodka and Coke in my hand.

No one knew I had a problem with

alcohol because I drank mostly on the

weekend. Also, my excessive drinking

was normal because, as an ex-friend

said, “some people drink more than

you.”

Then my weekend drinking became

frequent on weekdays. I remember

cracking open a bottle of wine before

my 9am in my kitchen. My flatmate,

who has never drank, walked in and I

felt disgusted with myself. I turned to

my flatmate, speaking before I could

begin to think,

“I think I have an alcohol

problem.”

What I said to my flatmate led me to

the road of recovery.

I imagined my life if I lived it in sobriety.

Would I lose all my drinking friends?

The friends you only see in the pub or

at 3am in the club? They know your

dirtiest secrets but you don’t even know

what course they’re studying.

Since then, I have cut

down on drinking.

Do I have a solution for the UK’s drinking

problem? No. Alcohol is intertwined

with our culture. It’s impossible to get

rid of it. However, there are ways in

which we can remove ourselves from it

without going fully sober.

I have now learnt to

not drink at events that

involve alcohol. This

wasn’t easy. One thing I

found incredibly helpful

was staring at the amount

left in my bank account.

Another method I found useful was

incorporating nights in or nights out

where there’s a different goal than

getting drunk. For example, I’ve started

going to pubs with my friends to

actually socialise.

The temptation to drink

sometimes occurs but

I’m already having fun

hanging out with my

friends sober. Surrounding

yourself with a group of

supportive individuals is

so important.

To reiterate, you don’t need alcohol to

be interesting. It’s vital for us to take

care of ourselves before we spiral into

the hands of alcoholism. You are more

than the drunk version of yourself.

If you are struggling with alcohol

abuse and would like support, some

contact details are:

DrinkAware 0300 123 1110

alcoholchange.org.uk.

Could Smart

Bras Be the

Answer to

Affordable

Breast

Cancer

Diagnosis?

Maisie Otterburn

WELFARE OFFICER/ WRITER

Despite being the founder

and chief executive officer of

NextWear Technologies, the

name Kemisola Bolarinwa

probably means nothing to you.

The Nigerian scientist became

inspired to create after losing her

aunt to breast cancer, due to late

diagnosis.


C O M M E N T 9

This is, unfortunately, the reality for

a lot of women across the world.

In the UK alone, 55,000 women are

diagnosed every year with breast

cancer. Bolarinwa states that 9 out of

10 women can survive breast cancer, if

it’s detected early enough.

However, tests for

this cancer such as

mammograms and

screenings can be hard

to come by; especially

for those who cannot

afford health care.

Across Nigeria, this is the biggest cause

for late diagnosis of breast cancer.

Bolarinwa is determined to change

that.

In 2021, Bolarinwa and

her team created a

prototype of a bra that

can detect early-stage

breast cancer in as little

as 30 minutes. The built

in ultrasound will scan

the breast and, through

an app, notify the user

of any abnormalities it

discovers.

These results will then be sent to a

doctor, who will then take the correct

course of action.

The bra is still a prototype with an 87%

accuracy rate, however, Bolarinwa is

working hard to improve her creation

and with funds from the Nigerian

Government this prototype may turn

into something incredible.

This bra isn’t a substitute for existing

breast cancer tests, but it will help

women who cannot easily access

them.

One of her many goals

is to make these bras

free to those who live

in poor conditions and

cannot afford basic

health care, to make

it widely accessible in

Nigeria.

28,000 diagnosis of breast cancer were

made in Nigeria in 2020 and with a

limited number of oncologists more

than half of those diagnosis were fatal.

With Bolarinwa’s smart bra, she is

hoping to reduce the number of deaths

due to breast cancer by catching and

making early diagnoses. She also wants

to inspire young women, particularly

those in the science, engineering,

maths and technology sectors.

The more women

working and invested

in these sectors, the

closer we come to

breaking through the

bias which diminishes

women’s potential.

Could Kemisola Bolarinwa change the

face of breast cancer forever? It will

certainly be interesting to track her

journey and the journey of her smart

bra.

Do International

Students Feel Isolated?

Adrian Collis

their place in a community setting?

NEWS EDITOR

The majority of international

students come from Lancaster

University’s partner universities

from around the world such as

Sunway University in Malaysia or

the University of Ghana, and the

university welcomes international

students from over 100 countries

around the world.

It can’t be denied; Lancaster

has a significant and evergrowing

international

population, regularly

welcoming students from

abroad for exchange

programs or full-time study.

There are a multitude of cultural

societies for non-British

nationalities, religions and

languages, and these identities

are a massively important part of

the university’s student body, as

Lancaster would have you believe.

Does Lancaster, itself, believe it? Do

they act as if they do?

While university may not be for

everyone, for a lot of young adults

it’s a very important time of their

life where they learn

independence, pursue their

passions beyond school and

learn to balance work

with fun.

It can also be stressful to keep up,

nerve-wracking to make friends

and, ultimately, difficult

to find a comfortable place inside

the chaos of it all.

If settling into an all-new university

environment is as difficult as it

usually is for British students, the

cultural differences and incredible

distances serving as obstacles for

international students make it even

harder to find a proper sense of

belonging.

Third-year international student Val

told me the following:

‘To make it even harder for us,

we are not offered the same

opportunities. For instance,

the careers’ program “GROW

Your Future”, which helps

with developing students’

employability skills, is not open

to international students. I’m

the first in my family to go to

university and disabled, but I

still cannot access that kind of

support’.

As GROW Your Future is funded

by the university’s Widening

Participation Advisory Group

(WPAG), this is an Office for Students

condition, not the University’s.

One would hopefully expect more

support from a university with as

high a population of international

students as they have – if our

international students can’t even

be afforded the same academic

opportunities, how are they

supposed to feel comfortable finding

Not fitting the status quo can be

uncomfortable and scary if it’s never

happened to you before, especially

if, all of a sudden, your differences

are as apparent as how you look or

sound.

During my second year I

abandoned what I knew about

university life at Lancaster to

spend a year studying at the

University of Iowa, a public

university in the American

Midwest, meaning about 95%

of the population were from

Iowa or a neighbouring state.

International students were a

significant minority and, as I was

to find out, Iowans can have an

uncomfortable lack of respect when

it comes to people from anywhere

else – and I’m English.

I can’t even begin to imagine how it

felt to be a student from places with

even greater cultural differences,

trying to n a v i g a t e

somewhere entirely different with

people who are not particularly

sensitive to this. Who understand

nothing but their own way of life.

While self-confidence in your

identity is a place to start in feeling

like you belong somewhere, it can

only help so much in making

someone feel truly welcome. It’s easy

to feel like everyone is against

you when you’re already going

through such a new experience.

What can be changed to

make international students

feel more accustomed is more

support and opportunities

from the university itself, as

well as the actions of the

students themselves to make

everyone feel included.

While every university has its flaws,

one commendable asset Lancaster

has are the societies, both official

and unofficial.

There’s a society for just about

everything – if you want to do it,

see it or talk about it, there’s likely

a space to do so, and if there isn’t,

there’s probably the available market

for you to create one.

It’s one of the more inspiring things

about life here, and these societies

include cultural ones, which can act

as a space for international students

who may otherwise feel alone to

connect with other people in their

exact position, make friends and go

to fun events.

If you feel isolated it’s one of the

best ways to connect with your local

community, and the list of societies

can be browsed on the Student’s

Union website, as well as seen in

person at the fresher’s fair. If you’re

a new student, don’t skip it, it’s well

worth going to.

The main issue with

Lancaster’s international

support is there simply isn’t

enough of it, but steps can be

made to support students in a

country where, unfortunately,

not everyone is always

treated with as much respect

as they should be.

The university has stated:

“Lancaster aims to make every

student feel welcomed and

supported. International

students form an important

part of our community

and there are a number

of general and bespoke

programmes developed to

address particular challenges

these students may have

while studying in the UK from

specialist careers support to

accessing the University’s

wellbeing and disability

services. All students based

at the Lancaster campus have

access to the range of wellbeing

support on offer, in additional

to academic support, and we

encourage anybody facing

difficulty to contact to contact

us and get support. Contact

Wellbeing Services | ASK -

Lancaster University or our

international student Wellbeing

Advisor Julie Yu h.j.yu@

lancaster.ac.uk”

“Students based overseas

or studying abroad can still

contact us for general advice

and guidance. They also have

access to Health Assured’s 24/7

helpline offering immediate

emotional support in a range

of languages, including

Mandarin. Silvercloud, a selfhelp

programme, which uses

evidence-based techniques

to help individuals learn to

manage common mental health

difficulties is also open to all.”

“We offer other career support

specially developed to help

international students achieve

their ambitions in the UK, back

home, or anywhere else in the

world and they can access

one to one support either in

person or online as often as

they need it. We recognise that

international students may

wish to stay in the UK after

graduating, or work abroad,

so we provide online access

to career management and

job search in both the UK and

overseas via our Careers Portal.

And our Employer Engagement

Team works hard to ensure that

student and graduate recruiters

who engage with us have

opportunities in both the UK and

overseas.”

“Whilst studying with us, the

Careers team are delighted

to help international students

find part time work through the

Employment and Recruitment

Service, as well as help them

source and secure internships

and placement year roles. A

careers programme exclusively

for international students

called LAUNCH Your Future

is comprised of workshops

that have been designed to

support career planning and

help increase employability

outcomes, both in the UK

and around the world. Our

Careers Mentoring Programme

is available to international

students, and you can find out

about eligibility and how to

apply here. The programme

aims to match you with a

professional mentor in a career

or industry area that interests

you. The Lancaster Award and

Digital Skills certificate is also

open to all.”

Being a small campus university,

Lancaster can be a bit of a bubble

sometimes – if you’re a British

student, try to make the most of this

by making your international friends,

flatmates and classmates feel as

included as you can, as sometimes it

makes all the difference.

If you’re an international student,

know there are heaps of students

here who’ve gone through the same

things you’ve gone through, and

real community IS here for you –

just maybe not in your randomly

selected flatmates. That’s okay. You

can’t get along with everybody.

10


Arts & Culture

ARTS & CULTURE EDITORS:

Naomi Onakunle

& Amy Dixon

Lancaster MA Student Wins Northern

Writers Award for Poetry

Maria Hill


In June 2023, Lancaster

University’s MA graduate Liam

Bates was awarded the Northern

Writers Award in Poetry winning

a cash prize of between £2000

and £3000 pounds to finance his

works-in-progress.

The Northern Writers Award is a prize

organized by New Writing North,

an organization funded by the Arts

Council England since 1996. Its aim

is to identify and support the work of

writers from across society, and the

prize is focused on supporting writers

in the North of England.

This year, Lancaster University’s MA

graduate Liam Bates was awarded

the Northern Writers Award for

Poetry, winning a hefty cash prize and

gaining recognition for his craft.

Whereas entering

into most prizes

and competitions

in literature require

entry fees, the

Northern Writers

Award provides

free entry, allowing

a range of people

from all financial

backgrounds to

enter.

Other awards included in the

Northern Writing Awards involve

awards for children’s novels, fiction,

memoir, short fiction, and more,

which can all be found on New

Writing North’s website.

The organization also offers other

prizes, such as The Golden Burn Prize

for daring novels, and The David

Cohen Prize for Literature, which is

an award based on a writer’s whole

career.

In an exclusive interview, I asked

him what the process of applying

for the award was like. “It was

pretty painless, as these things go,”

he said. “Free, importantly.”

As for Liam Bates,

he is an inspiration

to young writers

studying at

Lancaster University.

His work has

appeared in a range

of magazines such

as Ambit, Abridged,

and Bath Magg just

to name a few.

Alongside this long list of

publications, previous to winning the

Northern Writers Award, he has been

commended or shortlisted for a range

of other competitions such as Magma,

Bridport Prize and Creative Future,

and was even longlisted for the elusive

National poetry Competition in 2022.

Last year, he

released his fulllength

debut, Human

Townsperson, of

which I was lucky

enough to attend

the release of during

a launch and open

mic event at The

Gregson Center last

year.

Hearing Liam read out the poems

from his debut was a wonderful

experience. The collection is a

thoughtfully crafted series of poems

which explores the links between real

life and video games, with life events

reflecting quests, with vivid imagery

and a touch of humor.

Liam has also

had two poetry

pamphlets,

Working Animals

and Monomaniac,

published, and all

three collections

are available with

Broken Sleep Books.

As a creative writing student myself, I

had a range of questions to ask Liam

about his success within the world of

writing competitions.

In an earlier interview with him which

can be found on SCAN’s website, he

gave a range of insight into his writing

practice and advice for aspiring poets.

During this second interview, Liam

gives further comprehension into

applying for competitions.

For the Northern Writers Award,

those entering were given a brief and

were asked for a number of poems

from a new project alongside “some

commentary on how that project

would go/be supported.”

“There wasn’t much

of a thought process,

beyond sending the

poems that I had,”

Liam continued.

“Coming off the

back of my debut

collection, I only had

so much new stuff

that was working

so I sent all of that.

I wasn’t sure it was

entirely there, but

the deadline forced

my hand”.

As writers, it’s hard to tell if what you’re

working on is good or succeeding in

what you’re aiming to do, but Liam’s

tale is a depiction that we should run

with our doubt and have faith in our

own abilities.

Liam amplifies this message, stating

that “Poetry is really wonderful and

annoying. You have to follow each

poem down the tunnel of itself.”

“Bordes has a

short story about

an empire whose

cartography

becomes so exact

that maps have

to be life-sized;

the inspiration

for a poem is

something like

that. Fortunately,

the more you do it,

somehow the better

you get at it.”

There’s a reason why Lancaster

University is joint 6th in The Sunday

Times’ 2023 rankings for Creative

Writing, for when asking Liam Bates

what at Lancaster University had

really inspired him, he mentioned one

of the plethora of talented teachers

in the English and Creative Writing

department.

“I’d only done Paul

Farley’s MA module

by the time I entered

[the Northern Writers

Award],” he stated,

“but he definitely

knows what he’s

talking about”.

Paul Farley is one of the many talented

teachers within the Creative Writing

department, whose first poetry

collection The Boy from the Chemist

is Here to See You won a Forward

Poetry Prize and The Sunday Times

Young Writer of the Year.

Although cash prizes

are helpful, and “A

not insignificant

portion of the money

will go to other

people’s books”

says Liam of the

Northern Writers

Award, he states

that there are more

benefits to winning

competitions and

prizes than a crash

prize.

“New Writing North have support

packages for all; their winners that are

really helpful for industry knowhow

and just a confidence boost.”

“Poetry is crumbs,

realistically, in terms

of both the money

and readership

involved. But

anything that means

I can write some

more good poems,

and a few people

will read them, I’m

grateful for.”

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:

I can’t wait to see where Liam’s talent

and dedication will take him in the

future. He is an inspiration for all of

us Lancaster University students to

keep writing, keep finding inspiration,

and to have faith in our writing even if

we’re not quite sure it’s working.

Photo: @liambatespoet on

Instagram

Lancaster

Council

Cancels

£35k

Firework

Display

Finale on

Bonfire

Night

Caitlyn Taft

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

As part of the finale of the Light Up

Lancaster arts festival, Lancaster

Council have decided that the

firework display won’t go ahead for

2023.

Light up Lancaster has been going

on since 2012, with its purpose being

to create a multi-artform trail the

night before the fireworks finale. The

festival’s finale was a firework display

shot and launched from Lancaster

Castle grounds.

