Volume 20, Issue 3 (Dec '19)

I N M I N D: Study reveals mental health i ss u e s o n c a m p u s

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Dear readers, It is that time of the year again, when we tr y our hardest to steer away f rom small talk involving the weather, festive food and holidays. Despite it being painfully predictable and worn down, these conversations trap the best of us. However, this year, the editors at Bath Time have collectively agreed to jump onto the confetti-spraying, ‘L ast Christmas’playing, jingle bell-ringing X mas bandwagon.

A large chunk of this December’s issue perpetuates that cliché idea of the ‘ideal’ Christmas eve –sitting in a pair of outrageous stockings by the f ireplace with a large hot chocolate, desperately waiting for the chimney to be clogged by half a bearded man’s bottom and a f lying sleigh. Our lifestyle section’s got top Netf lix picks and Christmas shopping lists. There’s the ‘Classic book review’ and most importantly Bath Time Film Awards (the most prestigious award in honour of an aquatic bird). And we publish these with the same unabashed pride with which we go to the Christmas market year after year, just so we can Instagram the same picture of our mulled wine against a backdrop of fair y lights.

The holidays may bring with it abundant joy and warmth for many, but it can also leave us with a sour after taste. Many of us will be spending time away f rom our families and pressure is bound to build up for the oncoming Januar y exams. Financial situations hardly seem to get better and early sunsets don’t help

either. It is easy to feel vulnerable during this period and it can take a toll on one’s mental health. Our cover stor y meticulously explores this matter. We dug into results of a sur vey on mental well-being conducted by Alterline, an external research agenc y, to which Bath Time was given exclusive access. The figures paint a stark picture of student experiences with mental health conditions on campus.

Such problems can arise in many forms, be it addiction, eating and sleeping disorders or more explicitly, depression and chronic anxiety. The number of people walking past the parade at this ver y moment who don’t feel at their best is concerning. If this is something you are currently experiencing, talk to a mate, reach out. No problem is too small. And if you find yourself on the other side of the fence and notice a f riend suf fering, be their strength.

Along with organising secret santas and setting up advent calendars with your housemates, make sure you take a moment to genuinely ask them how they’re feeling. A small gesture of concern can go a long way.

In addition to some brave stories f rom contributors, turns out as we approach New Year’s Eve, you lot have a ton of raging political opinions. I’m not sure if it’s the end of year existentialism kicking in, but the only choice we had was to concede to this. S o this issue’s features section is liberally peppered with political voices from Italy, America and Germany while News and C omment brings with it local and global stories on issues that matter.

Not only are we hopping on to the aforementioned bandwagon this winter, we also intend to ride it all around town. S o strap up those seatbelts, the journey is about to begin!

Nidhi Ar un Features Editor

December 2018 3

MEET THE COMMITTEE

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CONTENTS PAGE December 2018

COVER STORY

6

In Mind: study reveals mental health issues on campus

COVER ARTWORK

‘Rozalie’ by Max Bowden

PHOTOGRAPHY

28 FEATURES

NEWS & COMMENT

FEATURES

10

21

31

BATHTIME Film Awards

by Elie Breton des Loys

17 19 46

Winter Fashion

by Chloe Granger Agony Aunt

by Beatrice Lovewater The Bath Bunch

by Mannal Ajaz

25

27

Homelessness in Bath

by Eloise Sacares Adventures of a Marxist at Bath

by Mauricio Fortuna The Great British Swim

by Nicola Jennings

32

My University Gambling Addiction

by Jordan Edwards Italy’s Problem with Women

by Darcey Stickley

40 by Seb Ward

Note: Photography in this issue has been sourced from unsplash.com, Wikimedia and other sources which do not require crediting unless otherwise noted.

UNI-VERSITY

December 2018 5

CW: Mental health, self-harm, suicide

COVER STORY

I N M I N D:

Study reveals mental health issues on campus

M

ental health issues facing students are no secret. University easily feels daunting, and if not monitored appropriately can become fertile ground for problems such as depression and anxiety. From Freshers’ Week, students are pressured into having the time of their lives, whilst maintaining academic and extra-curricular excellence.

With seven suicides over 18 months at Bristol University, the topic made headlines and prompted news outlets and public figures to declare a ‘student mental health crisis’. Few actually sought to understand the root of ill-being among students, rather discussing available services and whether they were sufficient.

Bath Time have acquired the results of a survey completed by 12,700 students nationally, 1,500 of which are from our University. The ‘Being well, doing well’ survey led by Alterline delves into the complex reasoning behind the mental health crisis. This research helps us understand the difficulties Bath students face, as well as how they differ from other students nationally.

from the fear of failure. “It’s the assurance that whilst you’re not working, you cannot be discredited” so most tasks are postponed to the last minute. Surprisingly, Nightline is much quieter once exams begin, suggesting the thought of examinations is worse than the actual event.

Supporting Connolly’s experiences on the matter, 32% of Bath respondents said they were not doing as well as they wanted academically and over a third put off work to the last minute. However, the Alterline report states that more than 9/10 agreed that they always submit their work on time. This could be partly due to the culture of perfectionism many perceive at Bath, which was discussed with Patrick Taylor and Lorna O’Connor at a recent Student Minds event.

University is portrayed as the best time of your life, so there is an ulterior feeling of failure when that expectation is not met constantly. Hence the question arises: what kind of expectations are being placed on Bath students and how much stress is put on meeting these standards?

STUDIES AND EXAMS Simon Connolly, co-chair of Nightline, the University’s anonymous listening service, told Bath Time he noticed a surge in calls approaching exams. Deadlines are a constant worry and procrastination fuels many students’ stress. Rather than laziness, this arises

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Peer to peer Bath students are much more likely to seek support from partners, friends and peers when compared to students in other universities. 2 in 5 Bath students, who have previously experienced mental health

COVER STORY

issues, have disclosed problems to partners, and almost half are willing to share this information with close friends from home. This can be compared to only 17% who disclosed issues to personal tutors and 6% to their lecturers, these figures being lower in comparison to other universities. Issues such as these are explained by poor relationships between staff and students, with over half of respondents agreeing that lecturers or tutors did not know who they were.

Regarding those who provide the support, their experiences have also been quantified in Alterline’s research. 64% of Bath respondents have helped someone with mental health problems compared to 55% of students nationally. Within that, 54% said the process caused them to feel stress in contrast to 41% who felt well-equipped to deal with the situation.

Meanwhile, 47% nationally felt equipped, which is higher than the Bath statistic and also notable considering Bath students depend more on the support offered here. What’s been done to tackle this?

The Consequences Social life and substance abuse Outside of academic studies, respondents to the survey expressed how their mental health had seen a negative impact on all kinds of relationships. 41% said their relationship with their partner had been affected, with 36% experiencing effects on their sex life, and 28% said mental health problems had impacted their relationship with their housemates. More generally, a common symptom of mental illness is known to be avoidance of social situations, shown through 54% of respondents experiencing mental illnesses influencing their ability to socialise.

Patrick, chair of Bath Student Minds, a peer support group on campus, has stressed the importance of this data, noting that students must be equipped to help friends in need without seeing their own mental health damaged as a result. Ensuring peers can spot symptoms and support their peers without causing damage to themselves is the focus of the Look After Your Mate, a new Student Minds campaign.

A tendency to steer clear of social situations can sometimes involve replacing human interaction with substances. 12% of Bath respondents revealed to Alterline that they drank alcohol alone at home on a weekly basis, while 4% took illegal drugs regularly on their own. This behaviour is not always a red flag for personal problems and dependencies, but can often be a symptom.

December 2018 7

COVER STORY

From physical symptoms to self-harm Physical illnesses can result from mental issues.

Whilst some find themselves sleeping all the time or constantly feeling sick, some students decide to harm themselves. The awareness evening previously referred to highlighted how forms of this can include cutting one’s body, taking an overdose of painkillers, self-harm or, more subtly, picking one’s skin or skipping meals. The Alterline survey results highlighted that 23% of Bath respondents had self-harmed, which is lower than the collective respondents from all institutions, 33%, but there is by no means an absence of this distressing behaviour in our community. The reasons for self harm are not explicit but can stem from sufferers being unsure of how to express themselves, or needing someone to notice them.

Worse still, a shocking 1 in 20 Bath respondents in the survey said they had attempted to take their own lives. Again, this is lower than the collective response and indeed, a national spotlight has been placed on students suicides following University of Bristol’s surge.

Heavy repercussions on eating habits It is often neglected that eating disorders not only arise from mental illnesses, but are in fact a mental illness in themselves, an issue recently raised by Bath MP Wera Hobhouse in Parliament. She shared Lorna O’Connor’s story, a University of Bath alumnus who suffered from serious eating disorder which led her to suspend her studies. Lorna raised how abnormal behaviours are absurdly normalised in a university environment, particularly skipping meals and irregular sleeping patterns. Outside of the university context, much of this behaviour is not normal. In case of eating disorders specifically, the problem is hardly recognised until it reaches chronic levels.

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Conclusion While many of the results listed above demonstrate that Bath students are better off relative to their peers at other universities, it is clear that severe issues are present in our own community. Efforts are seemingly being made by all parties sat around the table, with curriculum transformation aiming to reduce pressure caused by unnecessary or excessive examination, and the SU working with student support groups to provide services addressing the issues revealed by the Alterline report. Regardless, there are many issues that require much more work and some may take significant cultural shifts to be resolved.

COVER STORY

We take our duty of care for our students very seriously and are concerned that a significant minority of respondents to this survey reported mental health problems.

We want every student to succeed during their time here and it is important that our students know that a range of support services are available to them, and feel comfortable enough to ask for help. These options include well-being advisors who are professionally trained to provide confidential help and support to students about any problems they may have. Face-to-face drop in sessions are available throughout the year, including weekends, as well as online and phone support seven days a week.

In addition the University Counselling and Mental Health Service provides a diverse range of interventions including group programmes, one-to-one talking therapies, and online guided self-help providing access to evidence-based computerised cognitive behavioural therapy programmes, which can be accessed from any location.

Mental Health First Aid training has been delivered to both staff and students, with more than 500 people completing this course to date, and a staff advice helpline is available for all for academic and professional staff dealing with student mental health and other issues.

If you or a friend need advice or support, Student Services are reachable on 01225383838, in 4 West or via email on studentservices@bath.ac.uk You can also visit the Advice and Support centre on the ground floor of the SU. They are also reachable on 01225386906 or suadvice@bath.ac.uk Nightline can be reached on 01225383030 every night of term and Student Minds run regular sessions that are advertised on their Facebook page.

December 2018 9

LIFESTYLE

Christmas] & IN BATH

Bath on Ice Every Christmas, Royal Victoria Park becomes the perfect winter spectacle. Whether you picture yourself at the next Winter Olympics, or are a complete beginner, it’s worth spending an hour on the ice to get yourself in the festive spirit. After this experience you can make a visit to the Glow in the Dark Mini Golf course which has also gone through a Christmas makeover. After all the sporting activities, settle yourself in Moguls Alpine Bar to enjoy a delicious wood-fired pizza accompanied with a warming drink, maybe a hot chocolate or mulled wine.

Winter Wonderland at Cribbs Causeway This year’s Winter Wonderland is bigger and better than ever! Still with the largest outdoor ice rink in the South West, this magical experience can facilitate your inner child with its vintage fairground rides and Santa’s Enchanted Castle, this year with an all new 3D experience. After enjoying all of this there are is a vast array of festive food and drinks to warm you from the Bristol chill, all located in sweet little chalets.

