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Anok Yai, the First Black Model to Open a Prada Runway in Over Two Decades

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By Deborah Adeniyi.

  • Anok Yai, 19 year old college student, became the first black woman to open Prada’s runway show in over two decades since Naomi Campbell did so in 1997.  
  • The 19 year old was discovered through social media where a picture of her quickly became viral causing the industry to take her under wing. 
  • Yai was only aware that she would be heading the showcase an hour before the show commenced. 

 

In an interview with Refinery29, Yai revealed, “I’ve always wanted to model since I was young, but I didn’t know how to get into the industry.” Yai was discovered after a photo of her at Howard University’s homecoming celebration went viral on social media platform, Twitter. Vogue’s contributing casting director, Ashley Brokaw took charge in securing Yai’s booking for the Italian luxury fashion brand. A few months after being scouted she was able to make her ground breaking debut, opening at Prada’s Menswear Fall 2018 show. 

Yai told Vogue, “I will remember the experience of opening the show as my breakthrough moment. Just modelling for Prada alone is a huge opportunity and the fact that Miuccia and Ashley put me front and centre sets the tone for my career.” Yai is now signed with Next Models and is currently working exclusively with Prada this season. This opportunity has allowed the Egyptian born , Sudanese model to quickly build up an extremely strong portfolio which now boasts of three Prada campaigns and two shows. 

 

Yai’s success is a step forward when looking at diversity within the fashion industry. Traditionally, and even up until recent years the fashion industry has struggled with pushing models that show a wide spectrum of culture and ethnicity. It is only now that we have seen a push on diversity within fashion with brands such as Coach, Miu Miu and Dolce and Gabanna recently diversifying their 2017/18 campaigns. Yai told Vogue, “It was an honour and I’m proud that I was the one chosen to open, but this is bigger than me. Me opening for one of the top fashion houses is a statement to the world – especially for black women – that their beauty is something that deserves to be celebrated,” she told Vogue of the moment. Despite this step forward, it is clear that more work needs to be done in order to have more racial diversity across the fashion industry as women of colour only accounted for 37.3 % of all castings at this season’s Fall 2018 New York Fashion Week. Essentially the fashion industry is making progress and is heading in the right direction however; it needs to be questioned how quickly will these changes become normality in fashion. Will it be a another twenty years until we are graced with the next Anok Yai? 

 

Deborah is a first year university student studying Fashion Buying and Merchandising at the University of Manchester. Her interests lay in textiles, fashion, contemporary visual arts and fashion business. Her Nigerian roots alongside her upbringing in South East London, have shaped her perspective on cultural issues allowing her to express both liberal and traditional stances on various current affairs. 

Twitter: @deborah_aden 

PFA Player of the Year: The Case for Mo Salah

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By Mike Banks.

Kevin de Bruyne and Mo Salah are the two frontrunners for the PFA Player of the Year going this season, and understandably so. Both players have been in sensational form. Kevin de Bruyne has been the standout performer for the swashbuckling champions-elect Manchester City, while Mo Salah is arguably the most in-form wide forward in European football.

The likelihood is that de Bruyne will win the award, but I want to make the case for Mo Salah.

When he was signed by Liverpool last summer, few would have expected him to have the impact that he has had. The stats make for handsome reading for the Egyptian. He has scored 24 goals in just 28 Premier League games and 32 goals in all competitions. This includes goals against every other team in the Premier League’s top 6 this season, bar Manchester United – and he has the chance to change this when Liverpool play Manchester United on Saturday. In fact, including United, Salah has only failed to score against 4 of the Premier League sides he has faced this season – Brighton, Swansea City and Crystal Palace being the other three.

In the 2007/08 season, Cristiano Ronaldo scored 42 goals in all competitions for Manchester United – 31 of these coming in the Premier League. Salah is on course to match and possibly exceed these numbers with 9 Premier League games still to be played.

He has already scored more goals in a season for Liverpool than Luis Suarez, Michael Owen and Daniel Sturridge and he is only one goal behind Fernando Torres’ best tally for the Reds. What is notable about this is that these players are all out-and-out center forwards, Mo Salah is not. He has also provided a respectable 8 assists in the league, a number bettered by only 4 other players, meaning he has been involved in more goals than any other Premier League player this season – 32.

Mo Salah celebrates opening the scoring against Spurs at Anfield (Source: Liverpool FC)

His performances back up these stats. This isn’t a player who is productive, but offers very little else to his team. He is a tireless runner, who is willing to do the dirty work whenever required.

Whether it’s slaloming past three defenders and scoring, a routine one-on-one finish, or an effort from 25-yards out, Salah appears capable of scoring virtually every goal possible. He has performed to such a level, that his very presence now strikes fear into the hearts of defenders.

His detractors will point to the fact that he has missed more big chances than any other player in the Premier League this season (19), but even the very best goal-scorers can be profligate at times. Harry Kane, who is already regarded as one of the finest finishers of this generation, has missed 16 big chances in the Premier League this season, while players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez have been criticised for occasionally being wasteful in front of goal.

His detractors might also highlight his supposed overreliance on pace, but this has been overstated. Teams often set-up against Liverpool with a low-block, but Salah’s incredible movement and goal-scoring instincts mean that he has regularly scored against these sides.