Thanks to funding from Arts Council

England (ACE), Lancaster City

Council, Lancaster BID, and others,

Lancaster Council have confirmed

that the festival will be extended

from two days to three instead of the

firework display.

The reasoning for the axing of the

firework displays is due to the cost

being “difficult to justify”. Councillor

Catherine Potter, cabinet member

with responsibility for tourism,

explained:

“At £35,000 for a 17-minute display

the cost is difficult to justify and

we also know that people are

increasingly questioning the

environmental impact of fireworks

and the effect they have on domestic

pets and wildlife.”

However, she is confident that the

extra evening will make up for the

loss of the firework display. The extra

evening grants the festival another

opportunity to showcase local art

and Lancaster’s history and culture.

The festival will be held November

2nd-4th, from 5pm to 9pm, double

the hours of the previous year. The

events will be all over the city centre,

like the Market Square and Dalton

Square.


A R T S & C U L T U R E 11

Giacomo Leopardi: a Poetry God

translation by lyricstranslate.com, 2015)

Valentina Caneschi

MUSIC EDITOR

For centuries and centuries, poetry has

saved lives. Poetry is the way many artists

get to express themselves. As a poet,

I have the duty to speak out about the

marvels of poetry, how it can change you,

how it can turn your life upside down. And

what better way to do so if not by telling

you of one of the most important poets of

all times?

Giacomo Leopardi was an Italian poet and

author who lived in the first half of the

nineteenth century. While his life was very short

(he died at 38), he certainly had an enormous

impact on poetry as well as on many people —

he still does to this day.

His works are studied in schools in Italy,

mandatory as they shaped the way poetry was

going to be written in both the near and far

future.

His poems and other

works have been viewed

by many critics as

revolutionary, impactful,

beautiful, and so much

more.

For his entire life, Giacomo Leopardi suffered

physical and psychological pain, having to live

with physical impairments and depression.

All that while also being raised in a horrible

household, in which he was never supported.

However, the writer

managed to find a way to

express himself and his

pain, which was through

his wonderful poetry and

more rare prose.

While poets are known for usually not being very

cheerful artists, Leopardi is on a whole different

level. As a matter of fact, the author and his

poems are famous for their deep and constant

pessimism. For instance, part of a stanza in my

personal favourite poem says:

‘Man is given birth with

labour,/ and the same

birth is risk of death./ His

first feelings are sadness

and suffering;/ in the very

first moment, mother and

father/ begin to soothe him

for being born/[…]/ But why

to give birth,/ why to keep

alive,/ the one who needs

soothing for life itself?’

(‘Night Song of a Wandering Shepherd in Asia’,

While translations never give poetry justice, by

reading his thoughts and direct way to write, it’s

no wonder why he is so famous in Italy as well as

the global poetry community.

Leopardi shared with his readers a relatable

existential pain in such marvellous way that

most people who have a tiny bit of love for

poetry will keep reading his works, over and

over again.

Despite his short life, this amazing human

managed to leave us a fairly big portfolio.

He didn’t only write poetry: instead, he also

explored philosophy as he was writing his

hybrid work Zibaldone (1898, published after

his death).

Here, for instance, he

formulates the idea that

man is destined to be

unhappy because it has

reason, a concept then

more thoroughly delved

into by other philosophers

in the near future.

Isolated and in pain, Leopardi was still able to

change people’s lives and culture with his works.

His impact certainly isn’t limited to one country,

but branches out to many others.

Tips and Tricks From a Behind

The Scenes Film Photographer

Maria Hill


Photography had always been

a hobby of mine, but it wasn’t

until the last academic year

that I first tried my hand with

behind-the-scenes photos with

It’s Just A Parcel (Turnbull,

2022).

Now, I’m working on my seventh set as a

behind-the-scenes photographer and I am

soon to work on my eighth.

It’s gotten to the point where the student

filmmakers I know approach me rather

than the other way round. This leads me

to the most important tip for aspiring bts

photographers:

You may have

all the best

equipment in the

world and take

the most beautiful

pictures, but if you

don’t network, and

hence build your

portfolio, it will be

difficult to land

work.

One way to network is by talking to everyone

on set (you never know who will be the next

director or producer to hire you), to join

societies, and message filmmakers you know.

Now, onto the fun

part: the photos.

The most important thing to remember

whilst taking photos of a film crew is that

you are there to show off their hard work and

dedication to the project they are working on.

Hence, look for

moments where

those around you

are in control and

concentrated on

their tasks. They

may be gathered

around a camera,

or setting up

equipment,

but the most

essential

element to these

photos is they

must capture the

crew’s action.

Just make sure to delete any unflattering

shots before sending them off. People

want to see their best selves and, if you

can capture their best selves, they will

value your work more highly and want

to work with you again.

That being said, as I work on indie,

usually student-run sets, I don’t just confined

myself to bts photography. Go the extra mile.

Recently, for

Cocoon (Harte,

2023), I brought

along a handheld

camcorder

and conducted

interviews with the

crew in downtime,

gathering bts

footage alongside

photos, and edited

them together to

create a video for

their social media.

Alongside this, I often keep an eye out for

poster photos as, quite often, this is not high

on the pre-production list so high-quality

photos for marketing are often appreciated.

Lastly, don’t be

afraid to let your

creativity shine

through.

The more memorable the photos, the more

memorable you and your skills are, the more

likely you are to be approached. When filming

Gaslighter, (Caneschi, 2023), I climbed on a

wall to get a high-angle photo of the actress,

which turned out to be one of the director’s

favourite shots.

So, look for interesting angles and framing,

and don’t be afraid to take risks. Trust in your

photography skills, let yourself be creative,

and take some beautiful bts photos.

Photo Credits: Maria Hill

To conclude, I will leave you with a thoughtprovoking

quote taken form Zibaldone:

‘Children find everything in

nothing, men find nothing

in everything’.

(quoted in quotepark.com, translation by Kathleen

Baldwin et al. in the 2013 edition of Zibaldone.)

Some

Queer

Authors

For You

Valentina Caneschi

MUSIC EDITOR

Since every month is Pride Month

here at Lancaster, it’s time for me

to recommend some queer authors!

Whilst you may be expecting the

obvious, such as the eccentric Oscar

Wilde or the ancient Greek poetess

Sappho, I have decided to focus on

authors who are not in the limelight as

much as these two.

The four authors I will show you are just

a few of the incredibly talented members

of the literary queer community.

James Baldwin

This late writer used his voice to

speak out about queer identities. For

instance, in his novel Giovanni’s Room

(1956), his representation of queerness

is not superficial nor stereotypical, but

well-developed and complex.

Jason Purcell

This Canadian author uses his poetry

collection Swollening (2022) to explore

both internalised and externalised

homophobia. His poems provide many

queer readers with relatable reflections

and emotions.

June Jordan

This American poet juggled issues of

race and queerness in her poems to

connect with as wide an audience as

possible. She was also a keen social and

political activist involved in feminist,

civil rights and gay and lesbian

movements.

Meredith Talusan

This author uses her memoir Fairest

(2020) to describe her queer journey

by offering her readers candid insights

into difficulties surrounding topics

such as disability, gender and race.

As this selection of authors has

shown, we as human beings have the

responsibility to give one another

the opportunity to speak out about

important topics in our society, one of

which is queerness. Queer authors have

been around us since the dawn of time,

and they serve as proof that us queers

are not alone.

12 A R T S & C U L T U R E


Three’s a Crowd,

LUTG: Four’s an Open Door!

Amy Brook

SCREEN EDITOR

Lancaster University Theatre Group

(LUTG) is always brimming with new

content, and this term is no exception.

With four plays ready for freshers to get

involved in, there’s never been a better

time to embrace your theatrical side and

take to the stage.

Blue Thumbs

First on the list is Blue Thumbs, written and

directed by Freddie DG. Having first made

its debut at the spring term Original Writing

Showcase in 2023, this script tells the story of

a woman who claims to have been abducted

by aliens but struggles to get the local police

to believe her account.

In a non-explicit way, it is used as an allegory

for sexual assault and draws upon the

problems with custodial empathy faced by

victims of crime. Freddie will, no doubt, be

looking to work with like-minded individuals

who can appreciate the delicacy involved in

delivering this performance.

The Sound of Heavy Rain

The second show to be performed by the

group is The Sound of Heavy Rain, directed by

LUTG’s very own External Events Officer, Ellie

Leatherby, and her friend, Adam Dixon. After

her debut performance in LUTG’s After Life in

2022, followed by her

roles in Hamlet and

Machinal during the

following terms in

2023, this will mark

Ellie’s first major

directorial role.

Similarly, as a

committed member

of the society, Adam

Dixon worked on

After Life as a cast

member, dabbled in

assistant directing during Hamlet, and then

resumed his acting career through his minor

role in Machinal.

The duo work phenomenally together on

stage, and will undoubtedly create a wonderful

dynamic between both themselves and their

chosen cast within the rehearsal room.

“The Sound of Heavy

Rain by Penelope Skinner

is a twist on your typical

murder mystery noir play,”

they say.

“Taking the typical

archetypes of “detective”

and “victim” and flipping

them on their head!

There’s jazz, drinks, bright

red wigs and – of course

– the classic mystery at

the core of the plot.”

“We are hoping to have

a lot of fun with this show

and can’t wait to get

started.”

The pair are working alongside Arianna Dell,

an emerging assistant stage manager who

lent her talents to Cheeze, Kianna White,

whose commitment to the costume

work on Hamlet and Machinal has been

celebrated by the society, and Alexander

Oswald, the musical supervisor on prior

master student Ian Quint Leisner’s The

Lost Songbird, who is eager to get involved

in his second show.

K-Hole

The third show is an original script written by

Will Oliver. Titled K-Hole, this play has been in

the making for over a year and targets anyone

with a love for the darker side of comedy.

“K-Hole is a musical that

goes against what most

musicals stand for,” Will

explains.

“It’s discordant, chaotic,

and dark, with a story

revolving around a

ketamine-addicted

solicitor. It’s an immersive

glimpse into a world

somehow more horrifying

than our own.”

After directing and writing a short, The Camel’s

Back, in May 2023, Will and co-director Eli

Andre are raring to discover both new and

old talents and cast people who are as keen as

they are about bringing this hair-raising script

to life.

“We’re looking for a cast

and crew ready to go with

some of the crazy ideas

we have and don’t mind

dealing with a fair bit of

fake blood,” he says.

The

directors

will be working

alongside Adam Cunningham, their musical

director, and two first-time stage managers

– Alice Dearden and Carys English. Ni-Elle

Ashton will be overseeing the production and

welfare concerns throughout the process,

which will ensure that this gritty script

remains enjoyable for everyone involved!

Botticell in the

Fire

The fourth and final play

which has been passed by

LUTG is Botticelli in the

Fire. With Immy Cowburn

overseeing the set design,

and Daisy Bashworth

lending her artistic flair to

the producing crew, this

performance is bound to

be visually stunning and

rich in acting quality.

“The play by Jordan

Tannahill follows

renaissance painter

Sandro Botticelli whilst

at work on his most

prominent painting, The

Birth of Venus,” says codirector,

Roisin McMullan.

“In this modern retelling

of Renaissance Florence,

Botticelli’s devotion to

pleasure and beauty is

put to the ultimate test. As

plague sweeps through

the city, the charismatic

friar Girolamo Savonarola

begins to stoke the fires

of dissent against the

liberal elite and Sandro

finds the life he knows

breaking apart, forcing

him to choose between

love and survival.”

Following her debut in

LUTG’s Machinal last

academic year, Roisin

is thrilled to finally

be directing her

own play with

her friend, Alice

Kat, who has

prior experience

with the role from

her involvement with

LUTG’s Equus.

She follows on by speaking for the

rest of the production team, declaring:

“With our production

featuring movement

sequences, original

music and handmade set

pieces, we are extremely

passionate and excited

about bringing this play to

life.”

She finishes by saying that Botticelli in the

Fire will be performed on the 9th and 10th of

December in the Minor Hall. The team are still

waiting on confirmation for the venue, so this

is subject to change.

To take part in any of the

shows, be on the lookout

for further details on how

to attend the auditions,

which will be held on the

7th and 8th of October.

More information can be

found at

@theatregroup on

Instagram.

In the meantime, prepare your pitches, and

brace yourself for a term filled with joy,

creativity and fun!

Photo: Ellie Leatherby and

Adam Dixon, LUTG and

https://www.hampsteadtheatre.

com/whats-on/2019/botticelliin-the-fire/


13

Welcome

to Lancaster University

Freshers’ Week,

we’ve got you

your.lancastersu.co.uk

14

@LancasterACS

Lancaster University’s African & Caribbean Society

Efe Imoyin-Omene

One of the things that differentiates

University from Secondary School and

Sixth Form are the opportunities it provides

for learning outside of the classroom.

After a while everything in school starts to

look the same and you seek change only

found in uncertain adventures within Uni

societies.

For some of us, growing up in an area

where finding our reflection is an uphill

battle, the diversity of Uni societies is a

breath of much-needed fresh air.

Inhale… Sign Up!

One of those societies is the African and

Caribbean society (ACS) which Social

Media and Creative Officer Chinaza

Asiegbu says help bring a ‘sense of

community’ to Lancaster University,

reassuring those who may sometimes feel

unheard, unrepresented and undervalued

that ‘[they’re] not alone’.

‘Everyone loves to say that we

bleed the same colour and while

that is true, we still have many

cultural differences that make us

Lancaster University’s Nigerian Society @NSocLancaster

Efe Imoyin-Omene

Divine Oghenerukevwe Tebite, who serves

as the Events Officer for the Nigerian Society

NSOC is similarly grateful for her position.

Wanting to use her role ‘to foster

inclusivity’ and ‘curate experiences

that welcome individuals from diverse

backgrounds, including those who are

introverted, religious, or enthusiastic

partygoers’.

One of her aspirations with NSOC is to

introduce the richness of Nigerian culture

to those who may not be familiar with it,

uniting Nigerians of all experiences while

introducing the unfamiliar to the rich and

oftentimes unsung history of Nigeria.

She was inspired to pursue this role due

to spending seven of her formative years

in Nigeria ‘witnessing the enduring joy that

seems to be in the hearts of Nigerians’.

This observation motivated her to apply,

driven by the desire to bring a sense of

enjoyment, or as the slang goes, ‘gbedu’, to

all Nigerians during their university journey,

recognizing the academic demands that

can be overwhelming.

While the pressure of perfectionism (Naja No

Dey Carry Last), she soon realized that her

love for her country and culture surpassed

any doubts her mind could create.

Our society is an inclusive and welcoming

space where every individual matters. It’s

natural to feel a bit anxious and worried

about not knowing anyone, especially if

you’re new to Lancaster.

However, take it from me, someone who

@HipHopLancs

Naomi Onakunle

Lancaster University Hip Hop and

Breakdance Society is a welcoming

space for students, beginner or

experienced, to let loose and be

creative as they explore a variety of

different dance styles.

“The society has helped

aspiring dancers to become

better not only through dance

itself but also by contributing

towards leading and growing

this society!”

arrived here without knowing anyone – the

Nigerian society played a pivotal role in

helping me connect with others and find a

sense of belonging.

