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Political and Legal Developments in the EU Law: The Migration Crisis and COVID-19
Full text linkThe European Union (EU) is a remarkable example of a supranational organisation in the 21st century political world, where its 27 Member States share power and resources to pursue common economic, environmental, political, and social goals. However, in recent years, it has encountered a myriad of challenges that fracture its structure and competency. This paper examines two such momentous case studies, the Migration Crisis and COVID-19, through a legal and political lens. The research, consisting of legislation and case law, finds systemic flaws within the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) and inefficiency caused by bureaucracy that sometimes causes a stalemate. On the other hand, the initial response to COVID-19 discloses unknown weaknesses in the EU’s ability to act as a collective union towards human health.
The paper evaluates the successes and limitations of specific developments to EU law, including directives, economic mechanisms, and financial agreements, showcasing the workings of EU policy making and its impact on Member States. Then, the paper discusses the political implications of these legal developments and their role in redefining human rights for the EU in the 21st century. The paper concludes that the EU’s future relies on addressing the political implications of EU law that are essential to reinforce the EU’s role in crisis management and to better equip it to promote human development
Anti-Abortion Discourse in Canada after the Overturning of Roe v. Wade
Full text linkThis study investigates the current (November 2023) discourse of anti-abortion activists in Canada to see if the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022 has changed the prevalent themes. A literature review was conducted, and four key themes were inductively derived: Fetal-Personhood Framing, Pro-Women Framing, Religious Downplaying and Legal-Based Arguments. Upon further thematic analysis of six protest sites (July 2022 – November 2023) in Canada, there appeared to be five key themes: Fetal Personhood Framing, Pro-Women Framing, Legal-Based Arguments, Religion-Based Framing and Ascribing Negative Emotions to Women with Abortions. This differed from the findings of Lowe and Page’s 2019 study which found the downplaying of religion to be a key theme. The literature stressed finding Pro-Women Framing in discourses but in this analysis, multiple instances of Ascribing Negative Emotions to Women who had Abortions appeared. As was expected, more arguments seemed to be backed by the overturning of Roe v. Wade, as shown by the observation of Legal Based Arguments in protests. This analysis suggests that the reversal of Roe v. Wade has emboldened religious activists by giving them legal backing to no longer downplay religious motivations as their beliefs have been rationalised by law. This can be backed by the lack of Religious Downplaying but relatively frequent Religion-Based Framing and Legal-Based Arguments. Additionally, a minority of signs seemed to be anti-woman which perhaps suggests that the reversal of Roe v. Wade has encouraged activists to vocalise their traditional views more
Medchir - A note from your president Jarrar Khan
No full textWelcome to Glasgow Medical School!First of all, well done! Forget about thatbloody UCAT, those pesky past papersand all those silly interviews. Yousmashed it out of the park and now it’stime for you to work hard and play evenharder – and this is where we come in… MedChir has been kicking around since1802, making it one of the oldestsocieties in Scotland. Over those yearsMedChir has consistently hostededucational events, social events andmade sure nobody goes thirsty onThursdays.This year we’re kicking things off with aHoly Trinity of events to give you aproper Glaswegian welcome. First up isWelcome Night, for Freshers to get toknow each other over some free pints.This is being followed by our Ceilidh soyou can throw each other about, meetpeople in other years, and, if you’re notScottish and have no idea what a Ceilidhis, come along and find out. And finally,Medic Families – a night to meet yourmedic parents, grandparents, uncles andaunties and let them teach you the waysof MedChir.There are so many more events to lookforward to; getting dressed up for theincredible MedChir Ball or putting yourlab coats to good use for the infamousScrubby – a sub crawl like no other.There are plenty of events to keep youentertained and one that you ought toknow of is the Scottish and NorthernIrish Medics Sports Tournament – AKA SNIMS.
Imagine collecting 1500 Medics in a cityin Scotland for a ‘sports day’ sandwichedbetween two nights out? Chaoticallyincredible right? Well, lucky you, becausethis year that city is Glasgow and it’s aweekend you would be sorry to miss. We have plenty of events planned thisyear. We want you to look back one daywhen you are a shit hot doctor andappreciate that some of the best years ofyour life weren’t just spent in the library!We can’t to meet you all in September,maybe in the Library – probably in BeerBar. Did I mention free pints?Jarrar Khan MedChir President 2023-202
Surgo. December 2023. : Surgo, December 23\u27
No full textIn our December 23\u27 issue we bring you more interesting articles, covering topics such as the impact of climate change on healthcare and the success of women in medicine. This issue also includes a survey looking into the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on student life. We also include a visual abstract competition with the opportunity to win some prize money! 