Salah has transformed himself from a Chelsea ‘flop’ to a superstar and you get the feeling that there is more to come from the Egyptian King.

 

Mike is a Politics PhD student and takes a keen interest in social issues, all things British politics and Liverpool FC. He is also a born-again Christian, and one of his favourite bible verses is Matthew 6:33.

Twitter: @mxkes_

Seven Years of Bombardment for the Syrian People

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By Ruth Foster.

The 15th of March 2018 will mark the seventh year of civil war in Syria. As of February 2018, the Syrian Government held 55.1% of Syrian territories while 11.4% was controlled by rebel groups – the remaining areas are controlled by the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria (SDF) and ISIL.

Although the international meeting on Syria in Kazakhstan in 2017 made some believe that the conflict was coming to an end, in the past few weeks a very different story has come out of Ghouta – the informal name for suburbs of the capital of Syria, Damascus, that has been held by rebels since the beginning of the conflict. On the 2nd of March 2018 the United Nations reported that “war crimes, potentially crimes against humanity, are likely being committed in east Ghouta and elsewhere in Syria”, with around 400,000 civilians trapped and facing the terror of airstrikes and reported release of toxic agents. As a convoy of 46 trucks carrying health and nutrition supplies was due to arrive to the besieged victims of this terror on 5th March 2018 – the question remains of when and how will the civil war in Syria end?

Syrian Refugee Crisis

After the deaths of approximately 250,000 Syrians and displacement of millions, the sectarian nature of the conflict in Syria means that the obvious solution would be partition, with the creation of various new states defined along ethnic and sectarian lines. However, history shows us that the obvious solution is by no means the right one – in many ways it may not even end the conflict in Syria.

Partitioning countries to achieve peace has been used throughout the twentieth century. Scholars like Chaim Kaufmann have argued that this solution works perfectly in theory, solving the ethnic security dilemma through the physical division of land and ethnic groups. However, recent examples show that such a simplistic view and solution to a complex situation has the power to perpetuate the conflict itself. In order to work for long-term stability in a region, partition of a state is not the solution. For example, since the partition of Sudan and creation of independent state South Sudan in 2011, more than 2 million Sudanese people have been displaced with an estimated 5 million of those who remain in South Sudan requiring food assistance in 2017. For the international community looking at Syria, there needs to be a focus on mediation that considers the fragile nature of the shaky state borders established at the end of the First World War.

South Sudan 2011 © Gaël Turine / VU

In order to protect the civilians and prevent further bloodshed, physical partition along ethnic lines cannot be seen as an option, and the Syrian people can no longer be treated as collateral damage. So far, problems have occurred over the course of mediation efforts due to questions of legitimacy, state capacity and the protection of civilians. After nearly seven years of bombardment, being used as pawns by the global superpowers, it is time for the Syrian peoples’ lives and livelihoods to be taken as priority if a stable, peaceful, and united Syria is to be seen in the near future

 

Ruth is a final year undergraduate student at the University of Edinburgh, originally from Northern Ireland. Her aim in life is to try and make the world a little bit better and care about important issues affecting real people, which includes (but is in no way limited to) storytelling, politics, culture, and coffee.

Open vs. Closed: The New Divide?

Alex Davenport
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Open vs. Closed: The New Divide?

A recent study published by Global Future has concluded that the divide between supporters of Labour and the Conservatives at the 2017 UK general election was characterised by differing attitudes to the outside world. Where previously the economic left-right spectrum appeared most important in deciding voters’ preferences, such a division has arguably been eclipsed by issues such as immigration, the EU and foreign aid. While the importance of these issues has been increasing for several years in the UK, Brexit has certainly sped up the issue, bringing it to the forefront of public debate.

The authors of the study suggest this represents a redrawing of voters’ loyalties, making them more likely to swing from one party to another than ever before. Those with a more internationalist identity and a positive view of immigration tend to be younger, better educated and located in urban areas, while those with a more nationalistic outlook are generally older, and living in either rural areas, or traditionally working-class heartlands which have suffered from the UK’s industrial decline. Voters’ wealth, meanwhile, seems to be less influential than it has been previously in deciding which party they vote for. This explains some of the surprising results we saw in June last year, with Labour winning in the affluent yet urban Kensington, while the Conservatives gained in traditionally Labour-supporting working-class areas such as Stoke-on-Trent.

An election graphic showing the narrow margins of Labour’s unexpected victory in Kensington (Source: Daily Mirror)

What’s more, is that this trend is certainly not confined to the UK. Across Europe and North America, globalisation is redrawing the political battle lines. The French election is a classic example of this – the two traditionally leading parties, the Socialists and the Republicans, both failed to get past the first round of voting, perhaps representing the outdated nature of the left-right platform on which they have always fought elections. Instead the final stand-off was between the liberal Emmanuel Macron and far-right Marine Le Pen, representing almost perfectly the growing struggle between ‘Open’ and ‘Closed’ worldviews. There have also been similar developments in many other European countries, such as Germany, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic in recent years. In many such cases, we have seen the rise of far-right parties, whose rhetoric has elicited strong reactions among their more liberal-minded counterparts, setting the tone for the political competition that followed.