Like Chinaza, The Nigerian society has

been an incredible source of support Divine,

leading to some of the most profound and

lasting friendships she’s ever experienced.

‘One of my closest friends is also an

executive member of the society, which

speaks to the depth of connections you can

forge here.’

‘From the bottom of my heart, I

genuinely believe that there’s a friend

for everyone within NSOC. No matter

how unique or different you may

feel, you’ll discover someone who

not only comprehends that aspect of

your life but also provides emotional

and academic support.’ – Divine

Oghenerukevwe Tebite

all unique.’ – Chinaza Asiegbu

While it is normal to be

apprehensive about joining a

new society Chinaza says ‘don’t

be scared’ assuring that ACS

‘welcome anyone with open

arms.’

While joining societies is beneficial for

networking as well as enhancing social

skills, for Chinaza it goes even deeper

than that who has ‘made friends for life’

she is ‘forever grateful for.’

Lancaster University Hip Hop

and Breakdance Society

With two sessions occurring weekly,

members will be taught different styles

of hip hop, vogue, street and many

more!

Not only this, but members are

also encouraged to share their

choreographies and ideas throughout

the year by leading a class.

There is also an opportunity to

participate in representing Lancaster

at an inter-university competition every

year!

“This society has introduced

us to many amazing people

and given us hundreds of

memories to look back at.”

In the new academic year, there will be

many fun socials, performances within

the university such as Bonfire Night,

and the preparation for an entirely new

competition!

So, stay tuned for any new posts on

their social media!

Caitlyn Taft

Are you interested in the production

that goes behind the works of

television? LA1TV is Lancaster

University’s student lead TV society.

LA1TV’s Station Manager, Eve, told

me :

“We’ve run a range of

productions from livestreams

of LUSU events to edited

content such as SugarTV.”

The society offers a range of

opportunities to get involved

including editing, scriptwriting,

presenting, producing, camera

operating, and so much more.

Plus, you don’t need any experience

beforehand.

They also offer 3 different FREE

opportunities from training sessions

to full production livestreams.

La1TV @LA1TV

Eve continued:

“Our exec is on hand to

support members and we

look forward to working on a

range of projects this year!”

Check out their website

www.la1tv.co.uk to see their

previous content!

15

Running & Athletics Club @LancUniRAC

Naomi Onakunle

Lancaster University Running and Athletics

Club (LURAC) is all about providing

students, beginner or experienced, with an

opportunity to train and compete.

Being one of the biggest societies at

Lancaster, LURAC is the perfect place to

make new friends and meet like-minded

people whether it be at training or during

their weekly socials!

Their training options include couch to 5k,

5k, 10k and intervals, all of which lead to

their regular competitions such as Mid-

Lancs League, BUCS, the Lancaster Cup

and (of course) Shoes of Glory!

Now, while some may be keen to partake

in competitions, there’s no pressure to,

and those who just want to work on their

physical and mental health are welcome!

“LURAC is a great society that

welcomes any runner of any

ability; there is something here

for everyone!”

“All the members are extremely

welcoming and friendly! It’s a

wonderful club with a great

positive social environment that

allows you to meet and make

new friends from a wide variety

of backgrounds”.

Regarding new events to look forward to

this year, LURAC are aiming to place more

emphasis on welfare support.

They have introduced a dedicated welfare

support officer for members to confide in,

so be sure to keep an eye out for welfare

events and posts!

Caitlyn Taft

@LancUniCanoeClub

The Canoe Club is the place

to be if you’re wanting a new

and exciting hobby!

They paddle all grades of

rivers, from bimbles to boofs!

There’s canoe polo

tournments all year round if

you’re a competitive person.

Their current pool training

times are:

Tuesday - 7:45am-9:45am

Sunday - 4pm-6pm

Got no kit? Don’t worry!

They have everything you

need, just bring a sturdy pair

of shoes that you don’t mind

getting wet and (non-cotton)

clothing to go under a wetsuit.

Free trial sessions are

being run between

8th and 22nd October,

Canoe Club

they’re offering three

free sessions!

Check out their

Instagram for updates!

Skateboarding Society

Naomi Onakunle

Lancaster

University

Skateboarding Society is a

newly formed community that

welcomes all who share an

interest in riding.

Whether it’s skateboarding or

rollerblading, you’re a beginner

or experienced, this society aims

to create an inclusive space that

gives everyone a chance to join

in and form new friendships!

The members meet twice a week

to skate, which is beneficial

as it provides an opportunity

to not only work on their craft,

but also aid others in improving

their skills! Remember, practice

makes progress!

“I feel like we have a

fantastically friendly

atmosphere with a tightknit

group of members.”

@LU_Skateboarding

Regarding new events to look

forward to in the upcoming

year, there is potential for the

Skateboarding Society to host

a friendly competition amongst

members, as well as other

activities which involve drinking,

and others that don’t.

So be sure to keep an eye out

for any new posts!

@LUBakingSociety

Baking Society

Credit top to bottom p. 14:

@LancasterACS on

Instagram,

@NSOCLancaster on

Instagram

@HipHopLancs on

Instagram, and @LA1TV on

Instagram

Credit top to bottom p. 15:

@LancUniRAC on Instagram,

@LancUniCanoeClub

on Instagram, @LU_

Skateboarding on Instagram,

and @LUBakingSociety on

Instagram

Caitlyn Taft

The Baking Society is a place

for all bakers, from beginners to

experienced.

Kathryn, the Presdient of the

Baking Society, has said:

“We are having a free

taster bake on Saturday

7th October in Fylde

Common Room from

10:30am till 3pm!”

The tickets will be avalible for sale

on the SU website.

After that, from the 14th their

bakes will be members only but

memebrships are only £3 a term

and £6 for the year! Each bake

costs £2.50.

All the ingredients and equipment

are provided, just bring a container

to bring your bake home!

They’ve baked lemon

bars, chcocolate fudge

cake, jammie oat bars,

funfetti cake pops,

cheese twists, and more!

If you want to find out more, and

see some of their amazing bakes,

check out their Instagram!

They also have a titktok

@LUBakingSociety where you get

to see their amazing bakes in the

making!

16

M u s i c


MUSIC EDITORS:

Valentina Caneschi

& Lexi Joyce

Revolutionising the Music Industry:

Taylor Swift and Her Re-Recordings

Valentina Caneschi

MUSIC EDITOR

You might not be a massive fan like me

and at least other 300 people at Lancaster

University (data gathered from the biggest

event held by the Swift Society, official

since 2022), but you have certainly heard

of her name: Taylor Swift.

The queen herself, the music industry.

Songwriter, singer, musician, actor, director, and

multi-awarded woman, winning 12 Grammys, an

Emmy award, 14 MTV Music awards, and many

more.

She was the first country singer in history to win

an MTV Music award and the most streamed

female artist in both 2021 and 2022 on Spotify.

And if you’re still not sure she’s gotten your

respect, just know that she is the biggest cat

person and owns not one, not two, but three

wonderful cats.

Unfortunately, though,

some people still don’t

recognise her value as a

person, and only see her

as a money machine.

As I’m writing this, I have a very specific man in

mind: Scooter Braun. In 2019, all of Taylor Swift’s

six albums recorded between 2005 and 2018 were

sold to him and his studio, giving the singer little

to no right to her own music.

However, Taylor was far from giving it up. As a

matter of fact, in the same year, she announced

she was going to re-record every single one of

those six albums, gaining back control of her

early creations.

On the 9th of April 2021, the songwriter released

her first re-recording, picking her country pop

album Fearless (2008) as the subject.

Songs such as You Belong With Me and Love

Story made her a mainstream icon back in 2008,

and she didn’t hesitate to show Scooter Braun

and the world who really was the artifice of her

accomplishments: herself.

Lexi Joyce

MUSIC EDITOR

Fearless (Taylor’s Version) was a gigantic success,

the fifth best-selling album in the entirety of

2021 in the United States, and topping the music

charts in many countries, including the United

Kingdom, which brought it in the top 10 most

sold albums of the year globally.

Other than the original

songs, she added what

she calls ‘From the Vault’

songs, pieces that had

been deleted from the

original album before

release.

In Fearless (Taylor’s Version) we can find six of

these songs, including You All Over Me, featuring

Maren Morris, That’s When, featuring Keith

Urban, and the most famous Fearless TV Vault

song (and my personal favourite) Mr. Perfectly

Fine.

Following this unprecedented re-recording

success, Taylor Swift announced her second

re-release, which happened on the 12th of

November 2021, just seven months after Fearless

(Taylor’s Version). The subject of this release was

Red (2012), to which she added the most ‘From

the Vault’ songs so far: eight.

Amongst them, Nothing New, featuring the

queer artist Phoebe Bridgers, Run, featuring Ed

Sheeran, and the biggest hit amongst the Vault

songs, I Bet You Think About Me, featuring Chris

Stapleton.

Red (Taylor’s Version) was critically received

even better than the previous re-recording, and

won many awards, amongst which the Billboard

Music Award for Top Country Album.

Miss Swift even added a 10-minute version of the

acclaimed song All Too Well. She also directed a

short film, All Too Well: The Short Film, starring

Sadie Sink, Dylan O’Brien, and Taylor Swift

herself, which won the Best Music Video Award

at the Grammys in 2023.

More recently, on the 7th of July 2023, Taylor

Swift released her third re-recorded album,

Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), based on Speak

Now (2010), after a break in which she released

the completely new album Midnights (2022).

The new re-recording was announced on the 5th

of May of this year during one of her concerts on

the US leg of the Eras Tour, her first tour since she

had to cancel the Lover tour due to the COVID-19

outbreak.

The six ‘From the Vault’ songs include Electric

Touch, featuring Fall Out Boy, Castles Crumbling,

featuring Paramore’s lead singer Hayley Williams,

and I Can See You, the most streamed not only

Vault, but Speak Now (TV) song since its release.

I Can See You also received a music video

starring the singer as well as Joey King and

Taylor Lautner, which, as of September 2023, has

almost 30 million views on YouTube. At the end

of the music video, Taylor even placed an Easter

egg, proving that the next re-recording would be

based on her first completely pop album 1989

(2014).

Every Swiftie in the globe

is now patiently waiting for

the recently announced

re-recording 1989 (Taylor’s

Version), due to be

released on the 27th of

October. When the artist

announced the album on

Instagram, she added in

her caption that it is her

favourite re-recording so

far.

It should come as no surprise that she is

emotionally attached to the album, as it made

her even more of an icon than she already was,

featuring incredibly famous songs such as Shake

It Off and Blank Space.

The album will contain five new songs ‘From The

Vault’, other than the original sixteen, and it is

predicted to be an enormous success. After all,

this is Taylor Swift we’re talking about.

What 2023 Album You Are Based on your College

Bowland

Fylde

Furness

It is a certainty that Miss Swift will not stop at

1989 (Taylor’s Version). Fans believe she will

reclaim her two final albums before the end of

the Eras Tour.

They speculate she will release Reputation

(Taylor’s Version) first, to then finish her whole

re-recording experience with the album she

debuted with as a singer and songwriter back in

2006, Taylor Swift (Taylor’s Version).

However, many fans seem to strongly believe that

after 1989 (TV) she will release the ‘lost album’

Karma, the album she fully wrote and recorded,

due to air in 2016, but that was never released

due to the situation Taylor Swift was in with

the press, which led instead to the writing and

release of Reputation the following year.

Is it now the time for her to

finally show her fans what

she worked on before her

name was unjustly stepped

on?

Taylor is an unprecedented artist, earning the

success she rightly deserves. Her re-recorded

albums revolutionised the music industry, as she

had already done by spacing throughout genres

and topping charts in every single one of them.

Even if you’re not a fan of her music, her cheery

personality, her political efforts, her love for cats,

her alliance with just causes, and her wonderful

achievements should be enough for you to

admire Miss Swift.

Photos (left to right): @taylorswift13 on X, Faber & Faber, @ebruyildiz

on Instagram

Lancaster’s nine colleges all have their

own fun quirks. Some are more rowdier,

being party centrals for any hit flat party.

Others are more obscure and quiet. So,

here’s some albums based on your colleges!

Graduate

Rolling Stone describes it as “never being short on

bad times and lacerating observations” and this

reminds me of a cheeky night in Bowland Trough.

Heavy rock and sentimental emotion, Queens never

miss.

Jackman by Jack Harlow has some great hype music,

perfect for the sporty college. Harlow’s most flexible and

rhythmic work, sharing his experiences on growing up

around toxic masculinity and the joys of his adulthood.

This album feels like being in the Lake

District, peaceful, and haunting. Chilling

harmonies and folky vibes, pair perfectly with

the woodland, relaxed vibe of Furness.

A masterful album, very articulate and crafted

to the Gods of perfection. Which reminded

me of graduate students pursuing their best

desires and qualities.

CONTINUED

ON PAGE 18


M U S I C 17

Is There a Difference

Between Music and Poetry?

Maria Hill


I was wandering around Waterstones the other

day when I came across a collection of Kate

Bush’s lyrics titled ‘How To Be Invisible’ in the

poetry section, published by Faber & Faber, a

publishing company well-known by

poetry lovers.

Glimpsing through it, I noticed how

beautifully her lyrics sat upon the

page, and how well they read without a

melody to sing them to.

Kate Bush’s lyrics are brimmed with

imagery and metaphors and hold

delicate musicality within them.

In the important

sense of the word,

Kate Bush is a poet.

It is not breaking news that many

lyric writers are poets. Iconically,

Bob Dylan was given the Nobel Peace

Prize in Literature for his music, and

for decades poetry has inspired music, and music

has inspired poetry, a popular example being Patti

Smith’s ‘Gloria: In Excelsis Deo’.

Certain songwriters appeal

to my emotional core in the

same way that poets do.

Mitski’s ‘Washing Machine Heart’ holds

heartbreaking, vivid imagery that reminds me of

Duffy or Plath. The syllables set in rhyme to the beat

of a washing machine to me is pure poetic genius.

Being an indie-published

poet myself, I’ve

often used lines of

lyrics to inspire me

or included them

in my writing.

For example, from Taylor

Swift’s Exile, the line ‘I think

I’ve seen this film before’, I

wrote a poem about the fear

of falling in love again after

heartbreak.

In an interview with Efe Imoyin-

Omene, poet and author of

‘The Misadventures of Moving

Forward’, he stated:

“Music and poetry

are inextricably linked for

me. The volta of the poem is

like a bridge of a song. The

greatest musicians are poets

and the greatest poems feel

like music.”

Halle Bailey Grows Wings

with Debut Solo Song ‘Angel’

Efe Imoyin-Omene

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Angel’ by Halle Bailey was released

onto streaming platforms Friday August

4th. On July 31st, Halle Bailey’s solo

era officially commenced with the

announcement of her song Angel via her

social media accounts.

This is her first official release outside of genre

b(l)ending duo Chloe X Halle and The Little

Mermaid soundtrack.

The 22 second teaser that

accompanied the news

features a heart-warming

montage of seminal

childhood memories that all

collide into the artist she is

today over a contemplative

mid-tempo instrumental.

“I got an electric guitar!” a bubbly tween Halle

exclaims whilst ripping the wrapping paper off

an instrument that would soon become her

trusted confidant.

In another clip, she showcases the angel

pendent on her charm bracelet, a spiritual

guide where the past and present merge to

meet us at this pivotal moment.

The video ends with the

release date.