Christmas Tree Carol Trail This is the perfect Christmas fun for all of the Freshers still wanting to get to know your city. Running until January 1st, you’ll need to find the ten additional Christmas Trees placed at various welcome points in the city centre. Each of these is decorated with a musical theme (hence the “Carol Trail”), which you must try to identify. Along the way you could

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BRISTOL

also pop into the Après Ski Bar at the Abbey Hotel to enjoy some warming food. You can choose to settle yourself in their Alpine lodge or warm yourself under a blanket outside.

Bath Christmas Market No matter where in the world you come from, I’m sure many of you have heard of Bath’s famous Christmas Market. This is simply unmissable if you are visiting the city centre. With 180 chalets filled with hand-crafted Christmas gifts suitable for anyone, from your Grandma to your little brother, you won’t be left short of the opportunity to do some Christmas shopping. Don’t miss out on the food on offer in many of the chalets, particularly the Vintage Crepes and Coffee stand to keep you toasty and warm.

Winter Fair in Millennium Square Take a trip to Bristol’s harbourside to enjoy even more Christmas festivities. Take a ride on the Big Wheel to catch a view of Bristol’s winter scenery, and then enjoy their Apres Bar, cosying up with friends or your significant other under blankets. Here there is also another opportunity to go ice skating and have a look around a slightly smaller Christmas Market than Bath. What should be one of the most popular aspects of this event is the outdoor screenings of a variety of Christmas films including the Polar Express and Elf: what’s even better is that it’s FREE!!

LIFESTYLE

2018 is coming to an end, and it is time for Bath Time to reflect on the movies we’ve seen this year and give our Bath Time Film Awards!

By Elie Breton des Loys

BEST ACTION FILM Mission: Impossible – Fallout Just when you thought the M:I saga couldn’t do any better, Fallout is a slap in the face. The quality of its action sequences (the chase in Paris or the final fight in Kashmir), script and characters make for a must-see action flick.

BEST DRAMA FILM A Star is Born Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper shine in this beautiful remake of the 1937 film, that not only brings new interesting themes to the story, but also manages to create characters you will deeply care for.

BEST TEEN FILM Love, Simon If you haven’t seen Love, Simon go do it now!

It is simply an amazing movie about a sensitive subject lifted by the incredible performances of its cast. A much-needed film in today’s times.

BEST BIOGRAPHICAL OF THE YEAR I, Tonya Rarely has a movie about a celebrity been so entertaining. Thanks to a clever editing, and a heartfelt performance from Margot Robbie, I, Tonya is an extremely entertaining story.

BEST THRILLER Widows Steve McQueen confirms his status as a talented director of thrillers in this near-perfect film that uses a simple plot to shine a light on society’s problem, also helped by a mesmerising Viola Davis.

BEST ROMANTIC FILM To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before Although it may seem like your typical rom-com, this Netflix-hit is actually a rare gem. Thanks to bright young actors, the movie avoids the clichés of the genre and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

BEST ANIMATED FILM Incredibles 2 Perhaps I’m biased because I’ve seen the original movie seven times in the cinema when it came out, but this sequel does everything right. It’s truly a pleasure to see the Parr family on the big screen again, especially when it’s that perfect!

BEST HORROR FILM Hereditary You might not have heard of this indie film, but it’s definitely a master class on how to build tension. Toni Collette’s performance as a mother whose world suddenly collapses will send shivers down your spine.

BEST FILM OF THE YEAR First Man Everything about First Man is beautiful. Whether it is the stunning cinematography, Justin Hurwitz’s haunting soundtrack or Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy’s perfect performances, the movie will definitely go down in history.

December 2018 11

LIFESTYLE Winter is now upon us, which means getting into bed and watching Netflix is almost a definite.

If you are wondering what to watch next, look no further: here are my current top picks:

THE GOOD PLACE If you are looking for a laugh, the Good Place is a great option. The series is about a woman, Eleanor Shellshop, who wakes up in the afterlife and is introduced to the “The Good Place”: a highly selective heaven-like utopia he designed to reward those who have lived a righteous life. However, Eleanor soon discovers she was sent to The Good Place by mistake and attempts to hide her immoral past and imperfect personality. She has tried to become a better, more ethical person in order to fit in. The unexpected and clever twist at the end of the first season is one of the many reasons you should watch the show.

RIVERDALE Riverdale is based on the lives of a group of teenagers in a small town named Riverdale in the US. The first series focuses on the murder mystery of one of the rich and popular Blossom twins and keeps you guessing all the way through. If you are hungry for drama and mystery, now is the perfect time to start binge-watching Riverdale, with season three is currently being released on Netflix.

PRISON BREAK Prison Break is for those who love thriller and crime shows. The series is about a man called Lincoln Burrows, who is sentenced to death for a crime he hasn’t committed, and his brother’s attempt to help his brother escape prison and clear his name. All five seasons are on Netflix and a season six is also on the cards.

HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER How to Get Away with Murder stars Emmy awarding actress Viola Davis as Annalise Keating, a law professor at a Philadelphia University.

The plot revolves around Annalise and five of her students becoming entwined in a murder and trying to cover it up. The back and forth timeline and cliff -hanger at the end of

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every episode is what makes the show really unique and addictive.

NARCOS Narcos is a Netflix original series, based on true events and featuring Pedro Pascal from Game of Thrones. It is about the rise of the cocaine trade in Colombia and the true stories of successful drug dealers in the 1980s, including the story of the notorious Pablo Escobar. Narcos revolves around a fast-paced cat and mouse game with the DEA trying to capture the drug cartel.

BROOKLYN NINE-NINE Brooklyn Nine-Nine is another series if you want to have a laugh. It is about an immature but talented NYPD detective in Brooklyn, who comes into conflict with his new serious and stern commanding officer Captain Raymond Holt. The show was recently cancelled by Fox but picked up by NBC for another season after fans’ disappointment.

BLACK MIRROR Black Mirror is a unique and much talked about series which has standalone episodes set in an alternative present or near future, examining modern society and the consequences of new technologies. Many of the episodes offer a dark and satirical view of what technology could do to the world, whilst others are more experimental and light hearted.

RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE RuPaul’s Drag Race is a reality competition series which documents RuPaul’s search for America’s next drag superstar. RuPaul acts as the host, mentor and head judge for the series as contestants are given different challenges. One is eliminated each week, until only the drag superstar is left standing. If you are looking for an absurd, crazy and random show to laugh at there are 10 seasons on Netflix to enjoy.

LIFESTYLE

BATHTIME

Book Club FAHRENHEIT 451 (1953), Ray Bradbury

By Robert Brett

I

n Fahrenheit 451, books are considered “the source of all discord and unhappiness.”

The main character is a man called Guy Montag who works as a fireman, an occupation with vastly different connotations in the society of Fahrenheit 451 than within our own. In this world, firemen burn books. Instead of water-hoses they use “great pythons, spitting venomous kerosene on the world,” making sure no trace of print remains.

of the bunch for two reasons.

Ray Bradbury once stormed out of a lecture that he was teaching about the book. His students insisted that the novel was about censorship, in spite of Bradbury’s protests – “I wrote the bloody thing.”

The other reason is the prophetic nature of the book, only fully appreciable fifty years after publication. From earphones to Skype, Bradbury prophesied an era of humanity completely dependent on high intensity media. Guy Montag’s unsuccessful attempts to wrangle his wife’s attention away from the “parlour” (a room in which all four walls are TV screens) feels exactly like talking to a friend absorbed in social media. Many instances in this novel are worrying relatable in our age of rapid, low quality content, all a testament to Bradbury’s insight.

Despite frequent misinterpretations, as Bradbury has said numerous times – his classic novel isn’t about censorship. There is no overarching dictatorship imposing this book burning on the people – the decision to do away with the written word was made by the people. The novel is a criticism of television, and how its rise (in the 50s, when Bradbury wrote the book) signified the death of literature and critical thought. It’s also about the inherent dangers of lowest common denominator entertainment. I wonder what Bradbury would make of vines and memes?

This novel is considered one of the classics of dystopian fiction, alongside George Orwell’s 1984 and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. While they’re all excellent books, Fahrenheit 451 is my favourite

The first is simple – it’s an absolute pleasure to read. Each page is crammed full of the kind of beauty that often gets in the way of telling the story.

Here, that’s simply not the case: the whole book is a vibrant sequence of imagery and metaphor, but it never drags. Bradbury’s prose is wonderful - each sentence hums with its own linguistic quirks.

The world created in this novel is one of beauty and tension held in delicate juxtaposition, and although the plot is stunning, I maintain that it’s Bradbury’s writing style that really sets this novel apart.

I hope I’ve interested you in picking up a copy of Fahrenheit 451. At least three members of Bath’s Literature Society regard it as their favourite book and for good reason. One of the best books I’ve ever read, and fully deserving of its place as a modern classic.

Good Buy Books on Manvers Street are selling copies for £4, new.

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LIFESTYLE

Re s t a u r a n t Re v i e w

KO FF M AN N A N D M R . W H ITE ’ S

S

ince its recent opening in the heart of Bath, Koffmann and Mr White’s has been the centre of much critical attention, the named chefs sparking interest of fine diners and casual foodies alike. The collaboration of renowned chefs Pierre Koffmann and Marco Pierre White promised a union of exquisite culinary influences from both sides of the channel, not to mention a combined total of 6 Michelin stars. After a semester of the £1 counter in Fountain Canteen and poorly cooked spag bol, Bath Time thought it was time to pay an overdue visit back to civilised society.

Stepping off the cold mid-November streets and into the ground floor of the Abbey Hotel, the boutique home of the Koffmann and Mr White’s French English Brasserie, we felt instantly whisked away to a world of Parisian charm. Our host Cherisse welcomed us warmly and chatted about the restaurant's exciting opening only 5 weeks previously, and we admired the tasteful selection of art on display. The restaurant’s interior cast a tone of elegant class, with dark and chic walls, but simultaneously breathed home comforts, thanks to the traditional table decor and warm lighting. As advertised, the environment was stylish yet unpretentious and we felt all stresses of deadlines and coursework being dispelled.

We discovered the menu was nothing short of delightful, once the baffling French had been decrypted kindly, and understandingly, by Cherisse. Between us we chose the classic French onion soup and terrine de foie de volaille (chicken liver, apparently) for starters and the poulet-noir and braised ox cheek for mains. The dishes added beautiful traces of luxury to familiar homestyle cuisine and the portions were sized perfectly. In particular, the soup was a harmonious blend of subtly rich cider, mouth-watering gruyere and croutons melting to the perfect consistency. The chicken was sourced by Koffmann himself and he selected a black-footed breed (poulet-noir)

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that can only be found in one French province.

It is not typical for the named chefs of many restaurants to visit their venues as often as Koffmann and Mr. White visit the Abbey Hotel. Unknowingly to us, Pierre was sitting on the opposite side of the room having dessert with waiting staff whilst we were indulging in the paired wines, served in glasses specially chosen by the chefs. Marco, being local to Bath, is also known to lend a hand in the kitchens a few nights every week. The casual involvement of the two named figures no doubt enhances the intimate nature of the restaurant, giving a comfortable atmosphere from which it benefits from immeasurably.

Alongside their new restaurant, the Abbey hotel is also home to some more well kept secrets. Upon entering the lobby, the customer’s attention is directed through lounges and curtain draped corridors to the venue’s ArtBar. The bar was meticulously designed, featuring a range of artwork, plush leather armchairs and hundreds of crystal glasses dangling from the ceiling (which we were reassured were secure).