Let us also not forget the success of Donald Trump, one of the best examples of this new ‘Open-Closed’ divide. Looking back to the 2016 presidential election campaign, it certainly wasn’t Trump’s views on economic issues which garnered most attention and discussion. Instead it was his nationalistic, ‘build-a-wall’ rhetoric that defined much of the debate with Hillary Clinton and the Democrats. It was also likely this rhetoric that won him over conventionally Democrat-leaning voters in former industrial states such as Michigan and Ohio, further testament to the shifting allegiances we are witnessing.

Donald Trump with opponent Hillary Clinton before a presidential debate (Source: AP)

This is certainly not to say that traditional ‘left-right’ issues do not apply to people or politics any more. The popularity of politicians such as Jeremy Corbyn and Bernie Sanders proves that there is still an appetite for classical left-wing policies of state intervention in the economy, particularly among the young.

The interaction between these older issues and the newer ones may prove interesting. It may be the case that the likes of Corbyn and Sanders, for example, should combine their left-wing politics with an open, internationalist message in order to maximise their potential support base. Yet while this may fit together well on some issues, such as an openness and tolerance regarding immigration and multiculturalism, other elements may not sit together as comfortably. For example, left-leaning politicians may not look as favourably on internationalism when it comes to free trade agreements, going against their own protectionist instincts. The conventional Right and the ‘Closed’ side of the new divide also have their own inconsistencies: for one, the benefits immigration can bring to a free-market economy. Whether the open-closed divide usurps the classic left-right one or not, or some confused mess of the two emerges, it is certainly interesting to consider what our own priorities are when choosing who to vote for.

Safe Shoes to Wear in Cold and Slippery Weather

Common Sense Contributors
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By Hannah Bamgbala.

Although the worst is behind us for those in London and the South of England, in these recent terrible weather conditions, it’s important that we know how to stay well protected. So, how well have you been protecting your feet? Snow and ice can be extremely dangerous and slippery, especially if you aren’t wearing the correct shoes to keep yourself safe.

Here are a few simple shoe options for this recent snowy weather, and even if not for now, it’ll come in handy the next time you’re considering a winter ski vacay.

1. Wellington boots

These shoes are mostly worn in rainy weather conditions. They are long and water proof, protecting your feet and a certain length of your legs from getting wet in the rain. These shoes are also good for the snow because they have a surprisingly strong and structured grip underneath to prevent slipping.

2. Timberlands

This particular shoe is always in and out of trend, so it’s great to have a pair, especially for both winter and summer. They are strong shoes that are protective in harsh environments and also cover your ankles. They are great for snowy and icy weather and have a fantastic grip structure under the shoe to provide stability when walking. Although they are a bit pricey, you don’t necessarily have to buy this particular brand, as many shops sell similar versions for less.

4. Snow boots and Mountain boots

Snow boots and mountain boots, aren’t the best looking footwear and may not be in fashion, but they are both fantastic shoes for snowy and icy weather. Real mountain boots are designed to conserve heat, making them particularly warm inside. The grip underneath also makes it nearly impossible to slip and fall. You will also find that most come up above your ankles to lock in that extra bit of heat.

5. Trainers

Last but not least is trainers. There are honestly so many brilliant trainers that have been designed for multiple purposes, but they’ve become such a fashion statement we tend to not see their versatility. Some are built for comfort but the good ones are built to last and provide great balance. Of course, not all trainers are designed for though weather but there are some good ones with well designed grips, water proof material and good support to get you through the snow.

All in all, if you are unfortunate enough to still be battling the cold and wet weather, make sure that your choice in footwear has a good amount of grip underneath and are of course water proof.

 

And don’t forget your socks!

Hannah Bamgbala was born in London and is of Nigerian descent. She is passionate about freedom of expression in both Africa and photography. Hannah is currently a Fashion Media and Promotion student at The University For The Creative Arts Rochester and is looking to pursue journalism, photography and styling once she graduates.

 

A Wild Wilder

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A Wild Wilder

by Akwasi Appiah

Deontay ‘Broze Bomber’ Wilder KO’d Cuban Heavyweight Luiz Ortiz in the 10th round. Ortiz, dubbed King Kong, was ahead on the cards at the Barclaycard Centre in New York, and almost knocked out Wilder in the 7th round. But Wilder (32 years old) showed resolve and toughness by coming through the storm to knock out Ortiz (38 years old) in the 10th round. The win means that the ‘Bronze Bomber’ has knocked out all 40 men who have faced him, many in the first round itself.