Earlier in the week, the multihyphenate set up

a Discord to ‘connect’ with her fans and ‘let

you inside this complicated brain of mine.’

This single comes after her starring as Ariel in

Disney’s latest live action reimagining of The

Little Mermaid and months before The Colour

Purple (slated for a December 25th release)-

where she plays Young Nettie- comes out.

Halle Bailey initially rose to

fame as half of the sister

duo Chloe X Halle, signed

under Columbia Records

and Beyoncé’s Parkwood

Entertainment after she

discovered their YouTube

cover of her song Pretty

Hurts in 2014.

From there, they released four critically

acclaimed projects, including the albums

The Kids Are Alright (2018) and Ungodly

Hour (2020), toured internationally with the

superstar twice and starred in the Freeform

sitcom Grown-Ish for four seasons.

Speaking to British Vogue earlier this year, her

upcoming solo album was described ‘as a sonic

mash-up of her jazz and grunge influences’

with celebrating her ‘newfound independence’

being a prominent theme.

This introduction debut

is as triumphant as it is

unflinchingly intimate.

So how come poetry is much less popular than

music, if the two are so alike? According to Statsia,

a survey found that ‘global consumers listen to an

average of 17.8 hours of music a week’.

In contrast, only 12% of

American adults read poetry,

according to a 2017 report

by the National Endowment

of the Arts (NEA).

An insight into why music is so

much more popular than poetry

can be seen when perceiving

that the reading rate of poetry

between the ages of 18-24 has

increased from 8.2% in 2012

to 17.5% in 2017, according

to NEA. It has been speculated

that this is due to the increase in

social media usage.

I’m sure everyone has stumbled across Instagram

poetry and, although not deemed ‘literary’ by many

academics, it provides a stepping stone into the

world of poetry that Jeremy Paxman has called the

most “difficult” and “elitist” form of literature.

With more exposure to poetry and with a promise

that it doesn’t require a university degree to

understand every poem, it is no wonder why poetry

is increasing in popularity and why music has

always been more consumed by the masses.

Photos Credits: Parkwood Entertainment/ Columbia Records

Fierce with lyrics such as ‘I’m a big deal, I get

sick and tired of holdin’ it in/Rich blood, you

can probably see the gold in my skin’. And

with moments of intimacy like ‘Perfectly a

masterpiece in all of me, even my scars’.

‘This song is definitely a

black girl anthem.’ She

declared happily in an

Instagram Live moments

before its release.

A release date or a name for Halle’s solo album

has yet to be confirmed but it will follow older

sister Chlöe’s debut solo album In Pieces

released March 31st of this year.

‘I can’t wait til you hear what I’ve been working

so hard on for a long time. I’ve been shy for a

while now, but it’s time…’ -Halle Bailey via

Discord.

The

Fresher’s

Music

Lowdown

feat. Bailrigg

FM

Erin Strom & Jake Leonard

MUSIC DIRECTOR & STATION

MANAGER

Some of you might have just

started university, some of you

might have been around for years.

Either way, here’s some music

recommendations from our good

friends over at Bailrigg FM to

accompany your Freshers Week!

A song that stuck with me from Freshers’

that I still listen to constantly to this day,

‘Nothing Ever Happened’ is a 6-minute

indie rock journey with infectious riffs,

atmosphere and an instrumental outro that.

While the groove may appear repetitive, the

dynamic changes throughout drive this song

into being a favourite for me.

A highlight from their album, Leaves Turn

Inside You. I used to listen this to a lot during

my first few weeks at university. It definitely

isn’t the happiest song in the world, but the

feeling of uncertainty this song puts across

is nearly unrivalled – atmosphere is the

name of the game here. Plus, the lead guitar

melody and drums are ridiculous.

The album this song is from came out

during Freshers’ last year. Fast-forward to

May of this year, I was seeing them perform

live with a friend from Bailrigg FM, who’d

convinced me to listen to more of Alvvays‘

music. I highly recommend this if you’re

into bands like The Smiths, early R.E.M., or

genres like shoegaze.

This could be you if you’re moving to

Lancaster for university! Canned Heat bring

the carefree and chilled vibes with this

classic tune. Soft, pleasant flute notes really

carry this track – it’s perfect for listening to

on the bus to your first food shop.

I hold fond memories of discovering this

song through a friend, quickly becoming one

of my favourite tracks of the year! Climbing

their way up festival lineups, Amyl and the

Sniffers prove that the punk sound is still

relevant, packing a great punchy riff and riot

grrrl-esque vocals into ‘Hertz’.

Bailrigg FM was lucky enough to cover the

Highest Point festival in 2023, headlined

by Bastille. With a fun xylophone motif,

this song distinctly stood out to me as a

criminally underrated track on their debut

album, battling songs like ‘Pompeii’ and

‘Icarus’ for that spot as a single. It’s brilliant

both on the recording and live.

18 M U S I C


Hozier’s Glorious Comeback with Third

Album Unreal Unearth Amidst a Massive

World Tour

Lexi Joyce

MUSIC EDITOR

a level of angst not normally seen in Hozier. Exciting to see these new

influences in his work.

Irish musician, Hozier, is a decade into his career, and his

latest work may be his best yet. Best described as a powerful

indie-folk musician with almost blues influence.

Hozier’s mythical and literary themes are a constant through his

previous two albums, Hozier (2014) and Wasteland, Baby! (2019).

Though his third studio album, Unreal Unearth

seems to be his most experimental yet, and it’s

been met with huge success.

A deeply personal edge has been added to this album, not seen

before, through his Gaelic words. So, let’s dive deeper into this

beautifully crafted album.

Immediately I noticed more of an R&B influence, even integrated

into his Irish heritage in ‘De Selby pt. 1’ entirely in Gaelic. This album

marks the birth of a new fusing of genres. The complexity of the

singles really shows the depths of Hozier’s work.

This creates an experience for listeners to ascend through the great

capability of his work and personal reflections. ‘Francesca’ is an

alt-rock, almost power ballad, and ‘Unknown/Nth’ has beautifully

haunting lyricism. Perfect for a yearning mood.

Also, ‘Eat Your Young’ and ‘All Things End’ were released earlier

in the year as part of a three-song EP. These have more gospelinfluence,

with the layering of harmonies and a new nine-part band,

which Hozier expressed as being proud to work with. Whilst ‘De

Selby pt.2’ is straight-up rock with some dynamic guitar pieces, and

FLO 3 of Us: EP Review

Efe Imoyin-Omene

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

If you don’t know FLO, who are you, what rock have you

been living under and how much is the rent? For my rock

brethren, FLO are a Black British R&B/Pop girl group who’ve

been on a meteoric rise ever since their debut single

Cardboard Box ascended to virality in March 2022.

Since then, Stella, Jorja and Renée have performed for the two

Jimmy’s (Kimmel and Fallon), MOBOs Awards, Soul Train Awards,

Capital’s Summertime Ball, Glastonbury and MTV Push as well as

snagging 3 BET Award nominations and becoming the 1st girl group

in history to win the BRITs Rising Star award.

They are gearing up to release their muchanticipated

debut album. Oh, and they reached

333,000 Instagram followers, which brings us

to Monday July 3rd.

I’m at my desk, scrolling through my phone between tasks on my

internship when suddenly an Instagram notification struts across

my screen. FLO are going live! I love them. I want to watch. I need to

work. I continue work thinking that they wouldn’t share something

Pendle

Lonsdale

Hozier’s storytelling remains profound,

something closely attached to his art.

Ever since his first single, ‘Take Me to Church’, recorded in his

parent’s basement, which sparked his fame a decade ago. I love how

the album is separated into the metaphysical sense of chapters,

based on Dante’s Inferno, taking us through the Mediaeval tragedy’s

nine circles of hell.

Hozier adapts this and separates the songs

thematically based on how they represent

Inferno’s literary scenes, based on ideas of

relationships, discovery, and his experience

with Covid-19. Which is genius, and both

uplifting and heart-breaking.

On top of this intricate, heartfelt album, Hozier is on a world tour.

Having just finished the first leg through the UK this summer. I got to

visit him in Glasgow, in June, and it was truly a religious experience.

From the engagement with the crowd, and

Hozier’s collaborative works on the stage with

his supporting acts, you can tell this tour is a

highlight of his career.

His recent tour was met with massive success, with many shows

selling out quickly, and his joys with working with a new artist and

similarly profound artists. He seems to be constantly elevating his

legacy as an artist.

major on a random Monday afternoon. Good thing I don’t get paid

for thinking. Well, not really.

When I’d left the building, FLO, in celebration of their aforementioned

Instagram milestone, had released a surprise 3 song EP with the

previously teased ‘Control Freak’ and ‘Change’ and brand-new song,

3 of Us. Needless to say, the train delays weren’t the only eventful

thing about my journey home.

Just like their first EP The Lead, 3 of Us

continues FLO’s unique blend of nostalgia and

innovation, embodying the fiercely feminine

spirit of their foremothers Destiny’s Child,

Cleopatra, The Cheetah Girls (and others)

while showcasing their alluring individuality.

The EP is predominantly R&B, exploring familiar themes of disloyal

lovers and female empowerment. Flares of Caribbean music are

especially prominent on ‘Change’, a song where the trio caution

girls away from guys stagnated in mediocrity. Thematically, it bears

a comforting resemblance to ‘Girl’ by Destiny’s Child.

‘Girl, I know/I know it gets so hard /Tryna save a love/When it only

brings you pain/Woah, you need to go/Before he breaks your heart/

Cartmel

The album also includes a track featuring Brandi Carlile, which is

very exciting since Hozier limits who he collaborates with. The song,

‘Damage Gets Done’ is about being young and reckless, making

mistakes and having the safety net of naivety. Which I can relate to

as a university student.

With this album, I’m excited to see how Hozier

elevates his music career and goes forth with

his upcoming tour dates.

But don’t worry if you missed out because the ‘Unreal Unearth’

section of the tour brings new dates. So, check out tickets if you want

to catch him this December.

Grizedale

Photos (top to

bottom):

@ruthlessimagery

on Instagram and

@flolikethis on

Instagram.

He’s just another player in the game/He will never change’ - FLO,

Change

What has always been admirable about FLO is that, unlike past

groups where the breakout solo star was clear as day from the first

gratuitous riff, each member is given ample room to shine without

leaving the other in the shadows.

This is especially apparent on 3 of Us where they discover they have

been three-timed by a guy who used ‘past relationships’ as an excuse

for his refusal to ‘commit’. The song starts with the ladies trying to

prove that their relationship with a dude who ‘prolly got three, four,

five kids/With them other girls on his list’ is the best, reminiscent of

‘The Boy Is Mine’ by Brandy and Monica.

This dude told Reneé that she was ‘his only’ while introducing Stella

to ‘his homies’ but that’s child’s play to Jorja who ‘… met his heart

and soul’. In the chorus they finally realise that this is a ‘scam’ and

an ‘exit plan’ is very much needed.

Overall, 3 of Us is an incredible addition to their consistently solid

discography. However, as they head towards the release of their

debut album, it would be nice if their lyrical content could become

as diverse as their harmonies.

County

Lana is never beating the witch allegations,

or the sad girl ringleader, either way, she

matches the spooky vibes of Pendle perfectly.

The album talks about the world and mind of

freedom and recovering from deep sadness,

which is always nice. Got the thick skin of

the Lonsdale dragon.

Purple, thoughts on growing up, love and

loss and discovering yourself, and Cartmel

seems to be a very self-assured, confident

college, certainly fitting Taylor’s vibe.

This is Why by Paramore is perfectly upbeat

for the cocktail college, the sixth album by

Paramore. This heartfelt lyricism and punchy

instrumentals are an encouragement to get

through life in those townhouses.

Attention-grabbing, lively elements of

hip&hop, an indie classic, which is the vibe

always playing in County bar. Despite this

being their eighth studio album, this is

greatly solid work.


19

S c r e e n

SCREEN EDITOR:

Amy Brook &

Freya Stoodley

Lancaster Uni Sends Ten Students Travelling across the

World to Work under Award Winning Film Directors

Maria Hill


The prospect of traveling hundreds of

miles with a group of mostly-strangers

who I’d be spending the next week

with making films for ‘Art Beats

Festival’ was knee-rattling. I’d

never left the UK before.

Art Beats Festival was created by

Lancaster University’s film Professor

Dr Maryam Ghorbankarimi and

Associate Professor and Dean of the

School of Arts at Sunway University

Mayco Axel Santaella, showcasing the history

of global partnership between the two universities.

To attend the festival and create

short films for its opening

ceremony, ten students from

Lancaster University were chosen

to travel to Malaysia to work

with award winning filmmakers

and students from Sunway and

Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta

University.

Myself and the nine other Lancaster University students who

travelled from Birmingham airport quickly bonded during our

long-haul flights, and we arrived at our accommodation at 1am

(Malaysian time), sweating from the humidity and heavy with

the hours worth of airplane-grime.

The air conditioning in our bedrooms was a relief, and the

stunning city views from our accommodations even more so.

Sightseeing

Our first day in Malaysia was spent sightseeing. On our journey,

we saw examples of how Sunway’s history transformed it

from the tin-mining wasteland it was 43 years ago into the

environmentally and economically sustainable vision founder

Tan Sri Jeffery Cheah had.

Plants bloomed alongside

highways and high-rise

buildings with plant walls

making certain areas feel

like sets from The Last of

Us.

First, we went to the Batu Caves. Dedicated

to Murugan, the Hindu god of war, the Batu

Caves is said to be around 400 million years

old. It consists of 272 stairs leading up into a

beautiful cave. By the stairs, an impressive 140

foot tall statue of Murugan is made from concrete

and painted golden.

Next, we went to Kuala Kumpur’s Central Market which

was a treasure trove of handmade crafts and gifts. Then off to

see the Petronas Twin Towers, which are the world’s tallest twin

skyscrapers standing at a gigantic 452 meters tall.

To conclude our day, we watched a theater performance by

students from Sunway University, and then headed back to our

accommodation to take a swim in the infinity pool.

Making films with award-winning

directors

The following day, the hard work began. We had many lectures

throughout the week, but the most memorable one for me was

from prize-winning director John Torres.

As an experimental filmmaker, John

Torres stated that it’s okay not to

know what you’re doing when

you first start shooting a film.

As filmmaking students used to methodological pre

and post production, we were encouraged to find

new ways of seeing and framing things with our

cameras.

‘For a film to

be alive,’ said

John Torres, ‘it’s

boring to know all

the answers. Why

do you have to

make a film if you

already have the

answers?’

We were influenced to unlearn some of the rules taught in our

lectures and seminars. Instead of planning, it is sometimes

beneficial to be led by an impulse to shoot and stay in the

moment, seeing the potential in waiting for moments to fill the

camera.

Students from Sunway University, Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta

University, and Lancaster University were put into mixed

groups. On Tuesday, we worked in our groups to come up with

film concepts and collect footage.

On Wednesday we had another

outing, starting at 5.30am, as

to collect more footage and

experience more of Malaysia.

We watched the sun rise over the ocean (although I was

distracted by all the stray cats there were to pet and hang out

with), and, after visiting a museum and grabbing lunch together,

we visited a second beach.

To conclude our day, we jumped on speedboats

and journeyed along the Selangor River.

We were enticed to experience the

stunning blue bioluminescence which

turned the water into glowing fairydust

amongst the darkness of the

star-reflecting river.