With an expansive cocktail, spirit and wine menu, a knowledgeable and approachable mixologist, it’s no wonder the bar can justify such claims as promising the comeback of the Piña Colada. ArtBar is worthy of being your go to for special dates or quiet drinks if you’re due a taste of luxury.

Hidden below the North Parade sits the Hotel’s ‘The Escape’ venue, a series of renovated wartime bunkers appropriate for special birthdays and get-togethers.

Admittedly, Koffmann and Mr White’s is not a destination we’d recommended for dinner when you simply don’t fancy cooking. It’s a notch above Nando’s and a cut above The Cork, with prices slightly above a typical student budget, but for special occasions it’s definitely worth consideration. This restaurant is a treat, providing an ideal break from ordinary affairs.

LIFESTYLE

Review

F AT H E R J O H N M I S T Y AT B AT H F O R U M

By Matt Kemp

Months ago, he graced the stage of the Hollywood Bowl playing to thousands of disciples and now, of Bath Forum, a venue choice I’m still left puzzled by.

I imagine that, for the large majority of you, Father John Misty is an unfamiliar name (apparently, singing about the likes of Heidegger and Sartre doesn’t get you on the radio). The entertainment industry, that he is rightfully so embittered by, portrays him as an enigmatic Grammy award-winning, folk-rock singer-songwriter. Only on his fourth album under this unique moniker, the self-proclaimed ‘aimless, fake drifter’ has amassed an eclectic yet consistent discography.

From his debut, Fear Fun, he sets the tone, painting the canvas of his origins through hilarity, debauchery and narcissism. Next came I Love You, Honneybear, an impassioned collective of love songs, portraying Misty’s conflicted approach to the subject – from True Affection to “sarcastic meta-ballad[s] about despair”. His Magnum Opus, Pure Comedy, was the logical progression; flipping his quite often introspective assassination of humanity onto society in an eerily prophetic manner. His latest effort, God’s Favourite Customer or Mr. Tillman’s Wild Ride, as it’s known to some, is the result of spending two isolated months holed up in an East Village hotel room, alone with his insecurities.

This was my third time seeing Misty, and his performance was drastically different from the one I saw a year earlier

on the Pure Comedy tour, where he commanded the stage like Jagger or Plant – obliterating at least four mic stands in the process. In this concert, it felt as if Misty was following the orders of a director – that director being his art. Draped head to toe in an immaculately cut white suit, he crafted his latest masterpiece on stage. Characterising his back catalogue in the manner he intended it to be consumed – this time only getting through three mic stands. Rockstar like in nature, he swiftly did away with the seating plan, encouraging the audience to disregard their assigned seats and crowd the stage – the upper levels were desolate by the end of the second song, Mr Tillman, a psychotic yet catchy Bowie-esque number that really benefited from the electric accompaniment.

The fourth wall was broken when he saw fit, usually in correlation with numbers from Pure Comedy, where it seemed as though Misty was giving lectures on what he sees as the satire that is humanity. As the show progressed into its twilight, he seemed to relax, choosing to interact with the crowd more freely.

Lampooning Coldplay and threatening us with a rendition of Clocks, Misty ensured that every individual in the auditorium viewed him how he chooses to see the world; through rose tinted glasses.

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LIFESTYLE

Victoria’s

NOT SO Secret decline

J

ust as Victoria’s Secret launched its 23rd annual runway show filled with sequins, pink robes and enough feathered wings to make even London Zoo jealous, a Cork teenager’s lacy underwear was held against her in court. It seems somewhat frivolous to talk about the extravaganza, a celebration of the very thing that set the accused free, but with every Instagram post or Twitter hashtag it’s difficult to escape its presence, whether you wanted to or not.

Taking place on November 8th, the thirty-minute spectacle was made up of famous faces as Rita Ora and The Chainsmokers took to the mic whilst the likes of Bella Hadid and Adriana Lima made their annual appearance in clothing that left little to be desired. Literally. Because at some point between losing their viewing figures and being called out for their racism, Victoria managed to keep style a Secret so hidden that she might actually want to start telling it soon.

What started as a somewhat ‘Dreamworks’ inspired range with diamond encrusted celestial-themed garments, my hope began to rise that for the first time in as far as I can remember, there might be something else to focus on other than Kendall Jenner’s diabolical walk. Yet as soon as PINK, their athleisure sub-brand, took to the runway, my heart dropped firmly into reality. Made up only for the fact that Shawn Mendes provided the soundtrack, the pieces looked almost as though they’d allowed the artistic director of Lelli Kelly to take the reins before the brand jumped straight on a plane to the Scottish Highlands; tartan making a surprise appearance on every. Single. Item.

The Fantasy Bra – a Swarovski embellished garment estimated at $1 million glittered on Elsa Hosk, yet failed to make a lasting impression before the company had announced that us paupers can also buy a version for a mere $250. The whole show was made up of stylistic decisions that showed so little understanding of the reality with what women actually wear it was almost as though it had been managed by someone that had never worn an item of lingerie… oh wait.

I’m not going to go on a rant about the comments that CEO Ed Razek made about not putting plus-size or transgender women into the show because they’re not ‘the fantasy’, Twitter has already provided enough of those. But frankly, with or without his views being made public, VS was already a brand on the slippery slope of decline, starting with their marketing campaign stuck in the archaic age of lingerie from its founding. Victoria’s Secret has always been made for women yet marketed to men, the entire brand originating in 1977 when Roy Raymond didn’t feel comfortable shopping for his wife. Yet walking into any VS store round the globe you’ll be hard pushed to find any male images on the walls, so it’s difficult to see how Raymond would feel any more comfortable than in the department store he had such an issue with. Although, can’t the same just be asked of anyone other than a thin, white woman?

With Savage x Fenty growing bigger with every diverse show Rihanna puts on, the future looks bleak for this iconic brand. They’re going to need to change the game they started or they’re going to need their very own Angel to save the day.

LIFESTYLE

By CHLOE GRANGER

A

s the weather becomes harsher and the air becomes chillier, we prepare ourselves for the bitter winter Season. But, despite the cold weather and grey skies, winter is such a joyous season as it brings with it the gloriousness that is Christmas. Making the most of the winter months involves embracing the layering that one must do with their clothes and surrendering oneself to cable knitted jumpers and gloves. Trust me, with the right items, you’ll be able to see the winter through in style.

1. Animal Print Winter Accessories

If you want to stay on trend this winter without having to sport an outfit that is leopard print from head to toe, choose to keep it simple by opting for animal print winter accessories, such as gloves, scarves and earmuffs. There’s something slightly classier about having little hints of animal print, rather than going all out with the pattern. Less is more in this case, so choose your accessories accordingly and make sure to keep them practical; better to ward off the cold than wind up with one!

Accessorize is selling the cosiest-looking scarf for just £22.00 – grab it before it disappears!

2. Sumptuous Sequins

Winter parties are potentially the most glamourous you could ever attend. With classic themes such as “Winter Sparkle” or “Winter Wonderland”, this gives us the opportunity to whip out the sparkle and adorn ourselves with sequins. When choosing your outfit for that Christmas do, be sure to select something that is utterly bedazzled – you’ll be sure to have everyone’s eyes on you! Most high street retailers have incorporated sequins and glitter into their winter collections (most notably Topshop) so you shan’t have too much difficulty getting your hands on that sparkle.

3. Midi Skirts

Wearing skirts in Winter can be somewhat of a

taboo. Baring your legs in the middle of December can only result in one thing; some serious shivering.

Not pleasant. However, if you’re partial to a skirt (like many of us), opting for a Midi skirt in the winter will shield your legs from the intense cold and you will also look sublimely elegant. The beauty of midi skirts is that they look gorgeous when paired with a chunky jumper; although it’s not a pairing that most people would try. Next time you’re deciding what to wear on a crisp winter morning, try pairing a midi skirt with a chunky jumper and you’ll instantly fall in love with the comfort and practicality.

4. Velvet

Velvet dresses, velvet trousers and even velvet chairs (that may be a little over the top), but velvet is such a fantastic material to explore during the Winter because it keeps you snuggly and warm whilst also looking fashionable – the best of both worlds! The sheen of velvet also adds some interest to any outfit and it’s now being used for many different garments across the high street. You can even opt for a velvet mini dress for that Christmas party, if you so desire.

The fabric has almost regal connotations and you’ll be sure to steal the show with it, whilst also being the warmest person in the room. It’s a win-win.

5. Tweed it Up

It’s time to unleash our inner Chanel and update our wardrobes by introducing some tweed. First pioneered by the world-renowned Coco Chanel, tweed is a material that breathes elegance and sophistication, but it just so happens to be a brilliant material to wear in Winter. If the Tweed has been fabricated well, it should be able to keep you warm without looking too bulky. Tweed blazers are all the rage at the moment, with most high- street retailers putting their own twist to it; there’s plenty of selection out there. If you want to keep it elegant this winter, try out some tweed; you won’t regret it.

Zara is selling some of the most beautiful tweed garments at the moment – check out its website to have a browse!

December 2018 17

LIFESTYLE

10 WEEKS IN

By Eloise Sacares

Reinvention is something that happens naturally as you move through different life events, and especially, meet new people. Spending time around a certain group of people is likely to cause you to soak up their mannerisms and become more invested in their interests. When I went interrailing this summer and spent 3 weeks almost constantly with the same people, I found that one of my friends ended up picking up all the annoying phrases and unnecessary swearing that he used to tease me about. Therefore, it’s only natural that people tend to change when they move to university.

The stereotype is that everyone goes vegetarian, dyes their hair, and gets a nose piercing or tattoo.

Sitting here with pink hair that I definitely didn’t have when I left home, I can’t exactly deny this, but from the people I’ve spoken to about this topic, the changes they’ve experienced are much more subtle.

Personally, the main difference I’ve experienced is that I’ve been a lot more confident in the past couple of months, but I think this is likely because I’ve just been thrown into a lot more situations that require that kind of social confidence, #fakeittillyoumakeit.

However, if you’ve purposely reinvented yourself for your first year at university, it’s likely that you’re finding it pretty hard to keep up. The times when I’ve transformed who I am to fit in with a new crowd, I’ve found it becoming really exhausting really quickly. But change doesn’t have to last forever. My self-professed ‘not-a-party-person’ flatmate went out every night of Freshers’ Week and arrivals weekend bar one, but since that, she’s gone back to preferring movie nights and Bake Off screenings to club nights (which to be fair, I think we all do sometimes). Uni-

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versity is meant to be a place where you can be all different things at once, so getting a new interest or doing something differently doesn’t mean you’re being a traitor to who you were. You’re just trying out new things and being a different version of yourself, one that you might actually prefer. And if you don’t, you’ll slip back into your old ways soon enough.

I think it’s also true that those of us who have gone from school to university without taking a year out have been stuck in the mould of a persona that we may have grown out of in the time we’ve been around those same people, and university is now the clean slate to grow into your ‘adult’ personality.

Although, as my anxiety meant I didn’t really drink in high school but I’ve become mentally healthy enough to drink recently, I feel like I’ve now just having my teenage rebellion phase about 4 years later than everyone else. Another change I’ve noticed is that being gay has become a much larger part of my identity and I’m not sure how I feel about it. I’m out and proud of my queer identity, but I don’t want it to become my whole identity.

