Volume 21, Issue 2 (Nov '19)

The Face of Bath Page 6-9

The Issue with IMCs Page 11-12

VOLUME 21 / ISSUE 2 / NOV 2019 / FREE 1 November Bath Time Design.indd 1

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uk .co. e m thti itor@ a b i d n e-e w.u ww athtim b su- .ac.uk .12 h bat e: 1E 3 c Offi

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Dear Bath Time readers, I’m Elle, Bath Time’s most recent Online Deputy Editor. This time last year, when I decided on a whim to share the details of my disastrous interrailing trip with the whole of campus in my first article, I would never have imagined I’d be sitting here writing the ‘Letter from the Editor’. While I continued the tradition of oversharing in my column about all the mistakes I made as a slightly all-over-the-place fresher, since that very first article I’ve also written opinion pieces, features, worked on investigative cover stories, and most recently exposed how the university’s IMCs policy can negatively impact disabled students, which you can read about on pages 11-12. So let this be a tale to demonstrate that at Bath Time you can pretty much do a bit of everything, which suits my chaotic personality very well.

Being on this editorial team is already one of the most rewarding things I have done so far at this university. Whenever I hectically binge-edit the day before we go to print in my pyjamas, or try to figure out how the heck Wordpress works while putting you guys’ content online, I continue to be amazed by the standard of writing, the passion, and the dedication of our team and contributors, and this issue is no different. This issue is set around Diversity and Inclusivity at the University, a decision sparked by Bath’s ranking 113th in the social inclusion tables, which we investigate in this month’s cover story, but finalised when we realised that these rankings only scratch the surface of the mountain of issues that are currently affecting minority groups, both at Bath and nationwide. In this issue, our contributors uncover transphobic hate crime in Bath, look at the win for marriage equality in Northern Ireland, explore the racism in the recent England-Bulgaria game, and review inclusivity in TV, just to name a few.

But don’t fret - we still have our regular magazine features of monthly horoscopes, erotica, and the monthly sports quiz. We’re also so happy to be officially working with PhotoSoc from this issue onwards, taking us away from the grainy iPhone images of past volumes and moving towards some really amazing photography and design work, such as this issue’s cover design, put together by our Design Editor Chloe Coules. And don’t forget to check out our website; for online exclusive features, breaking news coverage, and even more scathing reviews of campus food and drink staples.

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Meet The Team Genevieve Redgrave Editor-in-Chief

If you can’t find Genevieve she’s probably somewhere applying yet another coat of red lipstick, playing the saxophone (badly), or trying her very best to explain that she’s definitely from London despite her Kent postcode. In her final year of Politics and International Relations, to keep her happy it’s best if you don’t mention the B word to her, unless you mean Beyoncé or Bake off and if all else fails she can always be talked round with a good veggie curry and a lukewarm cup of tea.

Seb Porteous Ward

Eloise Sacares

Seb is a final year Politics and IR student, who is yet to come to terms with the fact he’s no longer a fresher. When he’s not napping in lectures, Seb can be found working on the door or working the dance floor in most of Bath’s clubs.

Elle is our Online Deputy Editor, despite her only IT experience being from 5 failed ‘lifestyle’ blogs in her teenage years. Nowadays, she is known as Elle, inspired by the fierce determination of Elle Woods, studies Politics, and spends most of her time drinking 4W coffee or at Mandy’s karaoke.

Harry Bridge

Emily Godon

Hi there, I’m Harry and I’m going to be News and Comment Editor for the paper this year. I lived in China and Singapore and like politics and economics way too much for a normal person. I’m looking forward to reading everything you write about the crazy world we live in!

Can’t find Emily? Head to the Edge Cafe.

If she’s not sipping *decaf* coffee while studying more modules than she should be, she’s probably filling her time with sport...without actually doing a sport. If you didn’t know she’s from Kent, halfFrench and has a fringe, she’ll tell you in-between the gossip.

Élie Breton Des Loÿs

Nicole Allen

Elie is our token European editor who loves writing reviews and watching movies. So much so that this year alone he has seen over a hundred of them and keeps watching obscure indie films. Elie studies Politics and Spanish and drinks at least thirty cups of tea a day.

Nicole is a final year Sport and Exercise Science student who likes to think she is edgier than a dodecahedron. A fun fact about Nicole is that she started university with a boyfriend but is ending it with a girlfriend - she’s like Hannah Montana, getting the best of both worlds.

Chloë Coules

Emily Johnstone

As a Psychology student, Chloe is learning to understand the inner workings of people’s minds. However, she is still yet to figure out why anyone would use comic sans. When she isn’t analysing the world around her, she enjoys ranting about climate change and naming her future dogs.

Emily is a final year Psychology student.

By now, she was hoping to have mind reading abilities but the only treatment she’s good at is retail therapy. She’s the resident snack queen and is never too far away from a Jaffa cake. She’s obsessed with dogs and can’t wait for the day that puppies can distribute Bath Time.

