Some of you might remember my editor’s note from a fortnight ago, in which I hoped that the next twelve months might be somewhat less turbulent than the last. Safe to say, I don’t think this comment aged well, with Covid cases now swiftly rising across Durham. It goes without saying that the pandemic has affected us in more ways than imaginable, but dealing with renewed Covid stress on top of online learning, academic deadlines, and job applications has reminded me just how difficult it can be to switch off from it all. In an effort to better define my work-relax balance which seems to have dwindled of late, this week I tried out some relaxation strategies. These ranged from taking a full day off, to making time for a daily crossword, to keeping my room a strictly work-free zone, all to varying levels of success. Everybody relaxes differently, and I’m admittedly yet to find my methods, but if the past two years have taught us anything, it’s that we need to be able to unwind. 

In this week’s editor’s picks, Lia Windsor reviews Aja Barber’s Consumed, whilst Magali O’Brien considers Spider-Man: No Way Home from the perspective of its comic fans and Flo Wright investigates the efficacy of the media in climate activism:

1. Colonialism and climate change: a review of Aja Barber’s ‘Consumed’ by Lia Windsor

2. ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ is a blessing for comic fans by Magali O’Brien

3. Are TV and media an effective tool for climate activism? By Flo Wright

4. The perfect resolution: small goals for busy minds by Melissa Rumbold

5. The test of the west: countering the authoritarian wave by Joshua Guillen

Featured image: Matthias Schmutzer on The Bubble’s Photography and Illustration Drive.