At the end of the day though, however much I may seem to have changed to people back home, I’m still me. I’m still a nerd who spends most of her time on political twitter, likes basic white girl indie music and will only buy chips at McDonald’s because I hate the rest of the food. So, I guess my message is: you don’t need to fill the stereotype of reinvention by doing something drastic if you don’t want to, but you’re also not required to be the exact same in every aspect as you were before you came to Bath. As said

by George Eliot, ‘It’s never too late to be what you might have been’, so maybe try something new today – what do you have to lose?

LIFESTYLE

Agony Aunt I don’t drink alcohol but all my flatmates and friends here do. Whenever they’re drunk I really feel like an outsider. I don’t want to compromise on my beliefs but I feel like I’m missing out. What should I do?

It’s a common misconception that all students do is go out and drink alcohol (of course, aside from studying hard). You shouldn’t forget that there are thousands of students at university, each coming with their own experiences and interests. If alcohol doesn’t appeal to you, don’t panic – you aren’t on your own. Try to keep an eye out for alcohol-free events and you could always encourage your flatmates to join you to take a break from going out. Chances are, you might find other people who enjoy similar things to you and this might help you to feel more included. You should be able to enjoy university no matter who you are and you shouldn’t have to change this to fit in. After all, university is about finding yourself, not losing it.

Since coming to Bath, I’ve gained a dreaded stone of fresher’s flab. I’m desperate to cut back but I’m loving wine society a bit too much. I love drinking and I refuse to turn up to Bridge sober. I also loathe the gym with a passion. Any advice for how I can begin losing weight?

I say go out, shake your stuff more than ever before and maybe those extra pounds will come flying off. If not, who cares? As for the gym, if it’s not your thing – don’t stress yourself. It often involves far too much effort, sweat and not enough chocolate in my opinion. If you do want to give something different a try, Bath Active could be your calling. It doesn’t require any major commitment and is completely free. Plus, it might give you a welcome break from all the wine.

With love,

I’m an international student so I’m not able to go home for the upcoming holidays. I’m really worried about being lonely as all of my flatmates are going home. Without them here, I’m scared I’m going to be homesick without anyone around to keep me company. How should I pass the time?

Whilst it might feel strange without the company of your flatmates, fear not! Like you, there are other students who won’t be travelling home during the holidays. Because of this, there are also activities to get involved in during the break so you won’t be completely left to your own devices. If any of your friends live close to Bath, you could always meet up to keep your mind off of feeling home sick! It could be peaceful, but you also have the opportunity to power through coursework and revision in time for everyone’s return, but remember that your holiday doesn’t have to be crammed full of studying whilst you’re here. Enjoying your holidays will help time to pass more quickly and keep your mind off feeling too homesick.

If you have any questions for Beatrice, please send an email to su-bathtime-lifestyle@bath.ac.uk

December 2018 19

LIFESTYLE

Review

THIS IS US

By NIDHI ARUN

T

wo seasons in and I have only now mustered the strength to encapsulate all the emotions I feel for this show in a coherent string of words.

This Is Us is the story of siblings Kevin, Kate and Randall (The Big Three) as they navigate life’s highs and lows. The television drama cleverly flits between their parents –Jack and Rebecca’s –youth, the triplets’ childhood in Pittsburgh and present day, by drawing out story lines that intercut the generations. It tackles racial identity, alcoholism, obesity, adoption and domestic life among many other subjects with a certain intricacy that skilfully avoids the knots. Conflicts are delightfully crafted, and while not completely unexpected, they delve into layers deeper than one might anticipate.

The strength of the American TV show, however, lies in its characters. They are real people with real insecurities. It is evident that writer Dan Fogelman has laboured to make the family as authentic as possible by intentionally recruiting behind-the-scenes talent that reflect the diversity of the cast. Fogelman’s sister who struggles with her weight was the initial inspiration for Kate and serves as a consultant on the show.

The effect of this creative decision is that insecurities are not treated with pity, but rather empathy. Nuances such as Randall’s obsession with perfection, a trait that simultaneously empowers and stifles him, are captured beautifully.

Underlying themes remain a constant throughout the two seasons. Jack and Rebecca live a seemingly per-

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fect life during their youth and Jack’s absence is what propels the plot. You’d think a saccharine infused love track like theirs would fill you with contempt for the whole genre, but its crude treatment that’s full of flaws makes it gut-wrenchingly beautiful. If you are anything like me, you’ll undoubtedly find yourself cursing the world for not manufacturing a man as perfect as Jack.

The long wait gifted us a season three this autumn, with more mysteries to uncover. It certainly is going to be difficult to follow the emotional roller coaster that was the end of season two. But despite the placid teething phase season 3’s beginning experienced for having to set a new tone, it looks oh-so-promising.

We are going to find out about Jack’s (if you haven’t already noticed –my favourite character) childhood and his experiences in the Vietnam War that shaped him. New relationships and aspirations also seem oncoming.

This Is Us is a lesson in sensitivity based on characters who could well be our neighbours. It scoops up all the paradoxes of modern day life with a sizeable helping of love. As Kevin rightfully says, life is full of colour and we each get to come along and we add our own colour to an infinite painting. The sloppy, wild, colourful, magical thing that has no beginning and no end -it’s us, all of us. And that’s what This Is Us represents.

Recommended dosage: 2 episodes per night [Caution!

Overdose may lead to dehydration of tear ducts and extreme bouts of nostalgia]

NEWS & COMMENT

COMMENT With a councillor calling for rough-sleepers in Bath to be sent back to their councils,

SHOULD THE COUNCIL SUPPORT HOMELESS PEOPLE FROM OTHER AREAS ?

By Eloise Sacares

F

rom the outside, Bath may seem like a bubble of World Heritage City beauty, unaffected by the problems of homelessness that large cities like London and Manchester experience. However, if you’ve ever been in central Bath late at night, you’ll know that this is not at all true; you’re likely to see several homeless people, and potentially be approached by one of them asking for money so they can get a room for the night.

Bath and North East Somerset Council has recently acquired £680,000 of government funds to help these people. However, local councillor Barry Macrae has said any rough sleepers not local to this area should be sent “back to where they came from”. He claims this is due to a fear that when this money runs out, the funds will have to come from local people and the council. This is a very real concern, and I wholly agree that we can’t let other councils get away with not effectively tackling their homeless problem, leaving the burden to fall on Bath as rough sleepers move here. He’s not wrong either that housing homeless people is expensive, with the cost of providing homeless families in Bath with temporary accommodation being more than £150,000 in 2016/17. Therefore, with an estimated 1/3 of rough sleepers in Bath not being ‘locals’, it is easy to see how handing over the responsibility of helping these people to other councils could help to stretch funds.

However, the current funds are not coming from

council tax payments (which would be paid only by constituents of Bath and North East Somerset), but from the government budget, which is funded by taxpayers from across the UK. Not only that, but the stage where the money may run out is a long way down the line. Therefore, I would argue that while preparations should certainly be made to ensure that the scenario Macrae is describing doesn’t happen, the weather is getting colder every minute as I write this, and the danger that faces people sleeping rough in these harsh conditions won’t discriminate based on what council they belong to. Furthermore, there has already been an indication from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government that their funding could be extended beyond the current 18-month guarantee, so the idea the funds will dry up at the end of this period isn’t a certainty.

The rhetoric of ‘we have to look after our own’ is a dangerous logic that leads to discrimination and ‘othering’. It’s a slippery slope: where do you draw the line of telling a homeless person to ‘go home’?

Are we going to tell homeless immigrants that they have to go back to their country of birth, even if they have worked in the UK for years before, for whatever reason, ending up on the streets? I would instead agree with Conservative councillor Lisa O’Brien that we have to take care of any vulnerable person. The first step in the process of addressing homelessness in Bath should be to help those that are incredibly vulnerable, not to figure out who should be helping them; that can come at the later stages of rehabilitation when they are safe, with a roof over their heads.

December 2018 21

NEWS & COMMENT

LOCAL NEWS STUDENT ACCOMMODATION TO BE BUILT NEAR CENTRAL CRICKET GROUND Permission was granted for a controversial 136-bedroom accommodation complex on the car park of the cricket club in Bath. The building would be built above 108 parking bays at ground level, maintaining the current capacity of the car park and optimising the space.

Officers have expressed concerns about flooding, the appearance of the future building as well as the need for residential housing. The University has backed the proposals, as there is not enough capacity on campus to meet the current accommodation needs. Officers also claimed there was not enough evidence Bath needed more student accommodation.

TICKET CHANGES AT THE HOLBOURNE MUSEUM The Holbourne Museum remains free for students and staff of the university, but had to revise its entry fees for regular visitors. It was running at a loss, as previously visitors were asked to donate at least five pounds. Now adults will pay £11 to enter. The house at the end of the majestic Great Pulteney Street serves as an art gallery exhibiting the collection of Sir William Holbourne (1793-1874), which includes paintings, silver, porcelain, as well as modern exhibitions.

HIGH-TECH COW FARM OPENS IN SOMERSET An experimental £1.36 m milking shed has opened in Shepton Mallet. It is the first of its kind in the UK and aims at helping the industry become more efficient. The farm features robotic feeding bins and collars tracking the health of cows. Grazing works as a three-field rotation cycle, where a satellite tracks grass growth and quality. The shed should become a test-bed for new technology and research.

SOMERSET LEVELS NAMED AS FRONTLINE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE CHAOS Friends of the Earth has named communities in the area of Somerset Levels as being a frontline of climate change. The early months of 2014 saw floods in the region leave homes and farms completely submerged, which had a knock in effect on farming and production.

Centre for Ecology and Hydrology researchers concluded the floods had indeed been worsened by climate change, which makes further chaos in Somerset a real threat.

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NEWS & COMMENT

SCIENCE NEWS VALUE OF KILOGRAM TO BE REDEFINED

by TOM LANGER

The kilogram is set to be redefined for the first time since 1889. It was first defined by a volume of water, then by a platinum-alloy cylinder protected in an environmentally-monitored safe in an underground vault. Advances in pharmacology and nanotechnology have created a need for incredibly accurate measurements of mass, which the old system is simply not suitable for. The fear is that over time, the metal cylinder has deteriorated and this change (however tiny) renders it unreliable. As a result, from May 2019, a kilogram will be defined by the current required in an electromagnet to lift it.

NASA SUN PROBE BREAKS RECORD

by TOM LANGER 4 months after lift-off, the NASA Parker Probe has made history by coming within 24.2 million km of the Sun. It reached speeds of 340,000 km/h, to become the fastest ever human creation.

Assuming it survives the transition through the solar atmosphere (during which radio communication with Earth will be impossible), it will go on to perform a fly-by of Venus before

completing a further 23 trips over the next 7 years, achieving speeds of over 680,000 km/h and coming within 6.12 million km of the Sun. To keep scientific instruments safe from the radiation and 1300oC temperatures, Parker’s revolutionary new heat shield must be directed towards the Sun throughout its mission. It is the first NASA spacecraft named after a living person, the physicist Eugene Parker, whose development on the theory of supersonic solar wind will be investigated through this probe.

NOBEL PRIZE AWARDED IN LASER PHYSIC

by Zuza Markovska The 2018 Nobel Prize for Physics has been jointly awarded to Arthur Ashkin, Gérard Mourou and Donna Strickland for their groundbreaking contributions to the field of Laser Physics. Ashkin invented “optical tweezers”, a highly focused laser beam instrument used to physically hold and push microscopic objects.

The other half of the Nobel Prize covers the work of Mourou and Strickland on “chirped pulse amplification”, a method that solves a major issue within laser physics - the beam being too intense for any material trying to amplify it, destroying it instead.