My favourite moment was when,

afterward, we sped to see the

fireflies. They were clustered

amongst the first trees lining the

river and seemed to be twinkling in

morse code. It felt like we’d stepped

into Peter Pan’s Neverland and had

entered the fairy kingdom.

Stepping back into the human world, Thursday and

Friday comprised of final footage-gathering and editing, with

final guidance and feedback from John Torres before the festival

the day after.

The festival

After the opening ceremony, the films we’d been working on for

the past week were showcased. It was wonderful to see the fruits

of our labor be appreciated by all and to see what wonderful

things the other groups of students had created. Then, the

festival began in earnest.

Free icecream, popcorn and polaroids photos and a plethora

of talent on show from photography and film to virtual reality

displays and music, Art Beats festival was unforgettable.

A handful of Lancaster students,

alongside students from Sunway

University, had final selections for

the festival and it was wonderful to

see them on the big screen.

The screenings were followed by Q&As, one of which I partook

in for my part on the short film Platform

(Fong, 2022). Although it was nervewracking

seeing all those faces staring up

at you, knowing that they’d watched and

judged the child yourself and your fellow

crew gave birth to through your creativity,

it was a wonderful experience.

Out of the two days of screening, I

absolutely adored two short films in

particular: the festival ‘Her Harmonious

Exchange’ by Lancaster Masters graduate

BobbieJo Glendinning and ‘H A S R A T’ by

talented Sunway student Utrraa Kumaru,

both of which I feel amplified John Torres’

message of using the camera to focus on feeling.

The Awards

To conclude the successful event came the awards – I’m sure

you can imagine mine and my group’s shock when the film we’d

worked on for the past week.

‘To Feel So Many Feelings’, was

awarded third place. Co-directed

by myself, Yohan Gwon and Victoria

Elen Drave, it is an experimental

short film about feeling displaced

from and nostalgic for a past home.

Second place, Victoria’s talents really shone as her experimental

short film ‘AS YOU ARE’ was placed second. Victoria is a

graduated Lancaster University film student from Hong Kong,

and her short film is a wonderful display of her thoughtful and

beautifully visual approach to filmmaking.

First place was ‘Memories of Shiqi’ by PhD Lancaster film

researcher Ian Hunt. This short film cleverly explores the

contrast of film and digital filming techniques and toes the line

between documentary and fiction and it explores themes of

memory and time.

Final goodbyes

To celebrate the festival’s completion, students from Indonisia,

Sunway, and Lancaster all went out for dinner together with

those who organized and led the event. We said goodbye to all

the wonderful friends we’d made from the other universities

(there were tears).

Then those flying back to

Birmingham went for a last dip

in the infinity pool. It became our

favourite hang-out spot, and I’m

already feeling nostalgic for the

times we spent there.

Arriving back in Birmingham, I was already missing all the

friends I’d made in Malaysia, and I still feel inspired by what

we’d learnt and the people we’d met. I can’t wait to see what our

teachers, and my fellow peers make in the future.

Photos (left to right): Maria Hill, @arts_beats_festival, and Maria Hill.

20 S C R E E N


Oscar Buzz at Lancaster?

What to Expect from the Students Behind

Lancaster Filmmaking Society

Freya Stoodley

SCREEN EDITOR

The Lancaster Filmmaking Society has become a hub for

some of the best creative talent Lancaster has to offer.

On the promise of an upcoming showing, here is a brief

insight into the brilliant films these incredible people

have made this year.

Starting off with the first batch of films we made: Pop!, The

Farmer’s Wife and Gaslighter. These films couldn’t be more

different; directed by teams of two these short films vary from

horror to your daily dose of inter-dimensional travel. As far as

big concepts in small packages go, these films take the cake.

Directed by: Valentina Caneschi, Jess Broad

The third and final film of the first batch, directed by Valentina

Caneschi and Jess Broad. This short film tests the will of a

woman whose partner’s manipulative and egotistic tendencies

will certainly set you ablaze!

Three incredible films from truly talented people. You’d

think the first set of films would be unmatched, but

when you hear about the second batch you’ll be just as

flabbergasted!

Directed by: Lorna Brierly

You’ll be left seeing stars afterour next short. Smoke and Stars is

a soft and dreamy take on university night life. Astray from the

sick filled bathrooms of the fresher’s fairs, this film looks at the

university experience through rose-tinted glasses.

Directed by: Sam Turnbull, Sky Fong

If you’ve ever wanted an ex-partner to disappear, you may find

Pop! to be your worst nightmare. This short will take you on

a rollercoaster to test your motion sickness, along with a man

who can travel wherever he wants with a single *pop*.

Directed by: Naomi Onakunle

Have you ever been bothered by a stone cold caller? A university

student becomes engulfed in stress when she is swarmed by an

endless supply of cold callers. There’s no running away from this

mobile nightmare.

Directed by: Scarlett Gill

There’s more than one twist and turn in this whirlwind of a tale.

When a young woman finds herself broken down at night on

an unfamiliar street, she has no choice but to put her trust in a

peculiar stranger to get her home safe.

Directed by: Freya Stoodley, Carolina Silva

This film will transport you back to the 19th century where a

mute scarecrow creates a mess for a struggling farmer’s wife,

who wrestles with house work and guarding a heavy secret.

And there you have it! A brand new

society, and seven new films. Get

ready for the new term to kick in,

because cinema is back on the menu!

A Guide to The Dukes: Supporting Local

Screens and Stage

Sky Fong

Arts Associate Editor

The Dukes, located at the heart of Lancaster town on

Moor Lane, is Lancaster’s only professional producing

theatre and the oldest Lancaster cinema, dating back

to 1971. Lancaster Univeristy’s alumni Andy Serkis even

worked at the Dukes at the beginning of his career. It’s a

fantastic location for cinema and theatre buffs to gather

and have a great time.

The Dukes has a variety of stage performances – from theatre

production, dance to comedy shows. They have got you covered.

Look out for their yearly Christmas production, and this year,

they are performing a musical adapted from the classic tale A

Christmas Carol! Looking for comedy? Check out Rhys James

and Rachel Fairburn, who will be performing at the Dukes in

November.

The films shown at the Dukes are nicely curated. From wide

releases to indie favourites, you’ll always get to find something

you would enjoy. If you are dying to watch a film on the big screen

and other cinemas are not showing it, your best bet will be the

Dukes.

Dark Dukes is returning for its second year to celebrate the

Halloween spirit. Dress up in your best costume and enjoy

horror films and performances in the last week of October.

This year’s highlights include The Exorcist, Evil Dead double bill

and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Buster Keaton’s The Haunted

House and a collection of shorts will also be screened with a live

score by pianist Neil Brand at the Lancaster Priory. It’ll also be a

perfect Halloween night to check out the folklore-inspired dance

performance, Lore.

Do you want a free party with drinks, treats, and great vibes?

They hosted a Barbie party with a life-sized Ryan Gosling

cardboard cut-out a few months ago. And they are planning

on having more in the future! I’ve received intel that they are

preparing one for Halloween, so be on the lookout for more

updates.

Film buffs who want a fun night out with your mates? I’ll

Directed by: David Mead

Last but not least, Crystal Gazing follows the misadventures of a

Kleptomaniac, a man who gets a tingle from nicking your stolen

goods. This short film will take you on a bike ride like no other,

where you’ll lose more than an odd sock.

Photos : @popshortfilm, @farmerswife_

film, @gaslighter.film, @victim_shortfilm,

@smokeandstarsfilm, @coldcalling.film,

and @crystalgazing.film

definitely recommend their mystery screening every month.

Before the film, there’s a free film quiz, where you can prove your

film knowledge and win prizes!

The mystery film could be a preview of an upcoming film, an old

classic, or even a cult favourite. You get to sit in a cinema with

people waiting for the BBFC black card to pop out to know what

film you’re watching. How exciting!

If you want to talk about a film or a stage production after

watching it, you’ll always find people hanging around in the bar

area. They also introduced Talking Pictures last year, where you

can chill and discuss the film with other audience members led

by a professional in the genre.

The Dukes have been a long-time partner of the university, and

they occasionally host screenings of films made by our film

students (like me!), so do come support your fellow students! They

also offer a free student membership for all Lancaster University

students. Just sign up online, and you’ll receive a free film ticket

and a £1 discount for every film you watch at the Dukes.

Follow their website at www.dukeslancaster.org or their

Instagram @thedukeslancaster for more updates.

S C R E E N


21

The Importance of

Representation On-Screen

Naomi Onakunle

ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR

Representation can have a variety of meanings depending

on the context. It can mean showing or describing

someone or something in a particular way, or it can be the

process of speaking or acting in support of another person

or group.

Regarding the media, both of these meanings of representation

intertwine. Before tackling why representation on screen is so

important, it is first necessary to understand the impact that film

has on our society.

For a lot of people, film acts as

a form of escapism from reality.

The medium has the ability to

immerse viewers into a different

world where they can experience

a variety of emotions, sensations,

and perspectives that may differ

from their own. Film is

entertainment.

It has the potential to spread awareness

on multiple aspects of life, such as

drug and gang culture as seen in

Trainspotting (1996) and Blue Story

(2019) respectively, and the capability

to teach us about history as seen in

12 Years a Slave (2014) and The Pianist

(2002). It has the ability to mirror and shape

culture as seen in the animated film Coco

(2017), and in Victim (1961).

To put it simply, film acts as a

vehicle for education, culture, and

to an extent, propaganda.

However, despite this large influence, film and the media in general

has and continues to present stereotypical representations of

marginalised groups such as women, people of colour (POC), the

LGBTQ+ community and many more for the general public to

consume. These depictions range from submissive characters and

sexualised beings to violent criminals and unintelligent people.

There are even cases whereby some of these groups, are excluded

from the mainstream entirely.

These portrayals and or lack thereof, are harmful for a variety of

reasons. For example, it can severely damage an individual’s selfesteem

and confidence, especially amongst the youth, making

them feel invisible and alienated hence leading to feelings of

depression and anger, which in turn can result in a self-fulfilling

prophecy created by the media.

These portrayals can also influence

the perceptions and attitudes of

the dominant groups towards

marginalised groups

thus leading to acts of

hostility, which may

cause the latter to face

barriers and biases

within education,

employment and

other domains.

A few examples of how these stereotypes

are perpetuated on screen include Disney’s

predominately white princesses and their

damsel in distress persona prior to the 80s and

90s, the token black best friend as seen in Clueless (1995), the

thug, the domestic worker as seen in Driving Miss Daisy (1989),

the lotus blossom as seen through Mantis in Guardians of the

Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), the nerdy and emasculated Asian man as

seen in Sixteen Candles (1984), and the martial arts expert.

This list is by no means

exhaustive, as a lot of

these stereotypes are

also being attached to

animal characters. For

example, The Crows

in Disney’s Dumbo

(1941) are a coded

racist stereotype of

black people, whilst

both Si and Am in

Lady and the Tramp

(1955) and the Siamese

cat playing the piano

with chopsticks in The

Aristocats (1970) are

exaggerated and racist

depictions of Asian people.

Negativity aside, the film industry has made slight

progression in its portrayal of marginalised groups.

Studies show that during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020

and onwards, there has been a boom in the number of films

being streamed online as opposed to being watched in

theatres.

64% of these streamed films contained

around 30% of minority actors, while only

57% of theatrical films had casts with

that percentage. What this shows is that

streaming services are able to release

diverse films on a larger scale in comparison

to their theatrical counterparts.

Women have also fared

well, holding around 49%

of lead roles in films streamed

online in comparison to 39% within

theatres (as of 2022) according to

the UCLA Diversity Report.

We can chalk up these small victories to movements such as

the #MeToo campaign and the Time’s Up movement created

in response to it, #OscarsSoWhite (est. April Reign, 2015),

#BlackLivesMatter, #AsianLivesMatter, and #WhiteWashedOut.

These have highlighted the dire need for inclusivity within the

media and how “diversity should not be considered a luxury but a

necessity” (Hunt, 2023a).

This is further emphasised through studies which show that

“audiences of colour are the bedrock of Hollywood” (Hunt, 2023b),

and that they not only “saved the theatrical industry

during the pandemic” (Ramón, 2023a), but they are

also the “key” (Ramón, 2023b) to bringing the

industry back to its pre-pandemic levels.

If Hollywood fails to

acknowledge these

facts, then they will

risk losing a lot of their

audience to streaming

services.

As stated before, audiences respond positively to diversity on

screen and there are a lot of films which reflect this. Crazy Rich

Asians (2018) contained well-rounded representations of Asians

in the real world, depicting their individual hopes, dreams, and

relationship problems, and it aided other Asian filmmakers in

getting their own projects funded and broadcasted.

Similarly, Black Panther (2018) had

an almost entirely black lead

cast, contained strong female

characters, celebrated black

culture and became the second

highest-grossing film of 2018.

Other forms of

representation

are seen

through

Disney’s

Encanto

(2021) which

features a multigenerational

Columbian focused

narrative, Barbie

(2023) which highlights

the challenges that women face

in society, and A Man Called Otto

(2023) which features a transgender

character.

However, the industry must be careful not to fall into

the trap of tokenism, by placing marginalised

groups into a narrative purely to appeal to a

criteria.

This is further

emphasised by a

comment made by during

an interview with the

cast of historical drama,

The Promised Land (2023),

whereby a journalist questioned

that the choice to have a largely

white cast may result with the film

not being eligible for Best Picture

at the Oscars, to which the director

Nikolaj Arcel states ‘it’s just how it

was in the 1750s’.

There is still room for improvement within the film industry.

More women and POC need to be given opportunities to write

and direct with big budgets, especially within a theatrical context.

Seeing people that look like you

behind the scenes will not only

ensure that a variety of stories are

able to be shared, but it will also

provide comfort that such stories

will be shared accurately.

Furthermore, it will raise self-esteem amongst marginalised

groups and solidify the belief that they too are capable of being

in such positions, a dream which many of us are looking to fulfil.

Photos (left to right): Disney Pixar, Niko

Tavernise, (courtesy Columbia Pictures),

Warner Bros., Magnolia Pictures.

22


L i f e s t y l e

LIFESTYLE EDITOR:

Georgina England

A Student’s Guide to

the Best Study Spots

in Lancaster

Lexi Joyce

MUSIC EDITOR

Whether you’re a new student

looking for some good spots

to cram in your studying,

or someone returning and

looking to spruce up your

usual work space. This is the

guide for you.

Firstly, let’s look at the options

for a good study sesh around the

heart of University life: campus.

It wouldn’t be a useful guide if I

didn’t mention the library.

The Library

Despite it being an obvious space

the options around the library

make it a perfect regular. Whether

you want to catch up on lecture

recordings or read through your

seminar prep, the computers

available and cosy seats help you

stay in the zone.

Similarly, as each of the

three floors of the library

indicates different noise

levels, you can pick what

works best for you and

your optimum learning

environment.

Plus, the study spaces are good

for working on group projects

or collective work with your

friends, but make sure you book

in advance.

Alternatively, if you can’t get

availability to a group study

space in the library in time, the

business management building

is the place to go. With free, open

spaces there’s whiteboards and

big tables available for more lastminute

students (which we all fall

guilty of).

Pendle Brew

If you’re craving something a little

more casual, Pendle Brew is a

good option, based in the south

of campus.

Always playing good

music, and well-priced

coffee is always a bonus.