Deputy Editor (Print)

News and Comment Editor

Lifestyle Editor

Design Editor

Deputy Editor (online)

Features Editor

Sport Editor

Publicity and Distribution Officer

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Contents

Cover Story Pages 6-9 The Face of Bath Lifestyle 29 Best Places to Eat on Campus 36 Jonathan Van Ness 37 Inclusivity in TV 38 Toxic Fandoms 39 Prettiest Places in Bath 40 Hell’s Angels Review 41 Elon Musk & Pres 44 Erotica 45 Horoscopes

46 Puzzle Corner

28 PariaHer Column 31 The Science Column

Features 11 The Issue with IMCs 13 Migraines 14 Orthorexia 16 Year Abroad Column 17 Final Year Column 18 Crime in Bath 22 Climate Strike 23 Veganism

News & Comment 20 Northern Ireland 21 General Election 24 Global Uprisings 26 Kashmir 30 Kurdish Crisis 35 US Election 47 Whats on

Sport 25 Racism in Football 34 Sporting Showcase 42 Team of the Week 43 Sports Quiz

The Issue with IMCs 11-12

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The Face of Bath

By Genevieve Redgrave, Chloe Coules, Emily Johnstone and Eloise Sacares Cover Design by Chloe Coules Photography by Marlena Zemsta “It’s abhorrent, disgusting, and unfathomable” was the response of Alisha Lobo, Students’ Union Community Officer, to the University of Bath’s social inclusion ranking of 112th out of 115 univerisites across England and Wales. Despite active promotion of its high league table status across all social media channels, the University’s silence on this particular ranking is very telling. To many students, however, these figures come as little surprise. In Bath Time’s recent survey of 100 students, only 30% of respondents said they believe that the University is inclusive to underrepresented groups.

An argument that commonly arises is that Bath’s student make-up is simply a reflection of the 94.6% white, middle-class city it is situated in. The response to a further claim that this acts as a deterrent to diverse students is summed up best by Alisha Lobo.

“This is the poorest and most pathetic excuse for not doing constructive, pre-emptive and student focused work to address diversity issues. If you have the resources and support students will come. It disgusts me beyond belief if people say it’s only because of the surrounding area. We are a campus university, and we also have a big say on the surrounding area - we can make change.”

Change for socioeconomic diversity?

It’s the general perception amongst those at University here and around the country that Bath attracts students from a particular financial background. This is

echoed by one survey respondent who stated “Bath is for the rich kids”. Mike Nicholson, Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach, unsurprised by our survey responses stated that “if you look at our student body, we have a large number of privileged students and a fair number from disadvantaged backgrounds, but a big gap in the middle compared to other universities. This emphasises the difference between student groups, leading to division and exclusion. It also ‘sets the tone’ for how the University operates, as it is guided by the student body who is mostly privileged, so privileged students dominate thinking and create the ‘norm’”.

The University’s efforts to improve economic diversity seem to be making progress, with approximately £4.4 million dedicated to bursaries. Any student with a household income below £25,000 now automatically qualifies for the Bath Bursary of £3,000 per academic year, subject to meeting Widening Participation Criteria. This includes living in an area of low participation in Higher Education, attending a school with below average performance, receiving benefits or being a young carer. There are an unlimited number of these bursaries available and according to internal University research, students in receipt of these are in the strongest financial position at university. Amelia, a bursary recipient, stated that whilst she recognises its importance in enabling her to attend university, she feels unequipped from the institution to manage this large sum of money.

Undoubtedly, the Bath Bursary is invaluable for the students who receive it but there remains a disparity in the process. The bursary is only available to students applying in their first year, meaning that any significant changes in financial situation are unaccounted for in subsequent years of study. Although the Hardship Fund is available to all students, this functions on a one-off basis, which is not a reasonable long-term alternative.

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The requirement for students to meet Widening Participation criterion is also questionable. Mike Nicholson explained that this exists to confirm the eligibility of students for financial aid as some students may appear to have a low household income but have money tied up in property or non-income related assets. However, it is not inconceivable that there are students who do not meet these criteria and legitimately require financial aid, as well as students who have family non-income wealth that still meet these criteria. Whilst these do often highlight an individual’s financial situation, these are not direct indicators for every student out there.

questionable. According to the 2015 Indices of Multiple Deprivation, BANES is one of the least deprived authorities in the country ranking 247 out of 326, where 1 is the most deprived authority.

A select 50 students are also awarded a Gold Scholarship, who despite meeting the same application criteria as bursary holders, receive £2000 more per year. Gold Scholars also receive greater support to navigate their journey at Bath through alumni mentoring, personal development, volunteering and outreach, pastoral support and placement advice. Mike Nicholson acknowledged the unfairness in the fine line between the two, reporting that the University aims to apply successful elements of the programme to future bursary holders.

To date, it remains unclear as to why two students in almost identical situations receive very different opportunities. It is important to note, however, the additional support given to Gold Scholars appears to come with extra strings attached. The terms and conditions for this particular award imply that the University reserves the right to withdraw the award if the student doesn’t meet the annual requirements, including 50 hours of volunteering. Although this may improve employability prospects, it is frustrating that these students have already overcome the odds to secure a place at the University and are still expected to go above and beyond to prove their value.