Their solution was to invent a specific sequence of altering the beam to achieve the shortest and most intense laser pulses ever, a technique that is now a standard for high-intensity lasers, most commonly applied in corrective eye surgery. Both halves of the 2018 prize have applications that are yet to be explored and are waiting for future physicists to investigate them.

December 2018 23

NEWS & COMMENT

GILETS JAUNES: THE MOVEMENT WHICH TOOK OVER FRANCE

By Elie Breton des Loÿs Since the start of his presidency in May 2017, President Macron has faced criticism for many of his reforms leading to a considerable number of protests throughout the country. Although France is known around the world for its revolutionary state of mind, the recent movement known as Gilets Jaunes (referring to the yellow safety vests protesters are wearing) is something quite unusual. Why did it happen, and how did it start?

WHAT STARTED THE MOVEMENT? TAX he main reason for the Gilets Jaunes movement is the price of fuel, which has increased by 16% since the start of 2018. The official reason for this tax increase is environmental. Many people blamed the government for the ‘unreasonable taxes’ decided under the previous President (François Hollande) that have continued during Macron’s term. The protest began online, with many angry drivers signing petitions and creating Facebook pages to rally the people against the State.

T

who fought for a movement that covered all of the political spectrum when the protest became affiliated with extremist fringes. At the end of the day, the movement had failed to represent what it stood for originally: many protesters had used violence against random citizens, and some cases of racism or homophobia were recorded, further discrediting the value of the protest.

The problems continued on the 24th of November when protesters were allowed to march in the streets of Paris. Quickly, the group moved to the famous Champs-Elysées and began vandalising it. The question of whether or not those ‘casseurs’ (troublemakers) were part of the movement or whether they simply took advantage of the situation to cause mayhem stays unanswered.

WHAT NEXT? The movement is far from being over, with more protests planned for December, but the numbers of Gilets Jaunes is already decreasing. Like many of the protest that have started under Macron’s presidenOn the 17th of November the protest finally took the cy, the changes asked for will never happen as the streets. Across all areas of France, protesters, who had government will just wait for the momentum to die, now rallied under the Gilets Jaunes name, started to as it did with the massive railway-man protest earlier block the roads and motorways to paralyse the coun- this year. It is a shame that this idea, that started out try. Those blockades unsurprisingly led to violence peacefully, was tainted by acts of violence, vandalism in many places. Whether it was angry drivers who and racism. The lack of a single leader also created couldn’t get to work, or the protesters themselves opportunities for political leaders of far-right and attacking the population, the peaceful protest took a far-left parties to claim ownership of the movement much darker turn, resulting in the accidental death of and change its meaning. one of the protesters.

The movement doesn’t only represent the anger peoTHE PROTESTS ARE PROFOUNDLY POLITICAL ple have towards price increases, but generally the politics of Emmanuel Macron, a president too often The issue with this rally is the political turn it then deemed as arrogant and disconnected took. Many political figures were swift to claim from his people. Only time will tell if ownership of the movement. Jean-Luc Mélenthe movement will end like previous chon and Marine le Pen, both leaders of extremist ones, or grow into something parties, called supporters to revolt and back the more meaningful and capable movement. The Gilets Jaunes protest was apolitiof achieving change. cal at first, and began to anger many participants

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NEWS & COMMENT

COMMENT

By Mauricio Fortuna

A

t the start of this year, I responded to a message in a group chat asking if anyone was interested in starting a Marxist society. Although I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about Marxism, I figured this would be a great way to learn some more. We got a hold of the Marxist Student Federation, who gave us resources to help us start the society. We set up a stall and hosted meetings and had very interesting and varied reactions from students.

Bath is a traditionally conservative city and this seems to be reflected in the student body. It isn’t exactly a revolutionary communist hotspot, and this was shown in our interactions with students. It started from a comment about starting a ‘Helicopter ride society’, a joke mocking the thousands of innocent Chileans tortured or murdered under Pinochet’s brutal regime. Another student approached our stall to tell us that Marxism was idiotic, later voicing their support for privatising the NHS. But mostly the reactions to the society was just an eye roll. It seemed to me that students’ disdain for the stereotype of radical leftist students seemed to be more prevalent than actual radical leftist students.

With that said, we were also met with great enthusiasm for the society. Many students signed up and

were keen to come, participate and discuss. Our meetings were by far the most diverse group I have seen at University - we had students from many backgrounds and nationalities, from China, several ex Soviet states, Latin America and more. There was also a great variety of thought, from my own personal libertarian/anarchist socialist perspective, to Trotskyists, to people who were nowhere near as radical.

What we had in common was both an interest in learning more about the theory that helps us underpin what is wrong with our society and what we can do to change it. Almost all of us were drawn there because we saw the great injustices of our current world and because we aren’t satisfied with idly standing by as people suffer and our planet is destroyed.

All my political and personal views stem from a belief in justice, compassion and empathy. I believe that capitalism is fundamentally at odds with these values and that an alternative is possible. Arguing that we need a radical restructuring of our society isn’t easy, and is always met with questions, scepticism, and frankly, a sigh. One of the society’s main goals is to educate ourselves and to learn how to defend our viewpoints, so that we can help lead the way for a more just world.

December 2018 25

NEWS & COMMENT

EYE ON AI: Robot newsreaders are here, and they don’t claim overtime

By Arron Mallinson-Pocock

W

elcome to the future, as predicted by Bath Time. In November I wrote on combining the voice-synthesizing Lyrebird.ai and video mirroring software to create fake interviews, where any celebrity or politician could be interviewed and answer in their own voice. An upcoming revolution in fake news in itself, but now that false information could be presented by a clone in much the same way. The charming gentleman in the photograph is actually an advanced Artificial Intelligence-driven clone of an existing anchor, Zhang Zhao, created for the Chinese state-run news network.

He speaks English and made his debut on 7th November at the World Internet Conference, and, although he’ll never get as animated as Jeremy Paxman, he’s able to work 24/7 at the tap of a keyboard.

However, he has been met with mixed reviews; critics have accused him of falling into the ‘uncanny valley’, where he represents a human well, but not quite convincingly. He also has a companion AI newsreader who speaks Chinese and together, they are expected to lower production costs and allow easy production of content for any social media platform in order to reach an increasingly broad audience.

The presenters were developed in collaboration with Sogou, a tech giant that has grown from its search engine. Sound familiar? Google, with its emergence as a household name, has driven its success and hold on a highly competitive market by buying out Artificial Intelligence start-ups to work in its DeepMind subsidiary since 2010. We can certainly expect to see similar projects from Google in the next century and we may even see an international AI arms race emerging between such industry giants.

A NIGERIAN MODEL AGAINST TRIBAL MARKING

By Athénais Mangin

E

ven as tribal marking gets less and less common in Africa, many people from the Yoruba and Hausa tribes of Nigeria still wear signs of their legacy on their faces, and get stigmatised by the rest of the society as a result.

Adetutu Alabi was marked with four parallel horizontal lines on each cheek when she was a child with more on her neck and chest. Since then, her ambitions of becoming a model have been hindered; unlike local ones, bigger modelling agencies have told her they can’t hire her because of her marks. Having accepted the marks as part of her “African heritage”, Adetutu now campaigns against the marking of children (the method itself is very painful as it uses cutting or burning) and for the

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acceptance of those who already have these tribal signs engraved in their skin. Her most significant action for this campaign was on Twitter:

The post received over 23k retweets and the famous singer followed her seventeen hours after. Adetutu said she would like to model for Fenty Beauty, which has been praised for being inclusive of all skin types across its skincare products.

The Nigerian government has announced a project to outlaw tribal marking, which is now mostly restricted to rural areas, but many other states are yet to follow Nigeria’s example.

NEWS & COMMENT

THE GREAT BRITISH SWIM

Man breaks records swimming round Great Britain Photo Credit: Nicola Jennings

By NICOLA JENNINGS On 4th November 2018, hundreds of fans flooded onto Margate beach to watch strongman Ross Edgley achieve the extraordinary: becoming the first person to swim round the whole of mainland Great Britain.

Arriving 57 days after his initial target of 100, Edgley waded onto the shore and was greeted by media crew, hundreds of fans and even celebrity adventurer Ant Whitterman.

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ot only did Ross manage 6-hour swimming stints, twice a day, everyday, for five months; he also faced the gruelling realities of open water swimming. Jellyfish stings became a customary part of the daily grind alongside a lingering fear of great white sharks. Salt mouth may have been the most unpleasant issue, though, with the sea water making his mouth and throat too dry to talk, eat or swallow. Towards the later stages of the quest, Ross even woke up to chunks of his partially disintegrated tongue on the pillow.

Ross commented that the Great British Swim was an ‘example or experiment in both mental and physical fortitude’. The physical demand required him to consume up to 15,000 calories a day and he estimated that he had eaten 500 bananas in total.

On the mental challenge, Ross speculated that ‘because of the body’s innate, in-built self-preservation mechanisms and desire to maintain homeostasis, we are often more powerful than ever our own minds allow us to believe. If you learn to override

this ability (safely), you are capable of tapping into your most powerful and primitive state.’

Although the three world records broken will be accredited to him, the Great British Swim was more than just a one man achievement. In fact, Ross said it had been a ‘team sport’, with nutritionists, physiotherapists and photographers behind him and the boat crew navigating paths through some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

He was also supported by hundreds of thousands of vlog viewers as he documented the journey on social media, who, he said, made ‘every ice-cold mile bearable’. One avid follower remarked ‘No-one has ever even made it to the start-line of this challenge before, let alone the finish’. She was also one of the 300 swimmers who accompanied Ross for his last half mile, many of whom he had never even met.

This was not Ross’s first extreme pursuit. In the past, he has rope climbed the height of Everest, done a triathlon whilst carrying a 45kg tree and run a marathon pulling a MINI. My aunt, who supported him on the boat for the full duration, expressed that ‘he’s exactly like he is in the videos, always so jolly and upbeat’. You can watch these vlogs on YouTube – ‘Strongman Swimming’.

‘Approach your goals with so much passion that you forget to ask if they’re possible’. –Ross Edgley December 2018 27

PHOTOGRAPHY

We asked the University of Bath Photography Society to send in photos for this issue and these are the masterpieces they chose:

Commuting Bubble, captured by William Easdown This photo, taken on a whim after a stargazing session one evening, reminded me how when we’re commuting we’re in our own little bubbles, moving through the world but not really part of it, just wanting to get home for dinner, a drink or to see someone we love.

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Dayara Bugyal, captured by Vaibhav Joshi “Dayara Bugyal” which translates to meadow is located in picturesque laps of the Himalayas at an height of 12,000 feet. Undoubtedly it is a paradise for anyone exploring the beauty of nature. You will find yourself watching an astonishing wallpaper like scenery. During summer you will easily find flock of sheep and shepherd tents pitched here. So sit back and enjoy the amazing view you have and explore more until dusk. If you want to have an adventurous trip with your friends, keep this meadow on your list for sure. I bet you’ll surely want to visit this place back again.

Passionate about photography? If you, too, would like to submit your favourite photo, send it to su-bathtime-features@bath.ac.uk along with the story behind it.

December 2018 29

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FEATURES

WON THE BATTLE, LOST THE WAR: My University Gambling Addiction

By Jordan Edwards

2016 payday I placed £750 on a single three-game accumulator, which took me £800 deep into my overdraft. In hindsight, if I hadn’t won that bet back, God knows where I’d be now.