The fight started slow with both fighters acting with caution. Ortiz, the left-handed southpaw and Wilder, the right-handed orthodox fighter both pumped crisp jabs to line up their strong backhands. Boo’s began to ring from the crowd by the 4th round, but this only served as ignition for the fight and made it into the barnstormer it was. At the end of the 5th round a straight right wobbled Ortiz and staggered him. He was lucky to be saved by the bell.

https://twitter.com/EtremeFan/status/970166019015757825

However the 7th round became the talking point of the fight. Both fighters landed their punches at the same time but Ortiz had greater effect. Wilder held on until the end of the round, but it was the first time since turning professional in 2008 that we have seen Wilder in trouble.

https://twitter.com/punchdrunkpauly/status/970150501479211008

The fight was closed out in the 10th round. Having displayed tremendous fitness to recover by the 8th Wilder started to apply more and more pressure. And ultimately the pressure paid off and in the 10th round he clipped the Cuban with a sweet right hand. Ortiz beat the count but this was to be his last act of bravery. Wilder once again caught Ortiz and referee David Fields instantly declared King Kong unfit to continue.

The implications of Wilders win are huge. It increases pressure for the showdown with him and Joshua to come to fruition by the end of the year. Wilder showed he is able to come through adversity, and has a solid chin. But questions still remain as to whether his lack of boxing ability, will stand up to a young and fresh fighter who has more gears than the elderly Ortiz.

Also on the weekend Kell Brook defeated Sergei Rabchenko in his first fight after back-to-back defeats to Gennady Gennadyevich Golovkin often dubbed GGG and American superstar Errol Spence Jr. A sweet uppercut finished the affair in the second round and leaves Brook in a healthy position to challenge once again for a world title at 154lbs.

Sergey Kovalev and Dmitry Bivol have also had notable wins over Igor Mikhalkin and Sullivan Barerra respectively.

 

 Akwasi Appiah is a 3rd year Economics student at Queen Mary University. He has a strong passion for talent development and music. He has his own blog ‘akwasiappiah.com’ and has written for discussion outlets such as @OGGM_ and @DesiringGod.

Revolution, Patriotism and the Second Amendment

Alex Davenport
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Revolution, Patriotism and the Second Amendment

A quote from an old episode of The Simpsons has recently been circulating in response to the fierce debate on gun control taking place in the USA. In the episode ‘The Cartridge Family’, which, despite being over 20 years old remains as bitingly satirical now as it was then, Homer is trying to justify buying a handgun to his incredulous family. When Lisa tries to point out that the Second Amendment is a remnant from a bygone era, Homer corrects her by pointing out that if he didn’t have his gun, “the King of England could just walk in here and start pushing you around!” This is obviously meant as a bizarre and ridiculous statement, but it also sums up how influential the country’s revolutionary past remains in understanding why it retains such a fondness for firearms.

The America’s founding fathers specifically included the right to bear arms in their newly designed constitution with their war with the British in mind. They saw their revolution against their oppressors as a struggle against tyranny, fighting back against an arbitrary government infringing on the rights of its citizens by forcing ‘taxation without representation’ upon them. Having an armed group of civilians, they argued, ensures that if government oversteps its boundaries, it will be met with fierce resistance.

Yet constitutions can be changed. The main reason the possession of guns remains so widespread is less because a mistrust of government underpins American political institutions, than because it underpins American identity. In many ways, the Revolutionary War mindset has been ingrained in the national psyche. The defining moment of the country, the one which brought it into being, was a struggle against tyranny; a struggle which was enabled by the use of firearms.

A depiction of the Battle of Long Island, during the American Revolutionary War (Source: history.com)

This is why individual liberty is at the heart of American patriotism. Perhaps more than any other country, the concept of ‘freedom’ and all that comes with it, is heavily glorified and often intrinsically linked with what it means to be American. For many (though certainly not all), guns represent an emotional, even symbolic link to a freedom won centuries ago. Being armed allows free citizens to protect themselves from the government, and any attempts by the government to meddle in gun ownership rights are perfect evidence of the kind of tyranny that make it so essential for people to keep their guns in the first place. That it would probably take a lot more than guns to keep a modern government, with its tanks, bombs and drones, in check is somewhat beside the point for proponents of gun ownership.

This appeal to specific political values of old is not something we can strongly relate to in the UK. In contrast to America, Britain is a country formed by evolution rather than revolution. This means we don’t have any particular moment which provides the political basis of our society; no one historical ideal to be emulated like the USA’s promotion of freedom and suspicion of government. This may be why the idea of widely accessible firearms, so intuitive to many Americans, is so alien to Brits as well as many other foreigners.

Whether America’s strong attachment to history when it comes to firearms is a good thing or not is a matter for fierce debate across the country, particularly in the wake of a tragedy like the one experienced in Florida. Either way, though, Homer Simpson is right to point the finger at the King of England as the source of America’s passion for guns.

Tribalism and the Fight Against Racism in English Football

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By Michael Banks.

Tribalism is inhibiting the fight against racism in English football. The automatic response of some clubs and fans when their player is accused of racism is to leap to the defence of their player, and in the case of some fans, abuse the accuser/alleged victim. Brighton left-back, Gaetan Bong, was subject to abuse on social media from West Brom fans after he accused their forward, Jay Rodriguez, of racially abusing him. This is why players are often shy to speak up about racism; fear they may be abused or accused of playing the ‘race card’.  

In 2011, both Chelsea and Liverpool chose to inexplicably back their players, John Terry and Luis Suarez, when both were accused of racism. Both clubs appeared to prioritise their players over the fight against racism in football. Liverpool, in particular, dealt with allegations against Suarez horrendously and their staunch and defiant defence of the Uruguayan, even after he was found guilty, made me feel extremely uncomfortable as a black Liverpool fan.  