Financial support for the so-called ‘squeezed middle’ with a household income between £25,000 and £42,000 is extremely limited. Only 27 means-tested bursaries were awarded to these students for the current academic year. It remains unclear what other financial support these students are eligible for; the majority of our survey respondents said they were unaware of any financial support that is available from the University. The Hardship Fund is limited and capped at £3,500 and is only awarded in exceptional circumstances. According to the University’s website, only limited assistance can be given to students who have recently experienced unforeseen changes to their financial circumstances, which in a long four-year course could happen to any individual. The application process seems somewhat intrusive too, it requires the provision of multiple bank statements to prove how this financial difficulty has happened. In a time of extreme struggle, this can only be an added pressure.

In an effort to attract students from underrepresented backgrounds, the University explained they are working with charities and government bodies, including the Welsh government specifically. The University also funds the On Track to Bath scheme which aims to help local A-level students from high deprivation locations. This is helpful to those in Bath’s surrounding areas such as Twerton which has been listed as one of the most deprived areas of the UK. However, there are large discrepancies between the different areas of Bath, making the scope of this programme’s outreach

Mike Nicholson did recognise these limitations, noting that the programme does only have a local sphere of influence, which he explained the University are trying to improve. It does however, remain a question of whilst the University are helping these students to get in, what efforts are being made to support these students once they arrive on campus?

The squeeze in the middle

Students across the UK have also reported that the financial pressure of university has a negative impact on their well-being. In 2014, The Times found one in three students suffered from insomnia due to cashflow concerns. According to NatWest’s 2019 Student Index, almost half of students are “extremely stressed” and 42% reported concerns about their financial situation. It comes as little surprise that the fine balancing act of money management places significant strain on students, with over 30% of respondents using their overdraft to cover rent and household bills.

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This is extremely problematic for most of Bath’s students. Rent for student halls routinely exceeds the maintenance loan available to the majority of students.

With single, standard room prices on campus starting at £4,180 per academic year this already exceeds the minimum maintenance loan. The University charges up to £8,110 for any student wanting the privacy of an en-suite on campus. This eye-watering cost is more than double the minimum available student loan. The soaring prices of student rent stretch beyond the walls of campus too, with Bath taking the number one spot as the most expensive location for student accommodation in the Student Rent Index. The student accommodation in Bath city costs almost £100 more than the national weekly average, leaving students having to find alternatives to cough up the extra cash.

for competitive squads taking place.

In an attempt to improve the financial inclusivity of sports, some teams have reportedly managed to offset certain costs through sponsorship and kit-swaps.

The SU are also attempting to create a sports-specific hardship fund and have made a number of provisions including Bath Active to offer free recreational sports.

This may widen participation for those who cannot afford the steep £299 campus gym membership which recently removed their tier pricing system for returners as well as on or off-peak memberships. Making it even less affordable.

Unsurprisingly, such financial pressures have an impact on the student body. Bath Time’s survey has revealed that 66% of student respondents stated that the cost of living in Bath has had a negative impact on their enjoyment of university, their mental health and wellbeing. Only 21% reported that they had never struggled financially at Bath. Although Mike Nicholson suggests this is a general issue with the student loan system, which relies heavily on parental contributions, it remains unclear the extent of actions the University are taking to relieve this pressure on the squeezed middle.

The cost of sport

It is important to note, that Bath was the first University in the country to provide sports scholarships, is home to some of the world’s greatest athletes and was awarded the Sports University of the Year 2018.

Despite these accolades, not all students who are repping blue and gold are in a position to receive extra funding. As a result, they may quickly find themselves facing unforeseen charges of joining a sports team.

A high-performance athlete, who is selected to represent the University at BUCS level, is expected to pay costs of up to £300 for membership, kit and performance fees - a requirement before even stepping onto a competitive field. For those on a development or recreational squad, club membership fees of £36 seem redundant without actual game time or staff coaching.

Sports members have also expressed their anger to us at being forced to buy kit worth £100 prior to selection

Demographic disparity

There does remain a large demographic disparity between free and fee-paying students, with only 13% of BUCS members identifying as BME. Sports that traditionally stem from private school backgrounds, such as hockey or lacrosse, tend to have a systemic bias against underrepresented groups that have a systematic bias that leave these students left out throughout the country. Taster sessions run by the SU and sports clubs are on offer, such as those for international students to try English core sports in a relaxed atmosphere. However, these can often get lost within busy academic timetables. Participation is also made worse by the reality that many of these highly competitive sports, including the development squads, are comprised of seasoned players. Ultimately, this excludes the majority of newcomers purely due to a lack of prior opportunity.

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In an attempt to alleviate some of these issues, the SU have made Welfare and Inclusivity Officers a mandatory position in all clubs. However, due to the inconsistent nature of this role within different sports, some officers acting as a diversity officer have reported to us that they did not receive appropriate training. The WIOs we spoke to also expressed their concerns about the value of the training they received and suggested that they need more regular contact with the SU. Without this, they believe little can be done to make the necessary changes that sport at Bath desperately needs.