Modern Solar Navigation Techniques
Full text linkNavigation by sea has proven difficult due to the absence of distinct markers for guidance. One solution for longer journeys was to track the position of celestial bodies as a navigational method, which has become more reliable as mathematical models improved over time. This essay aims to explore the mathematical methods behind modern solar navigation techniques and illustrate how these models are highly useful to describe and predict real-life scenarios
Tail Lights - History of MedChir, a conversation with Cindy Chew and William Heeley
No full textWelcome to your brand new iteration of theamazing Surgo! Well done to Eddie and Annafor bringing our journal into the 21stcentury. The name of this column is courtesy of Prof.Sir. Graham Teasdale (Medchir honorarypresident 1981). Thanks GT! "By providing a bright red light at the backend of the car, tail lights ensure that alldrivers are aware of the cars’ presence andthey protect the car from being slammedfrom behind by other cars" - Google. Expect interviews with interesting folk andmaybe an opinionated rant or two!My first piece is a chat with Billy Heeley (Medchir alumni rep 23/24) who spent a yearpiecing together the missing history ofMedchir. Enjoy!
History of MedChir, aconversation withCindy Chew and WilliamHeeley Founded in 1802, our MedChir Society is oneof the oldest Medical Societies in the UK [wewere pipped just a wee bit to the post inScotland by Royal Medical Society,Edinburgh (1739) and Aberdeen MedicoChirurgical Society (1789)].William “Billy” Heeley is former VicePresident of MedChir. He successfullydischarged his duties in organising theinfamous MedChir Ball at the magicallytransformed setting of The Engine Works.It is perhaps inevitable, given our 220 yearhistory, that some details might be lost tothe sands of time. With the advent of“modern technology”, the Society’s recordshifted from the physical form of a “minutebook” to a digital format. As a result,information between 1980 and 2018 istragically missing. Billy set himself the taskof piecing back some of the missing historyfor us. Let’s find out more…..
Billy, tell us a bit about your associationwith MedChir?I have been a member of MedChir sincePatrick Nicholas advertised it duringFresher’s Week. I think MedChir – with itsmyriad social, sporting and educationalevents – is integral to being a medicalstudent in Glasgow. I have loved everyminute of it! I was the 1st year Rep, PublicityRep, then Secretary, before being voted in asVice-President last year.What inspired you to “fill in the blanks” ofMedChir records?While holding the office of Secretary, itstruck me that Glasgow Union’s plaque ofprevious GU Presidents is on prominentdisplay at the entrance. It got me thinking:What about MedChir? Where is our list ofPresidents? In fact, where are our recordspre-2019?How did you go about it?I spent an afternoon reading the old minutebooks held in the University’s Archive; crosschecked names from those minute bookswith published President’s addresses fromold copies of Surgo. Armed with a patchy listof past presidents, I then spent the next yearand a bit Googling, searching social media,sending cold DM’s and emails to every nameon the list - asking for their help filling thosegaps from their memories and knowledge.What did you manage to find?Wow! That is Impressive! Can you sharesome of the highlights? Were there anydifficulties?It was frustrating when I hit a wall and thetrail turned cold when folk didn’t respond tomy request for assistance. It was, by equalmeasure, really fun when people DO replyand I get another line filled! I rememberspending hours just reading up what pastMedChir members went on to achieve in thedecades after Medical School. People such asProf Sir Ken Calman (who changed the faceof post graduate medical training in UK andex-CMO of Scotland) or another whooperates an aesthetic clinic in Australia. Therange was incredible and really inspiring.Can you share any funny stories?A few records that stood out for me include:MedChir Ball was held for many years in theQMU – on account of GU’s stance in (not!)admitting women. The MedChir Ball itselfwas cancelled for a couple of years onaccount of “apathy” and debates were heldon whether the serving of alcohol should bediscontinued on account of the general“rowdiness” that ensured.True story: I was at a GP placement with adoctor whose name I thought soundedfamiliar. It took me a while but I finallytwigged : the name was on the President’slist! That was a really funny “6 degrees ofseparation” moment for me. It wasfascinating hearing him recount his days inMedChir and even better when he was ableto help me fill a few more lines on the list! I found 214 (out of 220) names