Liverpool, to their credit, handled the recent Firmino/Holgate situation with much more class and decorum, releasing a statement after the game in which they said that they would fully cooperate with the investigation. It appears lessons were learnt from the Suarez/Evra debacle and Firmino, in particular, should be applauded for allowing the investigation to run its course before commenting. 

 

Liverpool’s Uruguayan forward Luis Suárez (L) exchanges words with Manchester United’s French defender Patrice Evra during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Manchester United. French and British media quoted Evra after the game as telling French broadcaster Canal & that Suarez had racially abused him several times during the match. AFP PHOTO / ANDREW YATES
 (Photo credit: ANDREW YATES/AFP/Getty Images)

Whilst Liverpool’s senior staff, management and players have learnt from the Suarez/Evra debacle, it appears a sizeable minority of their fans have not. Some Liverpool fans want Mason Holgate to be punished retrospectively because he dared to accuse one of their players of racially abusing him. The investigation found that Holgate’s accusation was made in good faith, the Brazilian striker has been exonerated, and that should be that.  

The fact that Holgate is being investigated by the Football Association (FA) for inappropriate tweets from over 5 years ago does not sit well with me, as these tweets were dug-up by Liverpool fans trying to smear his name in the direct aftermath of his accusation against Firmino. I’m in no way justifying his tweets, but they would not have been dug-up had he not accused the Liverpool striker of racially abusing him. Why is the first reaction of some fans to defend their player instead of feeling some sympathy for the accuser? After all, racist abuse can be extremely damaging to the mental wellbeing of the victim. Liverpool youngster Rhian Brewster recently spoke of the emotional toll the racist abuse he has suffered had on him.  

Liverpool players supported Kick It Out – an organisation that plays a central role in the fight against racism in English football – prior to their 4-1 win against West Ham last Saturday, only to be let down by a section of their fans taunting Patrice Evra by singing the name of Luis Suarez in the first-half of the game. Evra’s every touch was booed and jeered by some throughout the game. This was justified by some, claiming that they were booing the Frenchman because he was a former Manchester United player, but Liverpool have played against several ex-Manchester United players this season and none were on the receiving end of such treatment. 

 

Evra Anfield – REUTERS/Peter Powell 

The fact that there are still a significant number of Liverpool fans who believe that the former Manchester United left-back was not racially abused is bemusing. The FA carried out a thorough investigation into the matter and it was found that the former Liverpool striker used the word ‘negro’ SEVEN times in around 2 minutes during an exchange between the pair on the 15th October 2011 in a game at Anfield. In a 115-page report released by the FA following the verdict, it was noted that the evidence provided by Suarez was ‘unreliable’ and ‘inconsistent’, whilst Evra was described as a ‘credible witness’. 

The evidence is conclusive. Nevertheless, some Liverpool fans are putting tribalism and their loyalty to the club and a former player above fairness and justice. This is counterproductive and not only undermines the progression made by the club in tackling and dealing with racism, but the very core values of the city of Liverpool. Fans of all clubs need to put tribalism to one side, and realise that tackling racism in football is far more important. 

 

Mike is a Politics PhD student and takes a keen interest in social issues, all things British politics and Liverpool FC. 

Twitter: @mxkes_ 

Samsung S9 and S9+: A Guide

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Samsung S9 and S9+: A Guide

by Jireh Antwi

The Samsung S9 & S9+ is here and it’s Samsung’s best shot at creating a superior camera. Or as they’re dubbing it ‘The Camera. Reimagined.’


In fact, it’s meant to be a direct competitor to the IPhoneX. Samsung devices have a long run of having excellent cameras so for the company to take it to the next level is exciting for a consumer to see.

The S9 bodes a dual rear camera with the ability to take super bright day light photos and super low light photos with the dual aperture feature which works like a human eye to adjust to lighting levels allowing you to have crisp and clear photos and can switch between F1.5 and F2.4 modes (If its dark the lens opens up to F1.5 mode and pulls in the light for bright and clear photos) (in daylight the lens switches to F2.4 mode to help your picture come out sharp). Also features a 8MP front camera.

A more improved slow motion capturing rate at 960 frames per second which allows you to create some fun moments, you can also use these slow-motion pieces as a lock screen or create gifs.

The S9 also features an Exynos Processor making it perform faster than the S8, however it still has the same screen size as the S8 with the edge to edge display. Up to 400gb of external storage available with an SD card.  Water and dust resistant like its predecessors and comes with wireless charging as usual. Upgraded AKG speakers with 1.4x more powerful performance than previous Galaxy phones as Samsung are claiming.  Along with Dolby Atmos which provides an immersed sound experience.

The positioning of the fingerprint sensor on the back has also changed, now being below the camera rather at the side, this improves the overall hand held feel and a improved scanning feature for iris and facial  recognition when unlocking of your phone.

If you’re wondering it’s a yes, the Samsung S9 series still has a headphone jack.  Samsung aren’t parting ways with that necessity just yet.