Tom Sawko, Sports Officer for the SU responded to this social inclusion issue in our sport with ‘It needs to be said, diversity in sport is definitely not a finished product. I won’t tell you that we’re proud of the demographics that we have in sport, but we are proud of what we are doing and the fact that we are moving towards a more diverse sporting community. This is a sector-wide issue, and we are definitely not alone, so ensuring that we are keeping up-to-date with the good practices of other SU’s is of paramount importance’.

already established an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team to promote inclusivity and accessibility on campus. It is clear from their website, however, that much of their work focuses on training and policy but the University must stretch beyond the limits of planning and documentation to bring meaningful change, for all, to campus Overall, it remains difficult to shake the tokenistic feeling of the photographs and promises which fuel the University’s marketing machine. Limitations in sporting representation and disparities in access to bursaries highlights widespread and persistent gaps in the inclusion of disadvantaged students. The reported difficulties continuously facing students indicates that the University is failing to put into practice the commitments it continues to make to building an inclusive campus environment. The barriers to inclusion must be broken down before the University can truly fulfil its pledge for all students to feel that they truly #BelongAtBath.

The barriers of hidden costs

It is important to recognise that sport at Bath is not just exercise, but a main component of the social lifestyle for our students. Multiple individuals have reported to us that they have felt pressured to make frivolous purchases on Score costumes or Team Bath attire in an effort to fit in. According to our survey, it is pressure to socialise that has led many to feel left out of occasions and friendship groups if they cannot afford to go out as much as their peers.

Bath Chronicle reported that Bath is one of the least affordable towns in the UK and also found the city to be the second most expensive student town outside of London. As a result, the cost of attending regular social events can soon feel like unnecessary spending. This is potentially only made worse by popular University events such as Freshers’ Week or Summer Ball, which are highlights of student experience, costing up to £50 purely for the ticket. For the squeezed middle this means not everyone can go to the ball.

Bath’s poor social inclusion ranking is deeply rooted in the experiences of all of its students, especially those who are seemingly left behind or disadvantaged. The University seem well attuned to these issues, having

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Here for you Independent support and advice Call, book an appointment, fill out the online form or drop by the Advice and Support Centre

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The Issue with IMCs

By Eloise Sacares and Chloe Coules

According to the University policy, Individual Mitigating Circumstances are “descriptions of conditions which temporarily prevent a student from undertaking assessment or significantly impair the student’s performance in assessment”. If a student has an IMC, they can make a claim to delay an assessment (coursework or exam). IMCs are a great policy in concept, however, a look at the University policy quickly exposes gaping flaws in the system. Many events which could be seriously disruptive to a student’s ability to complete an assessment, such as financial difficulties and failure of IT equipment, are put in the section of “events & conditions not normally acceptable as IMCs”. Long term illnesses are also placed in this section, which is seriously concerning for students with chronic illnesses or mental health conditions that can flare up frequently; this is the situation Molly finds herself in.

“IMCs are a great policy in concept, however, a look at the University policy quickly exposes gaping flaws in the system.”

Molly has submitted applications for several IMCs; for reasons of mental health conditions, death in the family, and most recently for a fit of seizures during an exam. All of these IMCs were accepted, but due to the board only meeting once a semester, she had to wait until results came out to know if her IMC for failing an exam ‘due to being unconscious’ had been accepted.

While she felt that it would have been hard for them to reject that application, it was still stressful as worried about whether her evidence would be enough; a key concern for students who apply for IMCs. This indicates that the University should create more guidelines about which evidence is acceptable for students to use.

Molly was able to retake the exams that she missed and overall was grateful for the ‘safety net’ that the IMCs provided, and they were easy to fill out. But she is still

concerned as the University policy means that you can only submit an IMC for a condition once, as they claim that you should have enough time between assessment periods to put appropriate exam measures in place to accommodate the condition. To us, this part of the policy is ridiculous, as conditions like Molly’s won’t go away and there aren’t any more exam arrangements available to her, having already had all of the possible exam arrangements put in place. In addition, it states that long term conditions are “likely to give rise to valid IMC claims only if they first come to light or are diagnosed, or become unexpectedly and markedly worse, at assessment time.” However, this is completely insufficient for the needs of people who have long term conditions that mean they can carry out their studies normally in periods of being well, but also suffer from frequently flare ups that may coincide with several assessment times. Molly is concerned for her future assessments as she doesn’t want to have to leave university but will not be able to use IMCs again.

Emily applied for an IMC because she was struggling at University due to an underlying health condition, but hers was not granted. She was told that her IMC could not be granted as her condition was underlying, and that extensions were the only help she could receive on assignments. She was grateful to student services for updating her Disabled Access Plan to include exam arrangements and travel, but she felt like this was not enough to mitigate the effect of her condition on her studies. Emily feels like the IMC process is unfair towards students with long term health conditions and was disappointed by their decision not to include them in the IMC process. She felt that the University does not appreciate how unpredictable and difficult health conditions can be – feeling like she is ‘constantly playing catch up at University’. She said, “I wish that IMCs could be granted to students like me so that any impact on my work could be considered”

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Elle experienced severe abdominal pain (later diagnosed as suspected endometriosis) on the day of an exam which meant that she could barely move, let alone attend an exam.She was told by several staff that day that if she got a medical note and submitted an IMC claim within 3 days of the exam, it was very unlikely it would be rejected, and she would get to re-sit the exam as a first attempt in August. Elle started revising for the exam in early summer, as she was going on holiday to America just before the resits period and didn’t have to revise on holiday. However, on results day it stated she had passed the module with mitigation. It turns out that with an IMC, if you get 35-39%, you can’t resit the exam; Elle had achieved this despite not having even sat the exam, as she had gotten 70 in the 50% of the module that was coursework.