The most regretful chapter of my life started with a big win; on 3rd November 2016, on my anniversary holiday in Berlin, I turned $0.97 into $99.60 using PokerStars. I headed to reception and bought celebra- Of the thousands of sports people on whom I bet, I calculated that I only knew 2% of them. I wasn’t tory beers. The next day I splurged on an expensive betting because I knew the sport or had confidence in dinner at Reinhard’s. the team, I was betting for the sake of betting.

Only upon reflection do I realise that by playing more games before sleeping I had in fact accumulated a net My parents discovered when my Mum opened one of my bank statements. Uncertain what to do, she loss of $63 that night. told my Dad. I love my Mum more than anything, yet when she opened those statements I had the audacThings got worse. Upon returning home, bored stiff by the coverage of Donald Trump’s election victory, I ity to try and ignore her for a week. My delusion entered games on PokerStars at $100 a turn. My third made me believe that she was the problem, and not entry won $400. Obliviously inspired, I continued to me. From that moment forward, my Dad rigorously scoured my bank statements. It was humiliating yet play. The result of the night? A net loss of $210. The upsettingly necessary. wheels were in motion. The more I won, the more I played and the more I lost. The more I lost, the more disheartened I would feel and the more I would crave I wrote this article because although I know scores of people who bet frequently in their lives, I have never another win. My dull university course was not distracting enough – only partying could take me away known anyone with a gambling addiction, and never even heard stories of anyone with such an addiction from Texas Hold’em, and the few victories that I did get at the table led me to believe I had enough mon- at my age, despite my having no doubt that there are people like me out there. ey to numb my losses with endless booze. Nothing made me feel so simultaneously euphoric or worthTo this day, I joke and jibe about my addiction. I’ve less. never talked about it seriously. Ironically, I still walk In reality, my finances had hit a brick wall; or rather, past the Ladbrokes on Moorland Road and wonder what kind of low life would want to spend their time the bottom of a £1250 overdraft. By the time I discovered PaddyPower in late November I had already in there. To this day, it appears that I still haven’t grasped the severity of the condition I once had. taken out my first SmartPig loan. Little did I know then that this was to be the first of three loans, along- Being behind a computer screen kept me in my ivory tower despite my deteriorating mental health. At the side the tens of times I resorted to borrowing from time, my finances couldn’t have gotten much worse. my boyfriend. By Christmas, I was apologising to my family for being unable to afford their presents. It If they had, I am convinced I wouldn’t have told would be eight months following that first PokerStars anyone. Had my Mum not opened those statements, I bet until I realised I had a problem. Between Christ- would never have stopped gambling. I am one of the lucky ones. mas and June my addiction festered – on my May

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International Piece

IL PR OB L E M A DE L L’ ITA LI A C O N L E D O NN E I T A LY ’ S P R O B L E M W I T H W O M E N

Milan - A Wall of Dolls: tribute to women lost to femicide crimes

By Darcey stickley ITALIANO Il 10 novembre l’Italia ha visto una serie di proteste contro il DDL 735, una nuova proposta di legge che su “Norme in materia di affido condiviso, mantenimento diretto e garanzia di bigenitorialità”. Escludendo il fatto che l’Italia abbia uno dei tassi più bassi di divorzio nell’Europa, questo dibattito riflette un atteggiamento che si sta sviluppando attualmente nel Paese.

La legge cerca di promuovere la “bigenitorialità” e suggerisce l’imposizione di un mediatore, qualcosa che molta gente vede come un impedimento nel processo del divorzio. Fondamentalmente, lo Stato suggerisce che genitori paghino un esperto esterno per osservare i comportamenti privati con i figli. Secondo la pubblicazione dinamopress, gli effetti di questo includono il rallentamento del processo generale, aumento dei costi e un enorme potere al mediatore stesso perché, in mancanza di una sua firma, il piano genitoriale non potrà essere considerato base valida per regolare l’affido nel processo di separazione/divorzio.

Proposto da Pillon, un senatore eletto in Lombardia per la Lega in 2018. Interessante, peró, è che neanche Di Maio sia convinto, dichiarando che “così non va.”

Questo argomento è basato sulla ‘Sindrome dell’Al-

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ENGLISH 10th November saw Italy protesting Bill 735, a proposal concerned with limiting the possibility of divorce and enforcing 50/50 custody rights in separating or divorcing couples. Besides the fact Italy has one of the lowest divorce rates in Europe, this debate reflects a changing attitude developing in the country.

The law hopes to promote bigenitoriality and suggests the imposition of a mediator, something many Italians see as an impediment to the divorce process. Essentially, the state suggests that parents pay an external expert to observe the private relationship with their children. According to the publication DINAMOpress, the effects of this are: a curtailment of the general process, an increase in costs and giving enormous power to the mediator as absence of their signature means the genitorial plan can’t be considered a valid base in custody discussions.

The bill was proposed by Senator Pillon, an MP elected by Lombardy for the League in 2018. Despite the bill being supported by one of the government’s sub-groups, even deputy PM Di Maio isn’t convinced, saying “This won’t do.”

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ienazione Parentale’, teoria sviluppata dallo psicologo Richard Gardner nei anni ’80. Suggerisce che la ragione per cui i bambini non vogliano vivere con un genitore sia perché l’altro genitore li influenzi o condizioni negativamente. Questa teoria è stata confutata da associazioni scientifiche e dalla Convenzione di Istanbul sulla prevenzione e lotta alla violenza contro le donne e la violenza domestica. Nonostante esperti in diritto di famiglia dichiarino che l’alienazione parentale non sia una sindrome ma un’immagine stereotipata di una donna che punisce un uomo, continua di essere utilizzato nei casi di custodia legale.

The argument is based on “Parental Alienation Syndrome”, a theory developed by psychologist Richard Gardner in the 1980s. He suggests the reason children don’t want to live with one parent is because the other parent is manipulating them.

This theory has since been disproved by scientific associations and the Istanbul convention on the Prevention of Violence Against Women. Despite family lawyers stating parental alienation isn’t a syndrome but more a stereotypical view of a woman punishing a man, it’s still used in custody cases.

Per quanto riguarda le proteste, ce ne sono tante con una varietà di partecipazione. In alcune città, i manifestanti si sono posizionati in modo da essere sempre vicini a centri di assistenza, per simbolizzare l’importanza del sostegno e dell’aiuto necessario per le persone in coppie abusive. A fianco di questi gruppi di pressione, c’era anche Casa Lorena, uno dei 160 alloggi sicuri creati per la protezione e l’appoggio delle donne.

Regarding the protests, there were many with a variety of participation. In certain cities, protesters set themselves up so they were always near a women’s centre in order to symbolise the importance of these institutions. Alongside various pressure groups was Casa Lorena, one of 160 safe houses set up for the protection and support for women.

Questo arriva in un momento grave per i diritti della donna: l’anno scorso, l’Italia ha visto un aumento scioccante di femminicidi: ad un certo punto, c’era quasi una donna uccisa ogni tre giorni. In quasi il 75% dei casi, queste donne sono stati ammazzate da un fidanzato, ex o attuale.

La protezione legale esiste ma non è efficace. Tra le poche donne che riportano di subire violenza, sono in tante quelle che hanno difficoltà ad essere credute.

Ci sono stati casi innumerevoli di donne che vedono i loro assalitori andare a piede libero o ricevere condanne ridotte sulla base dell’abbigliamento della vittima al momento dell’assalto.

Complessivamente, non è chiaro come i giornali internazionali abbiano ignorato questi avvenimenti poiché una riduzione del diritto di divorzio (e tra un po’, aborto — il prossimo progetto per Pillon) è importante visto che queste questioni erano considerate più o meno ‘stabilite’ per l’Europa Occidentale già negli anni 80. Mentre si vedono più politiche regressive in tutto il mondo occidentale, la conversazione su diritti matrimoniali era, fino ad ora, rimasta intatta.

E’ possibile che la situazione in Italia fisserà un punto di riferimento per riportare la realtà del divorzio nel campo di dibattito?

This comes at a heavy moment for women’s rights: last year, Italy saw a shocking rise in rate of femicide, at the point whereby a woman was killed one every three days. In almost 75% of cases, the women were killed by a boyfriend, ex or otherwise.

Even though legal protection exists, it’s rarely applied. Amongst the few women who report the violence, many have difficulty in being believed.

Not only that, but there have been countless cases of victims who see their perpetrators go scot-free or getting reduced sentences because of what the victim was wearing at the moment of assault.

Overall, it’s unclear how this story evaded international papers, as a clamping down on divorce (and soon, abortion -- Pillon’s next project) is significant considering these issues were thought to be more or less closed for Western Europe in the 80s. As we see more regressive policies crop up across the developed world, the conversation around marital rights has been kept under wraps up until now - will Italy’s current situation set a precedent for bringing divorce back into the realms of debate?

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US MIDTERM ELECTIONS: OMINOUS OR PROMISING?

By Matt Kemp

C

onsidering I chose to write about American politics, I feel it necessary to include the disclaimer that it is entirely possible for this content to be wildly inaccurate by the time it is published.

Trump being Trump it is pointless to try and foresee what is likely to happen in the near future; Mueller could be out on the streets of DC, Macron could be his mate again and war could’ve been declared with Russia.

In this vein, it is fitting to start with the Senate races.

At about 2:30 am the morning following results day, liberal tears were streaming down my face; my ill-placed optimism left in tatters. The Republicans had gained two seats, netting them a solid majority whilst the Democratic poster-boy, Beto O’Rourke, was left defeated by Ted Cruz; a man who, amongst other equally despicable things, doesn’t believe in climate change, thinks abortion should be criminalised and held defence of state-sponsored discrimination against LGBTQ individuals.

However, just a week after that fateful Tuesday, the Democrats surprisingly gained Arizona for the first time since 1988. Whilst Trump has espoused cries of corruption, Kyrsten Sinema has become the first female senator from the state by a solid 1.7%. This is a remarkable achievement for the Dems, who found themselves no longer suffering from the glum undertones of the midterms. When the dust settles, the GOP will likely hold a narrow 51 seat majority, which considering the outcome of the congressional elections, is not as damaging as it sounds.

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Ignored by Trump and his cronies, the Democrats have gained a staggering 35 seats across Congress, with seven races still to go. Securing a clear majority of at least 12 seats, the implications of securing Congress will hopefully be seminal; with hacks suggesting inklings of tax returns being published and potentially even impeachment being pursued. At the very least, Trump will have to compromise on key issues such as ‘the Wall’ and healthcare – a significant success for those more left-leaning.

Yet the question remains: what does this mean for 2020? Losing one of the houses if not both of the houses has never been an indicator of losing the presidency. In fact, the last president who lost a majority in Congress during his first term and then lost re-election was Herbert Hoover in 1933 – shortly following the Great Depression. Surprisingly, Trump’s economy stands in fairly good health, having found it difficult to undo the groundwork of the Obama administration. If the economy is the indicator people suggest it to be, I fear for the state of the world following 2020, yet signs from 2018 seem positive. Trump only gained seats in the Senate where he had strong backing in 2016: Indiana, Missouri, and North Dakota, whilst all those with shallow 2016 backings (less than 15% points) flipped blue. Following the outcome of Mueller’s investigation, I would be shocked if there wasn’t a new, slightly less orange president by 2020.

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FILLING IN THE GAPS, ONE WRONG GUESS AT A TIME The importance of ignorance in driving progress

By Robert Brett

I

gnorance is an undercurrent that permeates all fields of science. Whilst it’s easy to associate science and knowledge, without ignorance there would be no science left to do. Ignorance is, to put it bluntly, the impetus behind all scientific progress.