Some other interesting new features is the AR Avatar – by taking a selfie you can create an augmented reality emoji of yourself and send it as videos and photos and in chats. It’s basically a version of the Apple Animoji. Likewise, the new colour options of Coral blue and Lilac purple is an addition to the previous S8 colourways, however they aren’t going down a treat as they aren’t necessarily attractive colours for everyday use or compared to its competitors.

Let us know what you think of the Samsung Galaxy S9 & S9+ and if you consider it a big enough upgrade to part with your device.

 

Jireh is a Microbiology and Molecular Biology graduate from the Manchester Metropolitan University.  He has a passion for various different sports, scientific discovery and trainer brands.

Omarosa is not done with the White House

Common Sense Contributors
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By Dolline Mukui.

Let’s talk about Omarosa.

A former assistant to the president and Director of Communications for the Office of Public Liaison for the White House. And if you haven’t heard, she is on Celebrity Big Brother US.

Having watched seasons past, it’s now become a recurring theme that being on a show like Big Brother will probably result in a lot of contestants baring their souls and revealing the real depths of their characters. But in the grand scheme of things, one never forgets that there is a game to be played, and there’s no winner without a good strategy. I’d like to think Omarosa’s was pretty straightforward.

When Omarosa resigned, or was fired (depending on who you ask), Big Brother grabbed the opportunity to have her on the show. Not only would it drive a mass audience to watch it, but due to it’s a secluded environment,  the house presents a great opportunity for the public to see truths and fabrications of individuals and compare them to what has been depicted and presented in various media publications.

So what have we learned about Omarosa and the White House since her recent appearance?

So far, she has been quiet expressive about her opinions. One of those instances occurred when she spoke to housemate Ross Mathews from E! Network. Ross asked if anyone questioned Trump’s tweets, and Omarosa replied ‘I tried to be that person and all of the people around him attacked me and said keep her away, don’t give her access…’. Going off the record of what has transpired within the first year of Trump’s presidency, we can’t fault Omarosa.

The White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah responded with, ‘Omarosa was fired three times on ‘The Apprentice,’ and this was the fourth time we let her go, she had limited contact with the President while here. She has no contact now.’

On another occasion, she spoke about the Vice President Pence and said that if he became president we would all be begging for Trump, because Pence is ‘extreme’.

From what we see in the big brother house, Omorosa is smart, intense and a force to be reckoned with. She clearly is not looking for sympathy; she wants people to understand that she was serving her country. And with many people misunderstanding her, she now has an opportunity speak her truth and try and adjust the skewed image of her which has been portrayed in the media.

 

Dolline is recently graduated with an MA in Broadcast Journalism. She is a ITV Breaking into News finalist whereby she reported on the Manchester Arena attack. Currently she is a voluntary co-host/contributor on show called a ‘Chat with Elle Celeste’. She also has a blog, where she talks about her life and travels.

Twitter: @ceraz_x

Is Netflix Racist or Mo’Nique Misguided?

Common Sense Contributors
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Is Netflix Racist or Mo’Nique Misguided?

Two of our journalists give us their views on Mo’Nique. Join in on the debate over twitter. Who do you agree with? Emmabelle Nwadikwa or Busayo Twins

The Woman Who Cried Wolf

by Emmabelle Nwadikwa

Comedian and actor Mo’Nique seems to be on a mission to sabotage her own career. Mo’Nique has recently done a string of interviews discussing not only the issues that she claims have halted her career for the past few years, but she’s also been talking about her newest feud with Netflix.

Mo’Nique has claimed for years now that her refusal to promote “for free” a movie that she starred in led to her being blackballed by Oprah Winfrey, Lee Daniels and Tyler Perry. Now, Mo’Nique’s latest industry issue is the Netflix gender-based payment inequalities. Now, whilst equal pay is something I believe that we should all be campaigning for, Mo’Nique’s passive aggressive nature makes it hard to support her in anything she does.

Last year when these claims were addressed on The Real, Adrienne Houghton commented that keeping it real didn’t always have to mean being loud and she said that it could also involve keeping it classy and moving on. When fans tweeted Mo’Nique for her opinion she tweeted that Adrienne was a baby that couldn’t begin to understand, then went on to tweet Adrienne three more times since she chose not to respond.

This is the typical behaviour we’ve come to expect from Mo’Nique and it’s the same behaviour we’ve seen in the recent interviews she has done on The View and The Breakfast Club. When someone doesn’t agree with her, she’s automatically on the defensive no longer actually listens to what’s being said. It’s time for her to stop and consider the fact that the reason she isn’t paid as much is because, quite frankly, she isn’t that funny anymore.

For arguments sake, let’s say that Mo’Nique’s claims about being blackballed are true, surely another scandal will only make her career worse? Maybe Mo’Nique herself knows that the only way to make herself appear relevant is to cry wolf.

 

We hear you Mo’Nique, we are just indifferent                        

by Busayo Twins

You’d think at a time like this, when society claims to be committed to taking a hardline on any allegations of discrimination that Oscar winner, and comedian, Mo’Nique would automatically receive an infinite amount of support and solidarity. And despite racism and sexism being a poison that all people should detest it’s normally women and minority ethnic communities that take the more firm and immediate stance. Well, in the case of Mo’Nique it seems as though people are more concerned about proving how their emotions aren’t easily triggered into battle than the sentiments being shared. Truth is people don’t actually care about Mo’Nique enough support her recent pleas to boycott Netflix despite it being on the grounds of alleged racial and gender bias.