The irony is, if she had just got one mark lower in her coursework, she would have been allowed to re-sit and almost certainly gotten a better mark. Elle said she felt the policy “though unintentional, essentially penalised her for having done well in her coursework”.

students and students with long term illnesses in the future, to ensure that these students can display their full academic potential, in spite of the conditions out of their control that may cause them to need to delay assessments.

“we urge the University to consult with (and act on the requests of) disabled students and students with long term illnesses in the future, to ensure that these students can display their full academic potential” A spokesperson from the University said: “a working group with representation from the SU, academic and professional services staff is exploring changes to strengthen our Individual Mitigating Circumstances (IMC) policy. In particular, this group is working on improving communication, clarity and consistency across the University in relation to IMCs. Some of these changes should come into effect later this year.”

“she felt the policy “though unintentional, essentially penalised her for having done well in her coursework”” If you’re a bit lost at this point, we don’t blame you. The weird intricacies of this system are enough to make anyone’s head spin, and if you’re in need of an IMC, you’re likely already in a pretty distressed state because of whatever reason has made you need to claim one.

An SU officer informed us that the current protocol is for departments to tell students to contact the Advice and Welfare Service when they inform their department that they are applying for an IMC, but this is not widely known, and does not often happen in practice.

Our calls to the University are: 1) Give students the ability to re-sit if you get a ‘soft fail’, especially if they couldn’t attend one of the assessments. 2) Improve the description of evidence needed, so students can feel confident that their IMC will be approved, and have more frequent board meetings. 3) Add flare ups of long term health conditions to the list of valid IMC claims.

In conclusion, while IMCs are great in concept, the policy needs some work, and we urge the University to consult with (and act on the requests of) disabled

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No, it’s not just a ‘bad headache’

By Seb Porteous-Ward

It starts with a pretty severe mood swing known as a prodrome; suddenly I don’t want to talk to anyone and anyone that does decide to have a chat with me is met with a very cold reception. Then comes the aura.

These are visual changes and can come in a variety of different forms, including zig-zag lines, black spots and general blurriness.

By this point, I know I’m well on my way towards the psychological tempest that is, a migraine.

Soon, a thumping pain begins to emerge in my head.

It’s like a metallic balloon that relentlessly expands inside my skull. Every time I hear a noise or see a bright light, this balloon expands a bit further, increasing the pressure on my brain. Ultimately, when I’m at this stage, I’m unable to function and frequently become nauseous. My only escape is to take my prescribed medication – Sumatriptan – and go to sleep for at least a few hours.

“By this point, I know I’m well on my way towards the psychological tempest that is, a migraine.”

My migraines are usually triggered by three different factors. Firstly, if there is an event that I’m stressed about, I’m prone to a migraine after this event occurs.

Another factor is tiredness; if I haven’t been sleeping well, I’m likewise vulnerable to an attack. The final nail in the coffin that completes the holy trinity is dehydration. Thankfully, now that I’m aware of these triggers I can do my best to mitigate the likelihood of a migraine, but even when I’m feeling calm, well rested and hydrated, there’s no guarantee.

By writing this piece, I am not looking for any kind of pity, only a greater understanding of just how debilitating migraines can be. Whilst my family can empathise with me as they also suffer from them, I know that a number of my friends and a large proportion of the population just believe them to be ‘bad headaches’ and can’t quite understand why they mean I can’t ‘come

for a drink’ or ‘take some paracetamol and make the lecture’, which brings me onto my next point: lectures.

There have been many instances when I’ve suffered from a migraine and been unable to make a lecture.

Even if I battled through the pain, it’s unlikely I’d take any of the information in. This wouldn’t be so much of a problem if my lectures were recorded; unfortunately, they are not. I’m one of the lucky ones, my migraines last 24 hours at the most, some people are plagued with one for several days. Yet this problem extends far beyond those who suffer from this illness, what about students suffering from chronic pain? Or severe mental illness? Why should they have to suffer more than they already do, simply because the lecturer has decided that they don’t want their presentation shared?

It seems that the University hasn’t really taken these people into account when making the decision not to put lectures online and for an institution that prides itself on accessibility, this is an area that needs some rethinking.

“Why should they have to suffer more than they already do, simply because the lecturer has decided that they don’t want their presentation shared?”

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The eating disorder no one talks about

By Lucy Acheson

I believe that there are young people today suffering from an unknown eating disorder. It’s called Orthorexia Nervosa, and it is characterised by an obsession with healthy food.