With good songs and

friendly bar staff, it’s a

great place to face your

to-do list.

Great if you don’t work the best

in silence also. Definitely my

number one spot for less attentive

days.

Bonnie Steps

Finally, considering Lancaster’s

tumultuous weather and

Three Creepy Cocktails for your

Halloween Party

Caitlyn Taft

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Halloween is right around the corner. It’s

my favourite holiday! This means flat and

house parties will be brewing.

So, get the decorations ready, put on your scary

masks, and grab your witch’s broom, here are

some cocktail ideas to get the ball rolling!

(All ingredients can be purchased at Aldi

or Sainsbury’s.)

Haunted Blue

Lagoon:

- 45ml of Vodka

- 15ml of Blue Curacao

- 100ml of Lemonade

- 2 Drops of Red Food Colouring

1. Measure out the alcohol.

2. Mix all together and add two drops

of red food colouring.

3. Pour into a glass and add lemonade.

persistent rain, this one is more

of a rare treat for a sunny day. The

field next to Fylde’s bar, ‘The Mill’

just off the south spine is a serene

space to read or make simple

notes or essay plans on the grass.

Plus during the

springtime, the ducks

love to say hello.

I recommend bringing some

snacks and chilling in the open

air, this always makes my study

seem less daunting and creates

an open mind to recharge and

tackle the heavy workloads.

The Music Room

However, if you fancy getting off

campus for a while and making

more of a trip out of your work,

the town centre has some great

spots. Especially the variety of

coffee shops.

For instance, ‘The Music Room’,

hidden under a passageway on

Sun Street.

The baristas are always welcoming

and the music is a great chilled

vibe, especially peaceful for some

heavy essay writing. Plus, you

can treat yourself to a cake at the

same time to inspire your mind ;).

Holm

Similarly, Holm is a great option,

with amazing cakes and drinks,

especially recommend visiting

during the autumn for their cosy

and festive drinks.

Poisonous

Apple Martini:

- 30ml of Vodka

- 30ml of Apple Sourz

- 30ml of Lime Juice

- 30ml of Half Water and

White Sugar Mixture

1. Squeeze the juice of a lime

into the glass.

2. Add Vodka and Apple

Sourz.

3. Mix half water and

white sugar until sugar has

dissolved.

4. Add all ingredients together.

I would hint at going

there for some solo study

as the spaces available

are limited, but great cosy

vibes.

The Herbarium

The Herbarium is also a great

option, especially since it’s a

fully vegan cafe and their food

is wonderful. If you fancy doing

a large chunk of work with a

great playlist in the background,

this is the place to be. Really

recommend it if you like matcha,

their drinks are great.

Photos Credits: Lexi Joyce

Vampire’s First

Bite:

- 60ml of Spiced Rum

- 80ml of Cranberry Juice

- 80ml of Pineapple Juice

- Lime Juice

- Sugar

1. Roll the rim of your glass in

lime juice.

2. Dip the rim in a plate

of sugar, twist the glass to

thoroughly coat the rim.

3. Add the liquids together,

mix with a spoon.

How My

Friendship

Survived

the Move to

University

Caitlyn Taft

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

When I moved to university, I

was afraid that my almost 9 year

friendship with Mia would come

to a dead end. Mia was going to

Bath Spa university, which is 215

miles away from where I am in

Lancaster.

We promised to call everyday but

then we got busy. Despite this, I’m

going into my

final year of

university; my

friendship with

Mia couldn’t be

stronger.

In First year, I

spent a lot of

my time trying

to impress all

the new people I was meeting. I had

never made friends outside of school

so this was exciting.

I got so swept up in all the fun, my

messages to Mia dwindled. Even

though I was out clubbing or out at

a pub, I would always message her

before and after a night out.

I still do because she’ll

always be my best friend.

One thing we integrated into our

newly online friendship was vlogs.

I would video myself getting ready,

telling her the latest drama in my flat

or about some writing I was doing.

Mia and I do the same

course, we both have a

burning passion for books,

poetry, and Keats.

When conversations got dry,

we would send each other book

recommendations or short poems

that reminded us of each other.

We now have a shared Spotify playlist

and are comparing our timetables

for this year. It feels sad that we have

to pre-book the other for an hour (or

four) call each week, but it’s a system

that’s working for us.

Your conversations with your friends

from home may decrease, but if

you keep sending them a meme or

two a day, I’m sure you’ll be okay.

You’ll probably see them in your

local Spoons around Christmas time

anyway.

Photos Credits: Caitlyn Taft


23

How to Survive

Georgina England

Unfortunately, most of these things are

unavoidable during the first weeks of term but

LIFESTYLE EDITOR

that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some steps

you can take to alleviate the symptoms and get

Freshers flu is quite honestly a different yourself on the mend quicker.

Freshers Flu

sort of illness. Yet, we have all had the

flu, but it feels so much worse for some

reason. During those first few weeks of

Important things to do:

term, fresher’s flu runs rampant through

the university campus and Lancaster is no

Drink lots of fluids (not Vitamin C tablets are your

exception. First, one person in your flat gets alcohol) and eat a healthy best friend.

it but you can be certain it’s going to get to

diet.

all of you.

The mixing of different people from across the

country and the world exposes you to illnesses

you haven’t had before. Therefore, you have a

slower immune response to the new pathogens.

And of course, the first few weeks of university

aren’t the most ideal time to develop symptoms,

but it’s certainly not the end of the world.

Most symptoms are just like a really bad cold or

flu, so if you’re like the rest of the world, you’re

very used to these kinds of things thanks to

COVID-19. Despite what the name indicates

‘Freshers flu’ isn’t a kind of flu at all, it’s simply

a bad cold.

This could be having a bowl of soup or getting

fruit and vegetables in your system.

Make yourself a good

tea of lemon, honey and

ginger.

This works well to soothe a sore throat and

improve immune response. Or you can purchase

some soothers to help calm the cough from Spar

or Central on Campus.

(Take this with a pinch of

salt) Miss the lecture.

You can purchase some from Holland and Barrett

in Town or order some from Amazon.

Don’t go out too often.

This one’s easy to ignore, especially when you feel

like these first few weeks are crucial in meeting

people new people. But everyone is experiencing

the same thing and going out is only going to

make you and others much worse.

If all this doesn’t help and your symptoms haven’t

improved in 1-2 weeks, go to your doctor or

local pharmacist to make sure you haven’t got

something worse like meningitis. You can also

visit the NHS website for more information on

how to battle this particularly nasty cold.

Some of the things that It can be very easy to skip lectures when you

can contribute to this know they’re recorded and put online anyway

but don’t abuse this. It’s always better to actually

are lack of sleep, new

And as embarrassing as it is to cough continuously

go because the likelihood of you doing those in a lecture, you’re just one in a chorus of coughs

Photos Credits: Georgina England

environment, stress, poor missed lectures is very slim.

because everyone is in the same boat.

diet, and alcohol.

Four Simplified Recipes to

Try in First Term

Caitlyn Taft

tofu into the pan. Cook until fully cooked

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

When I came to university, I was clueless

when it came to cooking. I was awful at

it. Since then, I have learnt a thing or two

about cooking. Eating balanced meals will

go a long way as the term turns colder. To

help those who are like me, helpless at

cooking, here are some recipes that

make the process a little easier.

Student Stir Fry

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10-15

Minutes

Ingredients from Aldi:

- Medium Egg Noodles – 95p

- Stir Fry Sauce (Teriyaki, Sweet Chilli,

or Korean BBQ) – 55p

- Carrot – 39p

- ½ Red, Green and Yellow Peppers –

£1.39

- Broccoli – 69p

- 1 Spring Onion – 50p

- Meat of Choice (2x Chicken Breast

Fillets – £2.29, Beef Steak – £3.15, Firm

Tofu – 99p)

Method

1. Boil water in a kettle.

2. Once boiled, pour the water into a

saucepan and heat the hob until the

water starts boiling. Add in noodles.

3. Oil frying pan, then place diced meat or

through, cut open a piece if unsure.

4. Add the vegetables and cook until

they’re soft.

5. Drain the noodles with a colander over

the sink.

6. Add noodles and premade sauce into

the mix until well coated, garnish with the

greens of the spring onion.

First Year Fajitas


Cook time: 10 minutes


- Tortilla wraps – 99p

- 2x Chicken Breast Fillets –

£2.29

- Leftover Peppers or a New Packet-

£1.39

- 1 Red Onion – 32p

For the Sauce:

- 1 Teaspoon of Cumin – 69p

- 1 Teaspoon of Paprika – 59p

- Dash of Salt and Pepper – both £1.49

- 1 Lime – 24p

- Garlic Puree – 69p

Method

1. Chop onion and peppers and set aside.

2. Mix all the ingredients for the sauce

into a bowl.

3. Place diced chicken into the bowl and

mix.

4. Heat up the frying pan with olive oil.

5. Cook the onions and peppers until soft.

6. Add in the chicken and sauce.

7. Cook until chicken is no longer pink

and the sauce is evenly mixed through.

8. Serve onto tortilla wraps.

Bangers and Mash


Cook time: 1 hour


- Pork Sausages 8 Pack – £1.89

- 2x Potatoes – 46p

- Small Knob of Butter – £1.29

- Dash of Milk – £1.29

- Onion Gravy – £1.19

- Canned peas – 29p

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°c fan/ 200°c on

electric/ gas mark 6.

2. Boil the kettle and place the peeled potatoes

into a saucepan.

3. Once the oven is preheated, place 2

sausages on a baking tray and put into the

oven. Put a timer on for 25 minutes.

4. Wait 20 minutes for the potatoes to boil.

5. Prod potatoes with a fork, if they’re soft,

strain them and add them back into the

saucepan.

6. Add butter and milk. Mash with a masher

or a wooden spoon.

7. Transfer the mash to a bowl or plate, add

canned peas into the saucepan and heat for

the time suggested on the tin.

8. Boil kettle and pour water into a measuring

jug with 4 tablespoons of onion gravy.

9. Take the sausages out of the oven and strain

the peas over the sink.

10. Place everything onto a plate and serve

up.

Spicy Lentil and Carrot

Soup


Cook time: 1 hour


- 150mg of Red Lentils – £1.29

- 2l Vegetable Stock – 99p

- 3 Carrots – £1.17

- 1 Brown Onion – 32p

- 2 Teaspoons of Cumin – 69p

- Pinch of Chilli Flakes – 65p

- 100ml of Crème Fraîche – 99p

- Garlic Puree – 69p

Method

L I F E S T Y L E

Photos Credits: Megan Taft

and Alison Taft

1. Rinse lentils under cold water and set aside.

2. In a large pot, heat some olive oil and add

the chopped onion. Saute until softened.

3. Add the diced carrots to the pot and cook

for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Add the cumin, chilli flakes, and garlic

puree to the pot and stir.

5. Pour in the vegetable

stock and bring to a boil.

6. Add the red lentils

and reduce the heat to

a simmer, cook for 20

minutes or until the

lentils are tender.

7. Using a blender,

blend the soup until

smooth and creamy.

8. Stir in the crème fraîche to taste.

9. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.

10. Serve up, garnished with a dollop of crème

fraîche.

24

L I F E S T Y L E


How To Not Fall Behind

with University Work

Adrian Collis

NEWS EDITOR

University’s finally here, and nicely

enough, the first week is more or

less just one massive party where

you try to get to know as many

people as possible before you

dive into classes.

As reluctant as I am to be the

bearer of bad news, classes are

coming, and when they do, there

will be deadlines, and there will

be many of them.

Nobody (and I mean nobody)

has a perfect track record when

it comes to university work,

and keeping on top of things in

balance with your life outside of

class is always going to take a bit of

hard work you won’t be used to yet.

With the right attitude

and planning, nothing’s

impossible, and you’ll be

top of your class in no

time!

So, take these top tips from someone’s who

hasn’t missed a deadline since college. I

promise I’m not a soulless drone devoid

of any social life, either. It’s possible, and it

won’t be as difficult as you think it will.

1. Make a work

schedule

It’s kind of like a revision timetable, and I

know you’re familiar with those. This one’s

easier to plan and doesn’t take up your

whole day.

Keeping a written plan of

when you’ll get everything

done is essential,

especially if you’re

prone to losing

track of days

and forgetting

important

deadlines.

Your brain is going to be

busy, and you’re not going

to be able to remember

everything.

Don’t just rely on Moodle to tell

you when everything is due; making

yourself a personalised calendar also lets

you balance the things you need to do with

the things you want to do.

That way, if you need to shuffle things

around, you can still keep track of what you

need to finish by which day. Do this for long

enough and it becomes second nature to

get things done efficiently, without doing it

all at the last minute.

Always try to plan so

you’re finishing your work

way before the deadline,

so if you do have to push

it back you don’t find

yourself strapped for time.

2. Actually make

time for your work

Once you get into the swing of things, you’re

probably going to find yourself being pretty

socially busy.

As much as

you never

want to get

FOMO by

missing

out on

new

friends

and

events,

trust a

third year

when I say

there will

always be more

nights out and house

parties to go to.

If you’re particularly overwhelmed with

something, don’t be afraid to say no. You

could even use the opportunity to say:

“Well, I can’t do then, but

how about we hang out at

this date, when I actually

am free?” (as shown on

your fancy schedule

you’ve made after

reading bullet point

#1).

Everyone loves to be invited

to things, and you’ve gotten

everything done that you needed

to. Take it a step further and plan

to do your work way before your

deadlines so if you really don’t

want to miss out, it’s not the end of

the world for your grades.

3. If you know you

study best alone,

STUDY ALONE

It’s a fun idea to go to

coffee shops or the library

and study peacefully

with friends. That is,

until you’re distracting

yourselves for hours,

getting caught up in

tangent conversations,

and now all of the library’s

B floor knows your business.

It’s a mistake I’ve

found myself making

all too often; there will

always be other times to

get silly with your friends.

Don’t be afraid to head out and tackle

your work alone if it’s what you need; your

deadlines will be thanking you.

4. Stick to your plans

This one seems obvious,

but life can get hectic.

To the best of your

ability, the stricter

you are with

yourself to follow

the plan you’ve

set out, the better

you’re going to feel

when it’s done when

it’s supposed to be.

Independence and selfmanagement

can be rough

to learn, but setting

yourself a plan and

sticking to it is one great

way to get ahead.

Photos Credits:

Caitlyn Taft

The more productive you

are, the less deadlines you

miss, the more time you

have for other things, the

better you feel.

If you ignore your responsibilities and

procrastinate them, they’ll just come back

to you at a time you’ll hate. Don’t do it. Be

hard on yourself.

5. Don’t be afraid to

ask for help

Being tough on yourself is all well and good

in theory, but sometimes life gets the better

of us and it’s not as simple as following your

daily schedule.

Sometimes life

events out of

your control

get in the

way, or

you’re just

unable to

get out of

bed and do

the tasks

you normally

could.

If it’s getting really bad and

it all feels out of your hands,

you’re not the first, and there’s nothing

wrong with that.

Reach out to your professors or a counsellor

on campus, and don’t be nervous to ask for

the support you need.

You’re not a robot, though

sometimes it seems

like uni asks that

of people. With

the right amount

of tenacity and

organisation,

deadlines will feel

like a breeze to hit.

You just need to be real with

yourself: nobody else is going to do

them, no matter how much you try

not to think about them.