In January when she compared the stark difference of her £500,000 Comedy Special offer to that of fellow comedians Amy Schumer (£13 million), Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle (both £20 million) few flinched at this revelation. Where Mo’Nique may have attempted to use her misfortune to shed light on how a fairly obscure comedy industry also operates within prejudicial structures much of the attention was quickly redirected at her personality and character flaws. As of now, Netflix have not even provided an official explanation pertaining to the logic behind her offer, yet commentary online seems to be so sure that it’s rooted in fair reason.

Charlamagne tha God, ⅓ of the co- hosting trio of The Breakfast Club radio station, when interviewing Mo’Nique last week, admitted he suspected from a business point of view Schumer would be offered more money because her recent body of work was more impressive. Though appearing to make great business analysis his focus indicated that others like him do not understand how systemic discrimination can even impact a black woman’s portfolio. Let’s even put Mo’Nique’s situation aside for a second. To have a resume that competes with a white counterpart is often obstructed due to the lack of opportunity in the first place. Sexism platforms male talent whilst racism would disadvantage a black woman even further. Applying financial modelling to race and sex related scenarios is quite inappropriate as it will almost always serve to belittle the claims of the victimised. Money goes to where demand is yes but demand is conditioned by ideology. So the least that industries can do to mitigate against the perpetual cycle of discrimination is to keep an eye on the relative income of people within the same profession. If you listen to the full episode Mo’Nique and her husband articulate their thoughts well.

It becomes increasingly obvious that all the hoops people have been jumping through to discredit Mo’Nique simply stem from a personal indifference to her situation. Perhaps it’s a case of wrong person right message. But are we so prideful that we allow the former to muffle society’s need for a more progressive industry? Black people get few opportunities to grab the attention of the world in this way so how we handle this conversation should take priority. Yes, we are right to be diligent of her agenda but let us also be cautious not to conflate issues together and undermine our society objectives or the intersectionality theory altogether.

 

Stormzy’s Message To Theresa May

Emmabelle Nwadikwa
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Stormzy’s Message To Theresa May

Stormzy’s final performance at the Brit awards may have been shocking to some, but those who have been genuine fans for a while know that it is also true to form.

In September 2017, when receiving a GQ award presented to him by Jeremy Corbyn, Stormzy went as far as calling the Prime Minister a “paigon” (a slang term for someone considered fake or a liar) which was met by giggles from Mr Corbyn behind him.

Rapper Stormzy and Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn

Funny though it may be, the rapper has never been one to shy away from politics and social issues. Time and time again, we’ve seen him call for change whether it’s within the music industry, the media or the government itself.

We’ve seen him speak publicly in interviews with Channel 4 on his battle with depression and recently he’s proven himself to be a man who takes accountability for his actions,.When tweets were brought up from years ago showing things that he had said, instead of running from them he apologised and displayed growth.

All in all, Stormzy has quickly become a young man that people find themselves drawn to and find it easy to listen to. This meant that a lot of people were listening during his Brit Awards performance when he rapped the words:

“Yo Theresa May, where’s the money for Grenfell? What, you thought we just forgot about Grenfell? You criminals.”

This strong message didn’t end there. Stormzy also took to twitter to help raise the signatures for a petition that had been started by a victim of the Grenfell Tower incident. In doing so he raised enough signatures for the petition to be discussed and to force the government to respond.

71 people died in the Grenfell Tower fire of June last year

The performance caused a backlash from Tory MP’s who have written a letter to Sir Peter Bazalgette, the ITV chairman, saying they have been “saddened to hear Stormzy’s unfounded Grenfell Tower allegations go unchallenged.”

There has also be a reaffirmation that Theresa May and the government as a whole are “making every effort to establish the truth of what happened, support the survivors of the fire and ensure that such a terrible tragedy will never happen again.”

For the most part though, the performance has been met with outstanding support in the artist’s favour, including from other popular celebrities campaigning for social justice issues, such as Lily Allen.

Whether you agree or disagree with the way in which Stormzy went about it, his call for action has certainly roused questions, not only for Number 10 but also the rest of us.

His message has always been clear: where you can stand up for others in need, you should. Consequences be damned.

You can watch the full performance here:

What Have We Learnt from Rana Plaza?

Common Sense Contributors
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By Lauren Martin.

On 24th April 2013 in the Savar Upazila of Dhaka District, Bangladesh, the eight storey Rana Plaza building collapsed, killing 1138 people. It has become a painful symbol of the grave tragedy encountered by garment workers that was entirely preventable.

The day before the devastating collapse large structural cracks were discovered in the Rana Plaza building; the shops and banks below the garment factory immediately closed. However, despite advice to close the factory, workers were told it was safe to work. Only hours after workers arrived, the entire building collapsed.


​
So, whose fault was it?