Social media today focuses heavily on veganism and conscious living, so it’s hard not to get caught up in the chaos of clean eating. I myself have been a victim to this world of ‘health’. I was always warned about eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, but I never considered my own behaviour to fall under this label. Aged 15, I began setting myself food ‘rules’ about what I could and couldn’t eat, and my condition developed from there.

The issue with orthorexia is that the lifestyle is celebrated, hence why in 2017, a US study estimated that as many as 71% of university students may have orthorexic tendencies. My obsessive need to ensure I was only consuming ‘clean’ food went completely under the radar and led to me taking more ballet classes and even claiming that I thought I had a dairy intolerance, so I could then avoid cheese and milk. Friends said I was great at ‘self-care’ because everyday I got up at 6:45am, went for a run and then ate porridge (made with two tablespoons of oats). My family thought it was great that I was ‘clearing my mind’ because I exercised throughout exam season. However, I felt embarrassed if I grated cheese over my pasta, I’d hate myself for having a chocolate bar, and you bet that if I didn’t go to ballet one week, I’d spend days feeling fat, unhealthy and full of impurities.

“as many as 71% of university students may have orthorexic tendencies” My obsession with food, self-care and wellness took over my life. It got to a point where I knew how many calories were in an avocado, I couldn’t stand being in the same room as someone eating something ‘unhealthy’, and I began having arguments with my family

over simple meals like a chinese takeaway - because I refused to allow myself to eat all the fat it contains. I felt exhausted, overwhelmed by how much I thought about food, and so unhappy with my life.

Don’t get me wrong, I think veganism is an amazing lifestyle and I am so proud of friends who have found that this diet works for them. Furthermore, I know people who have used veganism as a way to recover from anorexia, which is incredible. Nonetheless, I believe that social media platforms about extreme wellness are perpetuating orthorexia, and I think most people don’t know they have it. While my story isn’t the worst, I hope it shows you just how common orthorexic tendencies can be, and I hope you know that the next time you drink a coke, forget to go for a run or eat white bread that you are beautiful, worthy and powerful.

Disclaimer: This is my personal story, I’m not an expert and I would advise anyone suffering from intrusive thoughts surrounding food, cleanliness and wellbeing to seek advice from: the Student Services wellbeing team, nightline for confidential listening from 8pm to 8am and Student Minds on campus.

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Life on a Year Abroad Darcey Stickley is a Spanish & Politics student currently on her year abroad. Between talking too fast and being late to everything, she enjoys reading, listening to the Off Menu podcast and reminding everyone that Cambridge is better than Oxford, especially when it comes to rowing.

October had many surprises in store for us... some of which go beyond the traditional year abroad realm of ‘yikes, how do I deal with this?’. From the beginning, we knew that this was going to be a month of holidays; first Argentina and Bolivia straight after, so there was not much sleep and relentless photo-taking. Vámonos.

Buenos Aires welcomed us with beautiful weather and surprised us with the ability to take on liquids of any quantity to the plane (could’ve brought my face wash after all). While there, we saw all the tourist spots in the historical centre, as well as sampling chocolate from the famous Rapanui and traipsing around the vibrant Palermo neighbourhood.

It seemed like it was going to be a peaceful trip. However, once we’d landed in Argentina, some of us caught wind of a potential protest that was going to be happening in Santiago - something about the metro price increase. We didn’t think much of it at the time, but by our second night in Argentina, there were fires, many incidents of police brutality and graphic videos everywhere.

Watching from afar was a gamble: international news began blaming protesters, while our friends ‘on the ground’ were sharing videos that showed it was the police and the army retaliating violently, not the predominantly student-populated manifestantes.

While things have calmed down a bit in Santiago, the protests and subsequent brutality have spread across Chile, with biased news coverage in its wake. Britain may have an election in December, but Chile lost their democracy when they lost their right to protest peacefully (if not earlier). If you want to know more, follow accounts like @piensaprensa and @rei_chile on Instagram or their English counterparts in order to get the news from the locals, not the quasi state-owned channels.

Spanish translation: Sin saberlo, Octubre iba a ser un mes lleno de sorpresas, de eventos que van más allá de la incertidumbre tradicional del año en el extranjero. Desde el principio, sabíamos que tendríamos muchas vacaciones este mes; en primer lugar, Argentina, justo después, Bolivia. Eso significaba que las próximas semanas estarían llenas de tomar fotos y no mucho de sueño. Vámonos.

Buenos Aires nos acogió con clima lindo y nos sorprendió con la posibilidad de traer líquidos de cualquier cantidad en el avión (que significaba que, después de todo habría podido llevar mi gel de cara). Mientras estábamos allá, vimos todos los lugares de interés en el centro histórico, junto con probar el chocolate del famoso Rapanui y vagar por el barrio vibrante de Palermo.

Parecía que iba a ser un viaje tranquilo. Sin embargo, cuando aterrizamos en Argentina, algunos de nosotros nos enteramos de una protesta con potencial que iba a empezar pronto en Santiago y que tenía como origen el alza de los precios del metro. No hicimos caso en ese momento, pero para la segunda noche en Buenos Aires, Santiago tenía fuego, incidentes de brutalidad policial y videos gráficos por todas partes.