You’re not alone! You’ll always have

something to worry about, but if you get

ahead at the right time, it’ll hopefully be

something a little smaller.


25

Creative Writing

CREATIVE

WRITING TEAM:

Noor Rakha

& Elizabeth Brooks

The Writing Spaces

Away From Your Desk

Noor Rakha & Elizabeth Brooks

CREATIVE WRITING EDITORS

Writing doesn’t have to be a solitary task. I

suppose its tradition that leaves us to type

quietly in our little corners, but it needn’t

be the rule.

We interviewed three writing communities;

the Living Poets Society (@lulivingpoets),

the Writers Society (@luwritersoc), and

The Lancaster Surrealist Group (@

lancastersurrealism). Perhaps one of these

will pique your interest.

‘Living Poets Society

embraces everybody’,

as expressed by Efe, the

society’s President. Their

aim is to create a space

that welcomes all, no matter

your writing experience.

The Writers Society are eager to bring

writers together. As the executives put it:

They ‘want to make the

arduous hours a little easier,

and a little more fun’.

The society was founded to help writers

build their craft and create a space for likeminded

students.

The Surrealism Group, as you can guess

from their name, are not solely focused on

writing.

They aim to successfully run a group that

abides to the movement’s traditions, as well

as adapting the movement to undertake the

obstacles of the present:

‘We want to sow seeds of

madness, revolution and

love through the streets of

Lancaster’.

Surrealist Writing uses techniques such as

automatism to investigate the unconscious

mind and to quote:

‘Reveal the true nature of

human thought’. This writing

is meant to be freeing,

honest, convulsive and ‘in a

style that must unify dream

and reality so that they are

no longer perceived as

contradictions’.

Each group has a wide range of activities

and plans for the new academic year. Open

Mic Nights and workshops can be expected

by the Living Poets Society, as well as café

crawls, guest speakers and scavenger hunts.

The Writers Society have similar events,

such as critique sessions and movie nights.

They are also creating an online journal

that aims to publish works and establish a

portfolio for its members.

The Surrealist Group’s

socials comprise of

philosophy, juxtapositions,

madness, artistry and

‘kettles made from plantbased

ham’.

We were interested in why the members

and executives themselves had joined their

group. Val, the Vice-President of the Poetry

Society, said:

‘The society has a big

place in my heart, as it

allowed me to discover

and nurture my passion for

poetry.’

This society has created a welcoming

environment for anyone interested in

writing poetry, whether it is something

completely new, or a long-enduring passion.

The Writers Society

shared how they felt that

there wasn’t a space for

writers to collaborate

outside of the academic

spheres in Lancaster.

They wanted to create a space where

writers, whatever their experience, could

come together and develop their craft, a

perfect way to welcome everyone.

The Surrealists expressed

how they ‘were naturally

attracted to the idea of

exploring one’s mind,

to dreams, to love and

to irrationality.’ They

also wanted ‘to spread

[surrealism] and take

it further, to incarnate

Lancaster into its history.’

Each group also provided some

recommendations, a taste of some

literature if you are interested. From the

Living Poets, ‘Trumpet’ by Jackie Kay and

‘Honey & Spice’ by Bolu Babalola, ‘Random’

by Liz Lochhead.

You could even read work

published by the exec,

‘Male fantasies, male

fantasies’, by (Founder

and ex-President) Maria

Hill – published in @

cakemaglancaster. ‘The

Misadventures of Moving

Forward’ by (current

President) Emoefeoghene

(Efe) Akpofure Imoyin-

Omene.

The Writers Society suggested The Secret

History, Circe, and Babel: The Necessity for

Violence, Labyrinths and The Last Wish. For

poetry, they would recommend anything by

Nikita Gill. They also added that they ‘would

recommend you read books that interest

you and correspond to your genre/form.’

Finally, The Surrealist Group would

recommend the Surrealist manifestoes by

Andre Breton, ‘although they are outdated

in many ways, they are still one of the best

places to begin.’

They also recommend, ‘Surrealism: Key

Concepts’ edited by Michael Richardson,

‘The Debutante and other stories’ by

Leonora Carrington, and the Dedalus

Books of Surrealism edited by Michael

Richardson.

You might be feeling

inspired to start writing.

Or maybe continue to

write with others who, like

yourself, are excited for

workshops and socials

with other like-minded

people!

If this is the case, then why not join a group?

Who knows, you could make new friends,

amazing memories, or maybe write the

next best-seller!

Photos Credits: @luwritersoc

on Instagram, @lulivingpoets

on Instagram (and Maria Hill ),

and @lancastersurrealism on

Instagram

26 C R E A T I V E W R I T I N G


Fresher’s Writing

Competition

Our story isn’t the same as in

fairytales

POETRY

No prince charmings, no damsels-in-distress

WINNER

although I do sing badly in the shower, I guess,

and I ask you to trap my spiders in a glass.

Comments from the Editor

Our story isn’t the same as in fairytales

juxtaposes the dreaminess of fiction

with mundane domesticity to create an

unexpected romantic prospect.

The consistent rhyme in the first two stanzas

is broken by the last, breaking the illusion of a

picturesque relationship.

Thomas’ use of imagery is what particularly

drew me to this poem, as he highlights the

beauty of everyday occurrences with a

partner.

It’s a beautiful, quiet piece and a worthy

winner.

No magic spellbooks, no hoarded golden plates,

except for your Spotify playlist, the one I hate

that I’m growing to love, like you, or tolerate.

The art for this piece is originial artwork from

one of our Screen Editors, Amy Brook.

To see more of Amy’s artwork, you can follow

her Instagram @pidgequill

Our story isn’t the same as in fairytales.

There’s just you, me, and the shitty single bed

with the loose spring that keeps us up all night,

but I’m grateful, because when it digs our ribs

I can feel your heart beating against mine.

by Thomas Bailey

Writing Poetry During the

Drought of a Writing Block

Maria Hill


During the summer term, I was

suffering from a word-numbing

poetry block, so I reached out to my

friend Liam Bates for advice on how

to overcome it.

Liam Bates is this year’s winner of the

Northern Writers Awards for Poetry.

He’s had collections of poetry published,

and is an extremely gifted poet, and so

what he told me came as a surprise:

It’s okay to have periods

of time where you find it

difficult – or sometimes

even impossible – to

write. He knows award

winning writers who

have poetry blocks for

months then come back

and write more award

winning poetry.

A way I like to look at it is that your

brain is thirsty, and wants to drink in

everything from the most haunting

wines of Shirely Jackson to the bitter

bears of Philip Larkin, before pissing

out a wonderful stream of poetry and/

or prose.

So, in the wise words

of Stephen King, when

you’re not writing, then

read novels, and when

you’re not reading

novels, read about

writing.

Of course, Stephen King is very intense

and is currently not at university, so

don’t forget to have amplies of free time

and fun, but especially studying a BA

in Creative Writing it’s important not

to forget this – your time table will be

sparse and have only a handful of hours

of in-person teaching, but do not be

fooled.

Teachers expect you to

be reading and writing

to make up for the thin

timetable. Not only is

how much you read

reflected in the growth

of your writing skills, but

it is prominent when you

come to your reflective

essay.

I still haven’t entirely come out of my

poetry block apart from the occasional,

but I know that, when you love words,

words will always find you again.

If you balance pushing

through a writing block

by writing anything even

if you think it’s awful (we

learn the most from our

failures after all, and how

can we fail or succeed

if we remain stagnant?),

with being kind to

yourself by taking time

out to read and become

inspired again, you can

get over any poetry

block.

C R E A T I V E W R I T I N G


27

The Commuter’s Guide

I first stepped on a plane

at seventeen. Casey wailed so

loudly even the pilot must’ve

been smothering his ears with

his ridiculous hat.

Mum and Dad were so

focused on dabbing away her

tears that they didn’t notice my

fingernails scratching maps

on the armrests. I don’t want

to make them sound like bad

parents.

They noticed later on,

after the swooping sensation

of a metal casket shooting us

towards the Heavens made

my airport breakfast reappear.

Throwing up always tires me

out. The aisle seat they stuck

me in wasn’t as comfortable

as Casey’s window view, but

I slept like the dead until we

reached Lanzarote. One star,

lowered because of the middleseat

businessman who glared at

me for five hours after I hurled

regurgitated waffles onto his dry

clean only suit.

That Christmas was the

only time the whole family

made it abroad. I’ve never been

sure whether Mum and Dad’s

therapist was licensed, but I

don’t know why he believed a

resort full of screaming children

and drunk adults would fix their

marriage.

Neither of them fought.

(Well, no more than usual.) They

finalised the divorce by the time

the clocks went forward. The

main outcome of this – other

than Casey’s occasional sniffles

about Mummy and Daddy not

to Sleep

loving each other anymore –

was that we started spending a

lot more time in the car.

I liked Mum’s shiny Ford

Fiesta more than Dad’s yellow

Nissan Qashqai. Mum didn’t

care if I slept in the car. I think

it was so I wouldn’t complain

about her frequent wee

breaks. During her week in the

summer holidays, she took us

to Abersoch to drink wine and

discuss unhappy marriages

with equally unhappy people

while we played unsupervised

in the freezing Irish Sea. Every

morning, I delivered a packet

of ready salted crisps and two

paracetamols to her bedside,

then pumped my deflated air

mattress back up.

Every night, she drove

us to the pub and back – some

journeys smoother than others,

depending how many glasses of

Merlot she choked down – and

Casey made a game of sticking

her finger into my mouth while

I was sleeping. Mum drove us

home the morning after I bit her.

She never wanted a boy. She told

me as much. Two stars, since the

G-force of her illegal turns were

enough to jostle me awake.

Sleeping in a car for too

long hurts your neck. It’s still

the fourth best place to nap,

after a bed and the couch in the

conservatory and one of those

wobbly school desks in the

middle of an exam. My neck was

always ramrod straight in Dad’s

car. If he caught me sleeping,

he’d say, ‘I won’t fight for custody

if you’re gonna sleep on my time.’

During his week in the summer

holidays, he took us to Cornwall

to build campfires and watch

the match on his phone while

we played unsupervised in the

freezing Celtic Sea.

He forgot to feed us full

meals some nights, but he let us

buy as many packets of Quavers

and salted peanuts from the bar

as we could stomach. I don’t

think he should ever get a pet.

He didn’t want either of his kids.

He never told us outright, but

Gran did. He waited until after

she died to bring up the divorce.

Three stars, which would’ve

been higher if he hadn’t once

screamed at me for drooling on

his spotless leather seats.

The train became my

new favourite commute after

September. The trek from home

to university takes four hours,

with a change halfway. Usually,

something goes wrong. A train

gets cancelled, or it runs so

late the staff give up on the

whole thing and dump all the

passengers in a random station

with a half-hearted apology and

a partial refund.

Sleeping on the first leg of

the pilgrimage is too risky. The

ten-minute window to switch

trains tends to actually be two

minutes to run from platform

one to platform six. You need to

be prepared; suitcase in hand,

perched by the door, mashing

the button to let you out. With

my luck, the first time I miss

my stop will be the first time

they check whether I have, in

fact, paid thirty quid for a 16-25

railcard. (I haven’t.)

The second stretch, on the

other hand… there’s no rush.

Two and half glorious hours of

smooth travel until you reach

your final destination. The train

terminates there, so no danger

of missing your stop. There are

some benefits to choosing the

furthest university from home

that would accept my perfectly

mediocre A Level results. Four

stars, because there always

seems to be a baby crying three

rows behind me.

I first clambered into a hearse

at sixteen, on my way to Gran’s

funeral. I cried, not because I

missed her permanently sticky

fingers and slobbery, whiskery

kisses, but because I was missing

a school trip to Alton Towers.

I didn’t sleep then, and I didn’t

sleep or cry riding in the same

car five years later.

I chose the coffin myself. The

soft white silk looked so inviting,

I nearly climbed in myself. Mum

would’ve complained that the

dress they stuffed her into made

her look frumpy, but I remember

the feeling of the floral cotton

on my cheek when I was young.

Back when she still hugged me

first, before Casey was born. The

drive to the crematorium took

twenty-five minutes. I didn’t

sleep, but I’ll be in the back of

an identical hearse someday.

Five stars, for the peace of finally

being able to sleep without

someone waking me up.

Comments from the Editor

Maddie has captured something quite

beautiful in this piece. Upon reading it,

both of us knew this would be this term’s

winner. The intimate retelling of the

narrator’s life in the format of a review is

rather witty, but it also makes light (and

makes fun) of different periods of the

narrator’s life.

There is a sense of not only fatigue but

apathy that is carried throughout. The

fatigue is something inescapable and

unyielding, that drags on until the end. The

conclusion is almost peaceful, of finally

being at rest without needing to wake up.

PROSE WINNER:

Maddie

by

Parkhouse

28


FRESHERS

FAIR ‘23

Wednesday 4th October

11:30AM - 5PM @ THE SPORTS CENTRE

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29

S p o r t s

The Shaping of the

2023 Rugby

World Cup

Peter Murdock

SPORTS EDITOR

Following the monumental success of Japan

2019, the Men’s World Cup, held this year

in France, should hopefully be more than

match the stories and legends now set into

sporting history.

There’s palpable enthusiasm for France 2023

across the global rugby scene, and that stems from

a number of differing factors and circumstances

that, as with any major sporting event, have

uniquely contributed towards the tournament

feel.

The Aftershock of Covid

Firstly, and it must be emphasised, that between

this World Cup and its predecessor, the Covid-19

Pandemic hit the world of sport; rugby was no

exception. In general, this meant a whole year of

very little to no games for many nations.

For instance, the reigning champions of South

Africa didn’t play one game during 2020, in a year

where after winning the World Cup, the team

would have looked to both reassess their squad,

and build momentum.

Viral videos appeared

from Argentinian players

confined in hotel rooms

and apartments doing

crude workouts for months

on end, resulting from

Argentina’s elongated

lockdown policy.

2020 was arguably the key year for all teams to

rebuild, and all were affected to varying degrees,

which has meant that some nations’ preparation

has been drastically cut short. Needless to say

that the enforced absence of rugby even three

years later will cause supporters and players alike

to appreciate a World Cup more than ever. The

atmosphere should be electric.

The Favourites

The teams competing this year are the most

competitive and developed teams that have

ever been seen before. This goes for both the

tournament favourites and the historically

smaller teams, who unlike previous years, aren’t

simply appearing to ‘make up the numbers.’

Looking to the strongest teams, many will say that

the scramble to the trophy will be led by Ireland,

France, and South Africa. In general, New Zealand,

the most successful international team in history,

are being placed outside of the top bracket.

By the time this article is released, many results

of the competition will already be known, and the

sheer talent within the All Blacks team may have

driven them back into the unplayable, matchwinning

form of years gone by.

However, I do doubt

whether this will be enough

to match the tried and

tested formulas that the

aforementioned ‘big-three’

have been implementing

rather nicely over the last

couple of years.

A Changing Playing Field

More excitingly still, especially for the neutral, is

the hopeful emergence of a new generation of tiertwo

nations stepping forward into the light. The

introduction of Chile onto rugby’s biggest stage

for the first time is a sure sign of the continuing

spread of the sport in South America. They will

look to continue their ground-breaking run of

form into France, taking whatever scalp may

present itself.

Perhaps the greatest

amount of attention should

be turned towards the

South Sea island nations.

Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa

have always thrilled teams

with their characteristic

flair, passion and sheer

physicality. However,

perhaps for the first time,

the pendulum has swung

to a point where all three of

these teams have the ability

to seriously challenge.

One can very quickly point to Fiji’s first ever win

over England at Twickenham in the warm-up

matches as evidence of this. Who knows what

other upsets of this nature could take place over

the coming weeks?

This levelling of the playing field at international

level can be pinned to one fundamental change

made in 2021 by the international governing body,

World Rugby.

Prior to its introduction, international players

could only ever play for one country; regarding

teams like Tonga and Samoa, this has continuously

presented a challenge.

Due to the general lack of funding of their rugby

programs which can inhibit careers, many players

have opted to move abroad, where they have

qualified through residency to play for that

country. In essence, this has meant a mass

exodus of players, both physically away from their

respective homes, and from a rugby standpoint, as

talent is lost to other countries.

The new law has meant

that, over the last couple

of years, players who

may have been selected

previously to play for other

nations, such as England

and New Zealand, are now

eligible to represent their

country of birth or heritage.

Crucially, this has flooded

these teams with world

class rugby players, who

are now reshaping the

possibilities of Pacific Island

rugby for years to come.

The impact of this change should not be

understated. Indeed, it may just begin to relegate

the ‘David vs Goliath’ stories of old to the past,

whilst replacing them with more competitive and

equal rugby that supporters and players alike have

been demanding.

A New Legacy

I have no doubt that France 2023 will be a success.

Star-studded teams aplenty, ever-passionate fans

and a country that believes it is their time to win

the Webb Ellis Cup. A melting pot of sport at its

finest is on the cards.

The 2019 World Cup

in Japan certainly set

expectations high, as it

launched rugby into a new

area of the world; this year,

the tournament returns to

one of the powerhouses of

the sport.

However, whether or not collectively this

World Cup reaches its full potential will be seen

particularly in the performances away from these

historical powerhouses.

It will be seen in the little and large moments

that represent and speak to the fans, players and

nations who, in a relatively short space of time,

have undergone change like never before.

Photo Credits: @World Rugby on

Instagram

SPORTS EDITORS:

Will Jones

& Peter Murdock

Mary

Earps –

Why Should

We Give a

Shirt?

Maisie Otterburn

WELFARE OFFICER/ WRITER

England Woman’s Player of the Year

Mary Earps has recently called Nike

out on the unavailability of her goal

keeper strip.

Earps stated that it was ‘hugely disappointing

and very hurtful’ that family, friends and fans

were unable to buy her shirt during the 2023

Women’s World Cup.

She was named best goalie in 2022, won

the 2023 Golden Glove off the back of her

performance during the World Cup and has

recently been named England Woman’s Player

of the Year. Surely Nike have missed out on a

huge money making business by not selling

her strip?

When it comes to sports, especially big

sporting brands, ‘it’s often money that is the

loudest voice…not equality’.

It can be argued that

the decision not to

originally sell Earps’s

shirt was based

on the notion that

commercially, they

wouldn’t sell many.

It’s obvious that Nike weren’t anticipating

what a tournament Mary Earps would have.

However, respect and support of Earps

shouldn’t solely be based on the performance

of one tournament.

Women’s football is pushing and working to

break through the glass ceiling of expectations

and restrictions. By excluding Earps from

Nike sales, it could be viewed that she isn’t

taken seriously as a player.

However, the 150,000 signatures that Earps

fan Emmy’s petition secured show the

support that she has. Emmy stated that she

started the petition to ‘make them see just

how important our female goalkeepers are’.

The same view was held by a record label that

created an unofficial shirt for fans to buy – ‘if

you don’t make it, we will’.

It becomes harder

for female players,

especially female

goalkeepers, who are

becoming role models

for young girls to gain

the respect that they

deserve. All because

certain sports brands,

in this case Nike,

refuse to sell the strip.

Nike did make a U-turn after the tournament,

in the wake of the petition, and released a

limited number of Earps’s shirts for fans to

buy.

30

S P O R T S


The Excitment

Around the

Grounds:

of Lancaster

The Local

Sports

Cricket Club

Teams That

You Should

Engage with

Will Jones

SPORTS EDITOR

The 2022/23 season was a season

of dreams for the men of Lancaster

University Cricket Club. All three

teams comprehensively beat York at

Roses, the first time in years this had

been achieved.

The boys had made a

name for themselves and

changed their reputation

at the university for

the better as a serious,

hardworking, talented

society that could

compete at a high level

and punch well above its

weight.

The effort shown throughout the season

was phenomenal, particularly by Former

President and Vice President Tom Gray

and Matthew Peacock.

With Oliver Paterson at the wheel for

the 2023/24 season with his team of likeminded

individuals, the year is looking

promising for the men in red and yellow

striped ties.

What does Oliver

Paterson want for the

upcoming season?

Paterson is looking to

expand the club because

unsurprisingly, after the

historic season they have

just had, more people

want to join. Who can

blame them?

Paterson wants to replicate the success

at Roses and hopefully, after seasons of

trying but coming up short, get the 1s and

2s promoted in BUCS.

The 3s don’t play BUCS but are still an

intrinsic part of the club as they’re a team

that are passionate about the sport and

actively encourage people to take it up.

Alfie Perkins is a fantastic addition to

exec as the newly appointed 3s captain

who looks to follow on the success and

excellent job former 3s captain Jacob

Brown has done for many years.

Coming to university for

the first time can be a

daunting experience. You

are away from home and

away from the bubble

that you are used to

living in. The thought of

not making friends and

fitting in is an unpleasant

thought to have.

One of the reasons why Lancaster

University Cricket Club has been

successful in recent years is because the

exec and current members go out of their

way to make new members feel welcomed.

The club ensures that it caters for players

of all abilities.

The club is diverse

and multi-cultural and

welcomes people

from all religions and

ethnicities. Training

is throughout the

academic year

on Tuesdays and

Thursdays. Games

take place on a

Wednesday in

Summer term with

socials throughout the

year on a Friday.

If you don’t drink, don’t worry,

non-drinking socials take place

throughout the year as well. As a

section editor you should remain

unbiased, but I am extremely proud

to be a member of the Cricket Club

because it has so much to offer, and

I have got a lot out of my time there.

Being the 2nd team

Captain last year was

a great experience.

Joining the Cricket Club

is the best decision I’ve

made at university. I’ve

gained confidence, new

skills, and friends for life.

I would encourage anyone joining

Lancaster University to join the Cricket

Club. It is like family, once you are in it

you become a member for life.

Photo Credits: @lancasteruniversitycc on Instagram and

Lancaster Hockey Club on Facebook

This Year

Peter Murdock

SPORTS EDITOR

University sports teams keep many

students active, involved, and often

tremendously busy. Therefore, there’s

a potential danger to miss the broad

range of sports clubs within the city and

surrounding area.

So, as the curtain rises for a new year of Lancastrian

sport, here are some of the teams that may be worth

a visit-turned raucous away game journey.

Lancaster Hockey Club

(University campus

Astro)

Beginning with the closest in proximity, with

games played on the university Astro turf pitches,

Lancaster Hockey Club began in 1931 and has gone

from strength to strength.

It boasts three senior teams, all of which play their

home games on Saturday. All in all, a stupidly easy

walk to see a very good standard of hockey.

Lancaster City Football

Club (in town, 15-minute

car drive)

In the heart of the city lies Lancaster Football

Club, whose first team are currently playing in the

Northern Premier League, Premier Division.

With the season well underway, a trip down to see

THE local football team could certainly make for a

good day, evening, night or all three combined.

Student admission is set at £5 per the club website,

making a visit to the Giant Axe stadium to watch the

Dolly Blues is a must for the upcoming year.

Morecombe FC

(20-minute drive)

An important season is on the cards in the quest

for a return to League One for the men’s first team,

under the watchful eye of Manager Derek Adams.

The Womens 1st team will also look to kick on this

year, competing in the Division One North League,

playing matches consistently at Galgate FC’s

Recreation Ground, which is only a 5-minute car

drive from Bailrigg.


31

Unmissable Sports Societies

You Have Never Heard Of !

S P O R T S

Peter Murdock

SPORTS EDITOR

Lancaster University has a wide variety of sports. The

sport side of Lancaster is incredibly rich, with a great

sense of community. Here are some sport societies that

aren’t as popular as football and rugby, but you should

definitely check out.

Pole Fitness

If the gym is not cutting it anymore, or running doesn’t float your boat,

pole fitness could be the answer.

Absolutely no experience is required

previously in pole, dance or gymnastics; the

only pre-requisites are to prepare to have

some fun and meet new people. Inclusion

is at the core of this society, which won the

Inclusivity and Diversity Award last year.

Members are encouraged to come in whatever clothes they feel most

comfortable in, and to be as competitive or relaxed as they wish.

Typically, the society competes at Roses and at the NUPDC, so for

people wanting to represent the University, opportunities are aplenty.

Jams (practice sessions) are held multiple times a week, which on

Wednesday are free to attend, and happily, a whole year membership

is £5.

Wing Chun

Think Bruce Lee, and you’re halfway there. The famous martial artist

turned actor practised Wing Chun, which became the bedrock of his

own style.

At its core, Wing Chun is a highly practical

defensive martial art, that has come to

be viewed as one of the most worthwhile

to learn, due to its usability in street-fight

scenarios that anybody could encounter.

It centres around overcoming opponents who may have a superior

advantage in weight, height or strength, by employing various

techniques.

Lessons are taught using pads and reaction training games on how

to punch and strike opponents, whilst avoiding as much contact as

possible.

Safety is, of course, paramount, and therefore moves are practised at a

speed and intensity that fits the level of each person. Sessions are held

every Tuesday from 8 to 10pm and Sunday from 4 until 5pm and are

open for people of all and any experience to try throughout the year.

Underwater Hockey

Whilst the sport at a glance sounds impossible, Underwater Hockey,

since beginning in the 1950s, has gained popularity worldwide.

The sport is played typically with limitedcontact,

and centres around teams

manoeuvring a puck across the bottom of a

swimming pool, gaining points by hitting it

into the opposition team’s goal.

After a break from Roses following 2019, UWH returned to the varsity

scene in style last year, with the mixed sex team comprehensively

defeating York by 21 points to 0.

Whilst clearly the competitive side of the society is flourishing, the

team welcomes prospective players of all abilities. Also, according to

their SU page, a gym membership is not needed to attend the team

training sessions on Wednesday and Thursday during Term one.

Benchball

Probably the one sport on this shortlist that, like it or not, everyone

has played before, so consider this a gentle reminder that Benchball

need not be kept exclusively in the memories of primary school PE

lessons.

For those that have forgotten, the game

consists of two teams who try to throw the

ball to teammates stood on a bench, which

earns points throughout the duration of the

game.

As styled on their SU website, it is “a relaxed game…open to all

sporting abilities.” Signing up is free, and sessions are held every Friday

in the Sports Hall at the Sports Centre from 2 until 3pm.

Maybe for those moments where University becomes a little too

hectic, a return to something familiar can sometimes be the perfect

antidote, and this society certainly looks to provide that.

The Buzz of Lancaster

Collegiate Sports

Will Jones

SPORTS EDITOR

Sport at Lancaster isn’t just about representing the

University on a Wednesday afternoon at BUCS.

As Lancaster has eight colleges, each college has a

Football Club, Netball Club, and Bar Sports. They

compete against each other throughout the year in the

college league.

The winners of the college league

have the opportunity to compete

against York’s colleges at Roses.

Most colleges have an A, B, C and D team,

with every college having an exec, who

are responsible for running the club

and all the social events.

The view held by

students is that

college Football

and Netball are

relaxed versions of

the university clubs.

However, the college league is

still ultra-competitive but more

fun and entertaining to watch and

participate in.

Don’t be concerned if you try to make the university side

and fail, there’s still plenty of opportunities and spaces

available at college level that accommodates players of

all abilities.

The 2022/23 season saw

Grizedale victorious in the Netball

and Bowland claiming victory in

the Football. Can both colleges

retain the titles this season or will

the others get revenge?

Everyone has their opinions, that’s why sport is so great.

One thing that can be said is that the 2023/24 college

season will be filled with excitement and drama, with

one college claiming the title.

If you don’t play the conventional

sports, like Football and

Netball, you can still

be a part of the

college sport

system. Each

college offers

bar sports such

as Pool, Darts and

even Dominoes.

There’s an across

campus league which all

colleges compete in.

Colleges have rivalry with each other. These rivalries

take place in the form of sporting events, ranging from

Pool, to Dodgeball, to Rugby and even more.

The previous academic year,

we saw colleges battle out their

“hatred” for each other, some

coming out victorious. Furness

triumphed Cartmel in Patriots.

Fylde defeated County in Titans.

Grizedale conquered Pendle

in Warriors. Bowland bested

Lonsdale in Founders.

You don’t need any prior experience to compete in them,

all you need is enthusiasm.

Bar sports are notorious for their banter, so if that sounds

like a bit of you, you should definitely get involved and

find out more about all the fun that is associated with

bar sports and other college sports at Lancaster.

Photo Credits: Photo Credits: @LU_UnderwaterHockey on

Instagram, @grizedale_college_netball on Instagram, and @

bowlandfc on Instagram.

1

SCAN PUZZLES

Crossword Maker

ACROSS

2 3 4

5 6 7

9 10 11

12

8

5) Poke fun at (5)

6) Time for self-care (2, 3)

9) Frequent target of

Garfield’s pranks (5)

11) Stats for goalies (5)

13) Month that’s a

vegetable spelled

backwards (3)

14) Mattress coils (7)

15) Garlicky shrimp dish (6)

18) Ingredient for cake (5)

20) Transfer from a device to

the cloud (6)

14

13

DOWN

V

Find

Name:

15 16

18 19

Word Search!

20

Date:

and circle each of the words from the list below. Words may appear

forwards or backwards, horizontally, vertically or diagonally in the grid.

17

1) Spiciness (4)

2) Phoney (4)

3) Temperature units in physics (7)

4) Japanese currency (3)

7) Wake up calls (6)

8) Make a request (3)

10) Plant life (5)

12) Butterfly/ruler (7)

16) Covered in tiny stones (6)

17) Pop group not tied to a major

record label (5)

19) Captain Morgan’s offering (3)

WORDSEARCH

oss

Poke fun at (5)

Time for self-care (2,3)

Frequent target of Garfield's pranks ($)

] Stats for goalies (5)

] month that's a vegetable spelled backwards (3)

] Mattress coils (7)

] Garlicky shrimp (6)

] Ingredient for cake (5)

V

J

E

C

E

N

] Transfer from a device to the cloud (6)

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B

Down

[1] Spiciness (4)

[2] Phoney (4)

[3] Temperature units in physics (7)

[4] Japanese currency (3)

[7] Wake up calls (6)

[8] Make a request (3)

[10] Plant life (5)

[12] Butterfly/ ruler (7)

[16] Covered in tiny stones (6)

[17] Pop group not tied to a major recording company (5)

[19] Captain Morgan's offering (3)

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C S T F

ARTS AND CULTURE

BOWLAND

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COMMENT

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CREATIVE WRITING

DUCKS

FURNESS

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GRIZEDALE

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NEWS

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UNDERPASS

WILLIAMSON PARK

Puzzles LONSDALE have quickly GRADUATE become WILLIAMSON a popular PARK edition GRIZEDALE to SCAN,

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