Media reports suggest that workers at Rana Plaza saw the cracks in the building the day before the collapse but no precautionary steps were taken. The building owner, Sohel Rana, allegedly told local reporters that the cracks were “nothing serious” and most horrifically, workers were forced to work and threatened with a month’s salary cut if they did not comply. When these facts began to emerge, it became easy to place all the blame on the managers who neglected the welfare of the workers. Of course, they are responsible, but there was definitely more at play here.

Emdadul Islam of the state-run Capital Development Authority told media that the owner of the building had not received the proper building consent; he had only obtained a permit for a five-story building. The building was, however, illegally extended by a further three stories to a total of eight. All eight stories collapsed.

In recent years, as a result of globalisation, the ready-made garment industry has rapidly increased in Bangladesh. This has meant that there is a much higher demand for large factories that can produce more product. As a result of this demand, owners have illegally expanded their factories, as was the case in Rana Plaza. Various authorities seem to neglect their duty to monitor and inspect illegal buildings, allowing such tragic events to take place.

Rana Plaza was a high-profile disaster, so what has changed?

In short, not much.

There have been few changes since the tragedy, but it is worth noting the progress that has been made. The collapse prompted safety checks that led to many factory closures and global brands such as H&M, Gap and Walmart have contributed $21.5million to the Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund, which was set up to help victims and their families. 38 people have been charged with murder.

Despite this, much remains the same. The Bangladesh government has failed to crack down on illegal buildings, and global brands still use sweatshops elsewhere in the world. In 2016, it was discovered that H&M, despite donating to victims of Rana Plaza, used clothing factories in Myanmar where children as young as 14 worked for 12 hours a day.
It appears as if the garment industry continues to go unregulated.

What can we do to prevent more tragedies?

The Clean Clothes Campaign aims to improve working conditions in the garment industry. One of their focuses since Rana Plaza has been the need for supply chain transparency; without this workers’ rights are hampered and Rana Plaza may just be the first of many more disasters.

You can help support the Clean Clothes Campaign here: https://cleanclothes.org/action/get-involved

 

Lauren is a student in her last year of A-Levels studying Sociology, Government and Politics and English Literature. She hopes to continue her studies at the University of Sheffield where she will study Politics and International Relations. With a keen interest in social justice and global politics, Lauren hopes to raise awareness of global issues.

The rise of the Five-Star Movement

Alex Davenport
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The rise of the Five-Star Movement

As election day in Italy moves ever closer, the most popular single party according to polls is one which was originally founded on a comedian’s blog, and is currently led by the 31-year-old son of a neo-fascist local councillor. With its unconventional origins and its eclectic support base, the Five-Star Movement (M5S) has emerged as a major player on the Italian political scene over the previous decade.

M5S was originally founded by the comedian Beppe Grillo. Grillo was frustrated with status quo of Italian politics and particularly with politicians from other major parties, many of whom had been mired in misconduct or corruption scandals. His own approach to politics, expressed in a regular blog, was paradoxically fiercely ideological in its lack of ideology. He argued that Italian politics could be best improved with the implementation of direct democracy, which had become a more realistic possibility with technological progress, enabling people to vote on issues more easily than going to a ballot box. Rather than having a party or political leader (himself included) deciding which directions to take the country in, Grillo argued that the people themselves could have that responsibility. Grillo and his colleagues hoped that this would cut out the corrupt and self-interested middleman in the form of politicians and parties, and let the will of the people be expressed most purely.

M5S’ founder Beppe Grillo (Source: Ensemble)

From Grillo’s blog formed a social movement of like-minded citizens from across the political spectrum, which morphed eventually into a political party through the election of members of the movement in regional and national polls. This momentum carried through to the 2013 election, in which M5S, standing on a platform promoting direct democracy, as well as environmentalism and Euroscepticism, won the most votes as an individual party, but still ended up behind centre-left and centre-right coalitions overall. While M5S was then offered the opportunity to participate in government, the party rejected the possibility of working with other parties as playing into the hands of the political elite they were trying to break up.

Yet five years on the party appears to have taken a toned-down approach to politics. The young and more pragmatic Luigi Di Maio, whose father represented the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement at a local council, assumed the party leadership from Grillo in late 2017. Under Di Maio’s leadership, the party has articulated a more extensive manifesto than simply doing away with political elites and promoting direct democracy. Instead M5S has stated that if it assumes office it will introduce a universal basic income, in order to appeal to left-leaning voters, as well as offering tax cuts and pledging to crack down on illegal immigration, to win over those on the right. Whether the party has the ability to implement all these policies certainly remains to be seen, but their potential appeal across the political spectrum cannot be denied.

Di Maio, who will be M5S’ candidate for Prime Minister (Source: Reuters)

This increased pragmatism begs the question of whether M5S’ attitudes on working with other parties has similarly softened. Despite being apparently the most popular single party, M5S trails the overall support for the right-leaning coalition led by Forza Italia, with a resurgent Silvio Berlusconi at its helm. It may be the case that if Di Maio’s party wants to take its place in government, it must hold its nose and work with the other parties it previously swore to dismantle. Di Maio has discussed the possibility of working with his rivals in one way or another, although whether this is a decision he and his party will have to make remains to be seen. Either way, M5S remains an intriguing player in the race for power culminating in early March.

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