Observar desde lejos era un riesgo: las noticias internacionales empezaron a culpar a los protestantes, mientras nuestros amigos que estaban ‘en el lugar’ compartieron videos que mostraba que era la policía y los militares, no los manifestantes que eran en su mayoría estudiantil, quienes estaban contraatacando violentamente.

La situación se calmó un poquito en Santiago, pero las protestas y brutalidad subsiguiente ahora se difunden por todo Chile, y la mayoría sin una cobertura neutra.

En Reino Unido habrá una elección en diciembre, pero Chile perdió su democracia cuando perdieron su derecho a manifestar pacíficamente (sino antes). Si quieres informarte sobre el tema, sigue accounts como @piensaprensa y @rei_chile en instagram o sus equivalentes ingleses para recibir noticias de la gente chilena, no los canales casi estatales.

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12/11/2019 16:55:08

Final Thoughts: Avoid the Biggest Killer of People Your Age

By Jordan Edwards

In Final Thoughts, I reflect on the lessons I’ve learned during my time at University, as I prepare to graduate.

Sometime during March 2018, I had my first panic attack, which came as a surprise to me. Despite having developed anxiety the previous year when working in politics, by the time I had the attack I had been anxiety free for seven months.

However there I was, on my way to an event attended by the current Home Secretary, in fact, when the Tube doors closed in Finsbury Park and I began to feel as though I was going to die. I got up from my seat, sweating profusely and stumbling for the door through crowds of people trying to explain that I felt nauseated.

When the Tube doors thankfully opened once again, I clambered upstairs to a Pret, my legs like jelly, and sat with a cup of tea waiting to feel better.

That feeling never came. For the best part of a year and a half after that, my anxiety returned, this time with a harder kick. It took me at least a year to ride the Tube again; there were points when I was afraid to get on a U1 because my anxiety was so crippling.

By the time I finish writing this article, another man in the UK will have killed themselves. What was once a rare talking point has now become an epidemic. There are men in this country who now fear the judgement of their mates more than the thought of killing themselves. Mental health issues are taboo because they make us look weak, and yet it is the bottling up of those issues that make us so.

Anxiety is a prime example of this. I believe that to force another person to understand anxiety is a futile practise; for someone to truly comprehend the mind-

set one feels when they’re struggling with anxiety, one has to be in that mindset. I have always been an extremely confident, engaged and active person – the moment my condition started it was as though I was afraid of my own shadow.

Shaking, feeling nauseated and tightness in all of my neck and cheek muscles were only elements of my experience. Everyone knows that if you miss a train, you’re not going to die. With anxiety, your mind tricks you into believing that you might actually die if everything is not ordered and controllable. No matter how many times you tell yourself that is not the case, when you experience anxiety you have a deep rooted mindset which will tell you otherwise.

It took me a long time to break the cycle – meditation, CBT and sport only got me so far. Talking to others about it gave me control. Those with common experiences made me realise that what was happening to me was not some unnatural phenomenon.

Things I’ve held back discussing for years can still come to the fore – at the beginning of this academic year, I rang my sister after a night out to have a breakdown about issues I haven’t thought about for five or six years. I thought I’d buried the hatchet with those past problems, but not venting my feelings at the time is clearly punishing me now, all those years ahead.

Talking about your mental health and thoughts is absolutely key to staying happy. Whilst at university, you are well and truly on your own, without parents to vent and cry to. Problems will be thrown at you from all directions; male or female, a sense of solidarity between one another is vital to remaining healthy. For lads in particular (and I admit I am one), the problem has never been the chanting or the banter or the games or the mocking of one another – the problem has been the fact that when the serious stuff happens, no one wants to speak up and spoil the fun.

Find the balance between the fun and the deep stuff. I wasted almost three years of my university life suffering from something pointless and easily avoidable. By just having a proper chat with your mates now and again, you can make sure you don’t do the same.

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12/11/2019 16:55:09

Crime in Bath

By Connor Miller

on the town often act inconsiderately to their surroundings and neighbours. Rather shockingly, the second most common occurrence is violence and sexual offences, reaching nearly 860 in number. This includes both violence in the streets as well as domestic violence and sexual abuse claims. Of the all the crimes over the past year in total, over 66% of them are still under investigation and over 20% had no further action taken. This leaves only 12.5% of reported crimes being dealt with by the police or the courts.

We are fairly lucky to be living in Bath. The crime rate as compared to other locations in the UK is comparatively low. In fact, in 2015 Bath was rated as the second safest city in the UK and in 2018 the University of Bath was rated as the second safest university in the UK. This does not mean, however, that we are absent of crime, with over 2,545 crimes reported in central Bath alone this year.

“This does not mean, however, that we are absent of crime, with over 2,545 crimes reported in central Bath alone this year.”

Apart from a few public order and anti-social behaviour offences, I personally have not seen much of crime in Bath. However, the statistics speak for themselves as it is clearly present and something that we as students should be aware of as we gallivant around town. The most common case of crime is ‘anti-social behaviour’ – accounting for over 25% of the offences.

