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scan.lancastersu.co.uk
S C
SCANLU
A
SCANLancaster
N
1
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
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
scan.lancastersu.co.uk SCANLU SCANLancaster
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.
SCANLU SCANLancaster scan.lancastersu.co.uk
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
scan.lancastersu.co.uk SCANLU SCANLancaster
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8
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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.
scan.lancastersu.co.uk SCANLU SCANLancaster
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
SCANLU SCANLancaster scan.lancastersu.co.uk
Arts & Culture
ARTS & CULTURE EDITORS:
Naomi Onakunle
& Amy Dixon
Lancaster MA Student Wins Northern
Writers Award for Poetry
Maria Hill
ARTS ASSOCIATE EDITOR
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
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.
scan.lancastersu.co.uk SCANLU SCANLancaster
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
ARTS ASSOCIATE EDITOR
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
SCANLU SCANLancaster scan.lancastersu.co.uk
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/
scan.lancastersu.co.uk SCANLU SCANLancaster
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
@HipHopLancs on
Instagram, and @LA1TV on
Credit top to bottom p. 15:
@LancUniRAC on Instagram,
@LancUniCanoeClub
on Instagram, @LU_
Skateboarding on Instagram,
and @LUBakingSociety on
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
SCANLU SCANLancaster scan.lancastersu.co.uk
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
scan.lancastersu.co.uk SCANLU SCANLancaster
M U S I C 17
Is There a Difference
Between Music and Poetry?
Maria Hill
ARTS ASSOCIATE EDITOR
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
SCANLU SCANLancaster scan.lancastersu.co.uk
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.
scan.lancastersu.co.uk SCANLU SCANLancaster
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
ARTS ASSOCIATE EDITOR
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
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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
scan.lancastersu.co.uk SCANLU SCANLancaster
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
SCANLU SCANLancaster scan.lancastersu.co.uk
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
scan.lancastersu.co.uk SCANLU SCANLancaster
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
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients from Aldi:
- 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
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Ingredients from Aldi:
- 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
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Ingredients from Aldi:
- 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
SCANLU SCANLancaster scan.lancastersu.co.uk
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.
scan.lancastersu.co.uk SCANLU SCANLancaster
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
26 C R E A T I V E W R I T I N G
SCANLU SCANLancaster scan.lancastersu.co.uk
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
ARTS ASSOCIATE EDITOR
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
scan.lancastersu.co.uk SCANLU SCANLancaster
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
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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
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
SCANLU SCANLancaster scan.lancastersu.co.uk
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.
scan.lancastersu.co.uk SCANLU SCANLancaster
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
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8
5) Poke fun at (5)
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14
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17
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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
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C
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] Transfer from a device to the cloud (6)
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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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