What is the point of all this work?I think it is important to try and have ascomplete a record as possible of our history.If nothing else, it serves to show of how thecultural mores of medical students changeover time. It is ironic and a real shame thatwe have records from over a hundred yearsago but have somehow managed to lose themost recent decades. We have aresponsibility to try and find that history andpreserve it for those who come after us.How do you feel about all this work you’vedone?I am really proud of what I managed toachieve in what is really a drop in the oceanof time as far as MedChir’s history isconcerned. I feel very much that I too amnow woven into the fabric of the history ofour society.What else do you think needs done?It would be good if the missing history couldbe found and put together with the rest ofthe tapestry forming the history of MedChir.Does the minute book post-1980 exist? Trulymagic if it could be found and returned to theUniversity’s Archives for safe keepin
Colours, not visions: On preserving authenticity in the New Psychedelic Movement
Full text linkThe New Psychedelic Movement is not a “psychedelic Renaissance”. It is the re-emergence of a Renaissance that began in the 1930s, with Richard Evans Schultes’ ethnobotanical research, and culminated into a counterculture youth movement in the 1960s. While research around these substances is little more than a century old, the practices of using them, as performed by Indigenous peoples, date to prehistoric times. These ancient practices stem from cultural contexts often disregarded by current research and contemporary practices. This brings to light a serious concern: that the focus of psychedelic inquiry is shifting toward commodification of the substances and the practices associated with them. In so doing, we are losing the authenticity of meaningful psychedelic use by transforming psychedelics and psychedelic practices into commodified pharmacological solutions to our current problems.
This essay, then, will attempt to address this issue. We will first contextualise the discussion by outlining a brief history of psychedelics. We will describe the current state of the psychedelic resurgence and compare it to the resurgence that occurred in the 1950s-60s. This will allow us to examine the loss of authenticity of psychedelic practices and show why this is an important contemporary issue. Finally, we will discuss possible solutions that may help preserve authenticity in the current movement
“You paid 200,000 francs for this shit?”: The Art of Friendship
Full text linkThis article considers the application of Lacanian psycho-semiotics to Yasmina Reza’s, Art, as a means of understanding the influence that aesthetic judgements wield as markers of social class: the defining actor in the balance of the play’s interpersonal relationships. In viewing the focus of their dispute, a recently acquired artwork, as a metaphor for the unconscious (as defined under the Lacanian psychological model), it becomes apparent the play’s structure strongly reflects that of Lacan’s analysis of Edgar Alan Poe’s The Purloined Letter. This understanding grounds a potentially lofty discussion of ‘high’ art as one that carries real-world, non-literary ramifications, contextualising the differing socio-economic power held by each of the characters and exposing the internal pressures that that imbalance exerts
Note from the Editor in Chief
No full textHello Freshers and welcome everyone toSurgo 23/24! Maybe you have heard ofSurgo before, maybe you haven\u27t, but itdoesn\u27t matter because this year we areputting Surgo on the MAP. Thanks to thehelp of last years\u27 committee and Prof.Cindy Chew we now have Surgo attatchedto an ISBN number, meaning that Surgoarticles count as official publications(points for the CV, absolutely!). I hope that Surgo becomes a place thatwe can share social events, electivestories, posters from research projects,interesting interviews and a continuousalumni column. I am so very excitedabout this new and improved Surgo andeverything that we will achieve thiscoming year! Anna Bradford, Surgo Editor in Chief 2324
Religious Retribution through Football in Scotland
Full text linkThis paper sheds light upon the conflicting, religious undertones of the two largest football clubs in Scotland, Rangers Football Club and Celtic Football Club, that is fuelled by the fanbases’ cultural dependencies within each association. These football clubs, known nationally across Scotland, have an established conflict of ideologies; beliefs that go far behind the goals of the football pitch. The main thrust of this paper, then, displays a compelling focus on the self-identity established through sport, and in this instance, football, while so too heightening the pertinence of the politics within this playing field