Driving blindly ahead into the realm of the unknown is what time and time again reshapes our understanding of our universe. That’s the beautiful aspect of scientific ignorance – we have no idea what we’re going to prove next, and we’re somewhat clueless as to what we could discover with each new piece of work. Sure, we can make reasonable predictions (hypotheses) based on what we already know.

A lot of the time, we also make pretty good guesses.

But what happens when established theory is proven to be false? Well, that’s when entire paradigms shift.

The phoenix that is science can only then be reborn as something new.

Paradoxically, the most exciting science occurs when established ideas are shattered. Einstein had to dismantle Newton’s theories, and some cosmologists working towards understanding the universe on the grandest scales are currently toying with the possibility that Einstein wasn’t entirely correct with his gravitational model (general relativity). This is the kind of science that keeps us pushing forward.

The moment we lose vigilance and take established understanding for granted, science stops. We must always, as scientists, be aware that what we’re using to describe our observations are in fact models –falsifiable theories that could be disproven in an instant. That’s what separates science from more dogmatic

schools of thought – it’s adaptable and self-aware enough to be open to admitting it may never have the full picture.

Up until the 16th century, most Europeans* believed that the earth was at the centre of the universe.

A man called Copernicus then came along and convinced the continent otherwise, placing the sun at the centre. We subsequently realised that the sun is merely a single star of billions, and in 1925 Edwin Hubble discovered the andromeda galaxy – the first object outside of our own milky way. He then measured the recession of other galaxies, which led to the big bang theory and our current understanding of everything.

But let’s not kid ourselves. We’re far from done. The pattern will surely repeat itself – maybe our new understanding will suggest our universe is one of many floating in an infinite multiverse, a tiny speck on the grandest scales. Maybe Einstein’s wrong, maybe the moon really is made of cheese. As far as I’m aware, nobody’s thought to taste it.

Let’s keep this spirit of ignorance, this joy borne of not knowing. Admitting we’re not sure has led to the discovery of DNA, landed man on the moon and helped us examine animal intelligences without prejudice. Open minded and humble, let’s keep doing science, knowing that we’ll most likely never truly be finished. * Stress on this point – whilst our corner of the world took a while to get off the ground, medieval Europe was 600 years behind a certain school of Muslim astronomers. There’s also significant evidence that Copernicus poached his ideas from a Greek philosopher called Aristarchus of Samos from 200BC.

FEATURES Diotima

Christine De Pizan

Deconstructing the existing Political Canon:

The Forgotten Philosophers

By Mannal Ajaz

V

irginia Woolf defined the role of women in history precisely when she said, “For most of history, anonymous was a woman.” If you think about it, how often are influential women ever quoted?

Do we even know why Virginia Woolf is so greatly known? Surely, if we’re asked about romantic novels, several female authors immediately float around in our minds, but when it comes to matters of the state and the origins of their philosophy, it’s always been about Aristotle or Machiavelli.

The existing ‘Canon of Political theory’ has been contrived by a set of philosophical men with the course of time, however, what the canon seems to evidently lack is the presence of women and their contribution to Politics. Women who were active participants in defining political theory were not paid attention to because they chose a different form to portray their thoughts, a form that wasn’t very common in the earlier decades. A lot of their work was hence unfortunately romanticised just to gain an audience. However, over the past few decades, there has been an explicit movement to include women in this sphere; the emergence of the deconstruction of the ‘existing Political Canon.’

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If we were to think of all the influential women in history that haven’t been credited for their work, the list would be endless, but here are a few fascinating women who should be remembered as dominant figures of the political canon. Not only have they set the tone for political theory and contributed to its philosophy, but they have also lived awe-inspiring lives that serve as a pedestal to their work.

DIOTIMA It would be apt to begin with one of the most debated women in History, Diotima, an ancient Greek prophetess and philosopher (circa 440 B.C.E.) Most have heard of Socrates and his fundamental teachings on moral philosophy, but the majority of us are ignorant about the role of Diotima in his life, as his teacher. Even though she wasn’t remembered as a historical figure, it is very important for her teachings to be discussed, as they paved the way for Socrates’ thoughts on ethics and the concept of epistemology.

CHRISTINE DE PIZAN Christine De Pizan (1364-1430) was the very first female to write on philosophy and earn money for it. In her work, she tried to respond to early kinds of misogyny, and, through her writings, published an

FEATURES Mary Wollstonecraft

unofficial hand book for most women in the world including nuns, aristocrats, prostitutes and, most importantly, women in power. She championed the importance of rising from conflict and the role of prudence as the mother and guide for all virtues; especially in politics.

MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) integrated heavy criticism on the French revolution into her work as she had lived through it. She grew up in a middle-class household and was intrigued by the quality of education aristocratic women received. She wrote the Vindication of the Rights of Woman through which she targeted the culture of sensibility and sentimentality. Wollstonecraft questioned the women’s education of the time as it often circled around feminine concepts of beauty, etiquette and dressing well, instead of arithmetic or critical thinking-based subjects. She dramatized the awakening consciousness of a young woman in her sentimental novel, as this was the only way to reach out to them and spread her message. Alongside this, she wrote about proto-feminist thoughts that were far from popular during her time.

HANNAH ARENDT Finally, Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) was seen as a modern-day philosopher as she inspired the public

Hannah Arendt

to break their old way of thinking i.e. traditional philosopher’s concepts. A Jewish woman who lived through the Nazi rule and witnessed the Holocaust, she was imprisoned by the Gestapo, she fled to Paris, which is when she officially considered herself a refugee. She later settled in the US, and began her career as a writer and editor, integrating her theories with her own beliefs about the relation between Politics and human emotions, especially passion.

Her most famous piece of work was The Origins of Totalitarianism.

Gender discrimination has always been a common part of every woman’s life. Today, it exists in the workplace, at home and beyond. This bias is the reason women often have to struggle to prove a point. History has introduced us to those who fought despite publicly facing negative criticism and constant rejection throughout their social and professional lives. These women fought for female education. They shed light upon the fact that everything of importance that has ever been written about women, has been written by men.

With every passing decade, men have created an aura of philosophy which has been idealised by emerging scholars, deliberately keeping women out of this canon of philosophy. Women fought to get us where we are today, we owe it to them - the forgotten philosophers.

December 2018 37

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THE MERKEL ERA COMES TO A CLOSE

By Lisanne Heinz

D

ubbed the world’s most powerful woman, after 13 years as chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel has announced her decision to step down as leader of the Christian Democratic Union party (CDU). This comes shortly after the party’s fall in support in the country’s regional elections of Hesse.

During her time in power she has guaranteed stability and prosperity for the country and has been a potent force internationally. However, this seems to have come to an end in recent times with the coalition of the CDU and Social Democratic Party (SDP) being consumed by internal disputes and disagreements.

So what have her successes been? Firstly, her advancement of the energy revolution: her bold decision, following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, to completely phase out nuclear energy by 2022 and to instead promote the development of renewable energies. This success can be seen through the fact that Germany’s renewable energy output has increased more than eightfold since 1990.

Furthermore, Merkel’s first big test in office, the European Debt Crisis, lead to her solidifying Germany’s central leadership role in Europe. Her unyielding defence of the Euro and support for the Greek

bailout consolidated her position as ‘de facto’ leader of Europe.

Back home, critics began to emerge both from within her party and from German citizens who disagreed with the Greek bailout. The far-right AFD party was formed in direct response and the party has since grown in popularity following the refugee crisis in 2015. Merkel’s open border policies have led to the subsequent arrival of more than one million asylum seekers with the Chancellor’s defence that the implementation of legal migration would replace illegal migration and prevent human trafficking.

Not everyone agreed and many more turned to support the AFD. Their influence is notable, shown by their 92 seats in Germany’s parliament and holding seats in all of its 16 state-level legislatures. This could change however, as one of its key demands has been rendered irrelevant (Merkel’s resignation).

What next? As for who will succeed her, the CDU will decide on a new party leader in December.

Currently, there are three potential candidates: two from the right of the CDU, Friedrich Merz and Jens Spahn, or the more centrist Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. Whichever candidate succeeds, it won’t be easy to fill the boots Merkel has left as Chancellor of Europe’s biggest economy.

December 2018 39

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UNI

VERSITY

By Seb Ward

A

s they looked at me with a glimmer in their eyes and a desperate nostalgia, they would exclaim confidently: ‘you’re going to have the time of your life’. That was the response I seemed to get from the majority of people back in 2016 when I told them I was going to university that summer. After having a year off to go travelling, I was dizzy with excitement and anticipation.

Both my brothers and my parents had been to university so I had heard about their numerous and humorous past experiences; I was going to a uni/ city that I liked, to study a course that I was really interested in and I was very lucky in that my parents were able to support me financially. On top of that, I would consider myself to be a relatively sociable guy, so meeting new people didn’t faze me one bit.

Yet as I sat by myself in my overpriced, cramped room on a cold winter’s night, looking through the forms I needed to fill in to drop out of University, I came to the realisation that maybe I wasn’t as prepared as I had thought. No one had taken the time to tell me just how lonely university can be.

In my first semester, I found myself in a situation I’m sure many find themselves in: I didn’t really get on with my flat that well, I had fallen out with a bunch of my other mates, and I was yet to get stuck in to any sports team. Initially I found this feeling of separation and anxiety quite disturbing. I couldn’t seem to work out why someone who prides themselves on their confidence was struggling to feel included.

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This anxiety became even more acute as I recalled everyone telling me before I arrived that I should be having the best years of my life. Looking back on the 2 years I have spent at Bath so far, I’ve made some great memories and friends, and so I can understand just how easy it is to censor out the time I spent feeling low.

I’ve wanted to get this topic in writing for quite some time now, but have struggled trying to work out for what purpose. But I guess I was overthinking things.

Turns out, almost half of UK students (46%) admit to loneliness during their time at university and 37% consider dropping out. I look back and wish I had known this statistic so that I could normalise my position and understand that I was not alone in feeling lonely (no irony intended!).

There will be times when you feel like you are all by yourself; but you are not. If you are one of those people, my humble piece of advice would be to branch out: join a society, pre-drink with a new group of friends, work in the library rather than your room and chat to strangers. I did all of these and subsequently tore up the form that would have ended my university career, something I know I would have regretted. However, if the feeling of loneliness overcomes you, talk to someone. Reach out to a professional and have a chat because you shouldn’t have to suffer alone.

Taken from Seb’s blog ‘Think, Thought, Thunk’.

Visit thinkthoughtthunk839704629.wordpress.com to get a further look inside his head

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SPARE A THOUGHT FOR THE SUPERFICIALLY SIMPLE SPONGE

By TOM REYNOLDSON

If you’re brave enough to dismantle the complex architecture of dishes that the more untidy of us are prone to leaving in the sink, you may well be lucky enough to find a sponge. This type of sponge – mutilated, sauce stained, and probably praying for death – is not the type I wish to discuss. Real sponges, ones in the group Porifera, are what I want to discuss.

Even though they are basal, Poriferans are animals, as they are multicellular heterotrophic eukaryotes (i.e. a gang of particular cells that do not produce their own food). They don’t move, and most are filter feeders, yet some feed on other animals. Lining the central cavity of a sponge are specialist collar cells for engulfing prey. Other tasks in sponges, such as manufacturing the skeleton, are performed by amoebocyte cells. These cells are totipotent, meaning that

they are capable of becoming other types of sponge cell. Some sponge tissues can reaggregate after being broken down. Some can even produce varied antibiotics and other defensive compounds, such as cribrostatin (which can kill both cancer cells and drug-resistant bug strains).

From this example, see that complexity can always emerge. Whether that be in a marine sponge or in the behaviour of something else, remember to spare a little thought for things that may seem simple, you never know, you might find something other than a synthetic sponge swimming amongst those dirty dishes.

Biological information from Campbell’s Biology: A Global Approach (Level 4 570 CAM)

UNIVERSITY OF BATH HOSTS ENTREPRENEUR PRIZE AWARD

By Zélie Barbet In 2018, four undergraduates from the University College of London launched their social start-up after winning the world-renowned competition, Hult prize. This event is annually organized in partnership with the UN and the Bill Clinton initiative, offering the opportunity for students to have a socially impacting power on the world while developing entrepreneurial skills.

The students, having recently started their second year at UCL, worked on “harnessing energy to transform the lives of millions”. Their start-up idea was focused on rice farmers and finding an efficient way to treat the rice crops in order to avoid the excessive waste that comes as a result each year from bad practices.

The CEO of Rice Inc declared that the success of their start-up was “one of those moments that you think happens to other people, not you.” However, the framework established by the Hult Prize really pushes the students to their limits, encouraging them to achieve so much and believe in their own abilities to change the world.

“The Hult Prize is a wonderful example of the creative cooperation needed to build a world with shared opportunity, shared responsibility, and shared prosperity, and each year I look forward to seeing the many outstanding ideas the competition produces,” Clinton has stated.

This year’s challenge is youth unemployment. Currently, 621 million people aged 15-24 are not in education employment or training. This is a serious issue that you will be able to work on with the help of the University, because for the first time, University of Bath is hosting the event.

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“NO CONSENT, NO FAIRYTALE” CAMPAIGN

By CLAUDIA PERRY One of the campaigns that the Amnesty Society has chosen to focus on this year is the ‘No Consent, No Fairytale’ campaign, which recognises the need to update the definition of rape in many countries across the world. Shockingly, only nine out of 33 European countries recognise non-consensual sex as rape, despite the fact that it is a globally recognised human rights standard. And thus it is surprising that The Istanbul Convention, which obliges signatories to criminalise all non-consensual acts of a sexual nature, has been ratified by more than 20 European states since 2011. So why have so many European countries refused to update their definitions of rape?

by the victim for an incident to classify as rape. This definition of rape encourages victim blaming, making it seem as though it is the responsibility of the victim to protect themselves against rape, rather than making the attacker fully accountable for the crime.

By advocating alongside this campaign, the Amnesty Society aims to spread awareness surrounding this human rights issue. As a university where over 30% of its students come from outside of the UK, representing over 130 nationalities, we think that this is an issue which is relevant for our community.

To help raise awareness for this campaign, we are hosting a Write for Rights event at 18:15 on Tuesday 4th December in CB3.9. During this event, we wrote There have been huge implications on rape victims all letters to authorities across these European states, demanding that they update their legal definitions of across the world because of the outdated definition, rape in order to meet the human rights standard. which often requires there to be an act of defence

BATH WELCOMES REFUGEES

By Dipika Parmar & Georgie Clarke 68.5 million people around the world have been forced from their homes. Among them are nearly 25.4 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18. Many of these people have claimed refuge in the UK. However, the hostile immigration policies perpetuated by our government and xenophobic attitudes circulating in society are creating an intimidating environment for migrants in the UK. Bath as a city can take action and create a warm environment for those settling here. As part of the Government resettlement programme, BANES has already helped 11 families to settle in the county with the assistance of family caseworker to help with the transition.

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On campus, the Amnesty Society has campaigned for a few years now to open access up to higher education for refugees by granting graduate scholarship.

The implementation of postgraduate scholarship was a great milestone in making the University step up and help those who are priced out of a degree and denied their right to higher education.

But the work doesn’t stop here. An undergraduate scheme needs to be put in place. Bath University Amnesty International Society submitted a policy in order to involve an SU officer to be responsible for the reviewal and promotion of the scheme, this has been adopted by the SU as good practice. We believe that this is essential in the progress of the Refugee Scholarship Scheme here at Bath.

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HOROSCOPES

LIFESTYLE

If you’ve been suppressing some unwelcome emotions recently, they will dissolve themselves and you will be feeling a lot happier this month, Aries. You may have been feeling some self-doubt when it comes to your uni assignments, but instead of feeling low, channel these feelings into trying to achieve the best you can. Your intuition will be strong these next few weeks, so follow your gut and say yes to more opportunities, as this will present new and exciting ventures for you.

Kick a bad habit of yours, Taurus. This month’s second house rules daily routines, so this would be the perfect time to either try something you’ve always wanted to do, or to quash a bad habit of yours. You’ll find intense satisfaction from doing this, which will increase your motivation and lift your mood for the upcoming festivities. Some friendships that have been on the rocks will start to improve as you open up to them and communicate about how you’re feeling. Try to listen actively, Taurus, as your friends will appreciate you being there to listen and not just to talk.

You may be feeling a little low on energy this month, Gemini, which in turn might demotivate you. Instead of letting these feelings get in the way of your work and extracurricular activities, use this time to turn to your friends for help. Let your friends be the ones to support you, instead of it being the other way around like it normally is; remember, it’s okay to feel low a little once in a while. Find ways to conjure up some energy from within, hit the gym with your gym buddy or buy yourself those shoes you’ve had your eye on for a while and this will help lift your spirits.

This month brings optimism, positivity and self-reflection, Cancer. It may have been a while since you’ve been feeling this way, but they’re back and brighter than ever, so put them to good use! Whilst you’re seeing things through rose-coloured lenses, start looking for your summer holiday plans as this will get you excited for things to come. You are in desperate need for some rejuvenation so why not think about booking yourself a little pamper session at the Thermae Spa? You’ll thank yourself later.

This month is all about giving, Leo. You may be feeling rather generous, so this would be best channelled into helping others around you. Offer to help a course friend with their assignment if they’re struggling and you’ll feel so great after having given someone some guidance. Start writing your Christmas cards early as you may forget later on this month as your schedule starts getting busier.

Backup all of your work this month, Virgo, as there may be a few instances where you’re close to losing all of your hard work.

December may bring a series of misunderstandings and miscommunications, but instead of letting them throw you off course, let them help you to realign yourself in an efficient way. Start getting festive as early as possible, despite what others say, as this will help your mood and bring you and your family closer, just in time for the festive period.

Your charisma and enthusiasm this month provide a great opportunity for you to give some form of presentation or to take the front line on a project. If you’ve got coursework to be getting along with, designate yourself as the leader and do so with energy and positivity – you’ll be sure to achieve stellar results with this attitude! Use this month to get your social media pages in check; update your LinkedIn or clean up your Instagram as you never know who’s looking, plus it’s time to start getting professional!

This may be an emotional-fuelled month for you. You may be swooning over a new relationship or your existing relationship has become stronger, but the winter holidays are now looking like a less lonely time of year.

If your relationship has either ruptured or is hanging by a very thin thread, it’s time to let your resentment and trust issues go and learn to be happy with your partner again. Holding grudges will only ever bring more negativity into your life, so it’s time to start forgiving.

If you’ve struggled to keep up with your self-care, Sagittarius, this is the month to put yourself first and do everything in your power to make you feel great, inside and out. December is all about nurturing not only your body, but your relationships, too.

Pick up the phone and call a relative you’re missing because chances are, they miss you too and would love to hear your voice.

Prepare to exit your comfort zone, Capricorn, as you’ll begin to experience some personal growth that may be a great learning curve for you. Take on different challenges over the festive period, do things that you otherwise wouldn’t do and enjoy the personal satisfaction and confidence you’ll gain from that. People’s true colours will start to reveal themselves, so be prepared to discover some surprising traits of those around you. Don’t let this get you down, as you’ll meet plenty of new people with whom you can strike up new, exciting connections.

This month will bring for you, Aquarius, an enhancement to your social life. Whether it be through networking with professional individuals or meeting new students on campus, benefit from these new connections as much as you can; you never know what different people may bring to your life. Pay attention to opportunities that arise and use this month to start putting your dreams into action - time to stop talking and get doing!

If you’ve been feeling disconnected from your personal goals, Pisces, this month will ignite your motivation and you will be back on track to achieving whatever it is you want.

If you want to do well in your January exams, revise hard over Christmas - shouldn’t be too laborious given all of your new-found motivation. As long as you work hard and apply yourself, Pisces, this month will give you a lot to feel grateful for as you’ll start ticking all those things off of your personal list.

44 BATHTIME

LIFESTYLE

EROTICA: Librar y Romance

By Peanyle Disfon-Ksion

Chastity, a young, ambitious yet innocent young woman explores the intimate pleasures of being a University of Bath student.

The quiet study area was empty. Chastity had a big assignment due and needed to take out a book. As she walked among the empty tables, she noticed a head bent over a pile of documents, ahead. That’s when he looked up. His hair was blond, and his eyes were bluer than a Moodle page. All the corporate freebies on Parade could not have taken her eyes of him. Suddenly he got up and walked towards her.

He walked past the shelves, inviting her on. Chastity followed: the book wasn’t the only thing she was checking out tonight. As they reached the door to the balcony, he looked at her one more time, and then let the gushing air envelop her. They reached the railing and looked up at the clear sky. A star shot past.

“Make a wish”, the boy whispered. Chastity shut her eyes.

“I wish for a Primark on campus.”

“Do you know where I could find a dictionary?” he whispered. She clung onto the first syllable of the word.

Just then she felt him behind her, pressing her against the railing, facing the emptiness. He lifted her arms up. Somewhere a seagull let out a girthy cry.

“Sorry” she replied shyly “I don’t come here often”.

He asked her why she was here.

“I can… fly.”

“I need an idea for an essay, and you look like you might have a big one.” There was a long pause.

“Have you ever been on the balcony before?” he finally whispered. The boy leaned closer. “The cold air might… inspire us”.

Suddenly it didn’t matter half of Norwood was watching them. She turned around and grabbed onto him, pushing him onto a bench. Chastity knew critical thinking wasn’t going to get her to this thesis. What was in his jeans was clearly over the word limit.

SUDOKU Complete the grid so that every row, column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9. Solve the puzzle by logic and reasoning alone, there is no maths involved.

December 2018 45

LIFESTYLE

WHAT’S ON The Festival of Light

Selected dates from 10th November - 6th January 2019 This winter, stunning Chinese lanterns will light up Longleat once more as you go on on A Fantastic Voyage! Go on a thrilling expedition around the world, journeying through time and space with explorers, Harry and Bea, a plucky brother and sister, and their fearless terrier companion, Monty.

Tickets on www.longleat.co.uk/festival-of-light

BATH ON ICE

16th November - 6th January 2019 Bath On Ice skating rink offers the perfect festive activity a short walk away from the hustle and bustle of the Christmas Market. Whether you could give Torvill and Dean a run for their money or you’re more like Bambi, there is a skate session perfect for you. Tickets on www.bathonice.com

Glow-in-the-Dark Mini Golf

16th November - 6th January 2019 This year Bath’s famous adventure golf course in Victoria park will be lit up in an exciting festive makeover. Whether you just want to sharpen up your golf skills or are just looking for a fun evening out with friends, this will be the perfect holiday event for you! Tickets on www.bathonice.com/glow-dark-mini-golf/

46 BATHTIME

WHEN YOU SPEND £25 AT

DOMINOS.CO.UK USE CODE: BATH2018

Online only. Participating stores only. Exclusions may apply. Not valid in conjunction with any other offer.

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