This is a crime that some of us as students may not only be victims of, but also common perpetrators. It is a broad category that includes everything from being a nuisance and street drinking, through to misuse of fireworks. It is defined as ‘an action by someone else that leaves you feeling alarmed, harassed or distressed’, and is a common occurrence, as groups of people out

Police presence in Bath is perceptibly low. The city lost its police station in 2014 due to budget cuts and only recently has it opened its own enquiry office on Manvers Street. It occasionally runs projects whereby police are deployed at key points in the city to deter criminal activity - but the last time this occurred was in May, and these projects’ effectiveness at deterring persistent crime is questionable at best, with these operations being short-lived. Is this sufficient to keep a handle on Bath’s crime rate and deter potential criminals?

The Force has said they are prioritising three offences: tackling anti-social behaviour, drug use in open spaces and deterring criminals from taking over flats in the city for the purpose of selling drugs. Rosewell Court near Green Park is particularly notorious for this, with multiple reports of knife crime and what has been described by residents as ‘mayhem’, with police being called to the location on multiple occasions.

“Police presence in Bath is perceptibly low.”

On the whole, Bath is a relatively safe city, but crime exists everywhere, and no one is immune from it. If you are interested in the crime reported around your area, check the crime statistics website, where you can view the reported crimes on a map.

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12/11/2019 16:55:11

When the “Bath Bubble” gets popped: crime’s effect on our students

By Chloe Coules

Studying in Bath we are fortunate enough to be relatively sheltered. As we make our way into the world independently for the first time, crime is the last thing on our minds. We move into student houses with our friends, parents having dropped off cars full of possessions, and we are care-free (or simply too stressed about deadlines and exams to worry about anything else). We do not realise that this makes us targets for crime, and most of us are lucky enough to never find out. But for Adam, this became his reality just a few weeks ago.

“We do not realise that this makes us targets for crime, and most of us are lucky enough to never find out” One week after he moved back to Bath for his fourth year at university, Adam’s house was robbed. His housemates had friends over that night, and he had gone to bed early, deciding he could trust them to lock the door when they left… He slept peacefully through the night, until he woke up when his alarm usually goes off – except it hadn’t. Confused, he looked for his phone and it wasn’t there. His backpack and laptop were gone too, along with some jackets and alcohol.

He woke up his housemates to find that they had all been robbed.

Forgetting to lock the door is something students commonly do, and never think much of. Luckily for Adam, the police and local residents were able to recover most of his belongings, but the impact the crime had on his final year of university cannot be undone. Beyond the stress of being without his notes and university work, it tainted his new room, ruining his fresh start in a new house. His advice to other students is to be prepared in case this happens to you. Simple things like getting house insurance, backing up your files on a memory stick, and making sure your housemates lock the door can save you a lot of distress that no one has time for at university.

“Forgetting to lock the door is something students commonly do” However, as diversity increases amongst our generation, malicious crime against these indiviudals can take place. This is something that Lucy discovered recently when she was victim to a transphobic hate crime that landed her in A&E. After the club closed that Wednesday evening, she decided to get a takeaway with her girlfriend, stopping off at Kingsmead Square to take cash out. It was there that a group of guys came up to them asking what their names were. When they told them, they refused their answers and asked for their birth names. Lucy decided to talk back to them and asked why it mattered. The next thing she knew she was waking up in a taxi on the way to hospital.

One of the men had slapped and headbutted her, smashing her head on a pillar and leaving her unconscious. Her attack has left her with a constant headache for weeks, a concussion and weeks of missed lectures.

She said she wouldn’t change how she handled the situation, but she does wish that the University provided more support for victims, such as help with filing police reports, as she is still struggling through this process now.

Crime always seems distant, and unlikely to happen to you, especially in a place like Bath, but crime can happen to any of us and until crime stops, we can’t stop staying vigilant.

If you have been a victim of crime in Bath, contact Security on campus as well as Student Services (Level 2 of the Students’ Union) for more support.

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12/11/2019 16:55:11

Northern Ireland Bill 2019

By Scott Campbell

as a ‘criminal’ was the only resort. With the entrance of the new bill, free, legal and local abortion services will now be available from March 31st, 2020. Up until then, no women or medical professionals will be prosecuted for having or providing one. This bill has been a long time coming with its predecessor being made precedent in 1861.

On the 21st October, history turned a page in Northern Ireland. A win for the 21st century voices of anger and anguish, an embarrassment for the Democratic Unionist Party and its pitch-forked medieval mob of followers.

Back in July, the House of Commons voted in favour of extending the clause of same-sex marriage (tabled by Connor McGinn) and un-persecuted abortion (tabled

by Stella Creasy) to Northern Ireland, in opposition of the DUP and other social conservatives alike. With the Stormont Assembly in rubbles, Westminster was able to step in to take advantage of the DUP-Sinn Féin impasse, by extending these basic and necessary rights to the Northern Irish People.

With these new laws in place, same sex couples can in the eyes of the law get married. Previously only civil partnerships were legally allowed if you weren’t marrying someone of the opposite sex, like they used to back in the good ol’ days. As for the abortion law, well this is perhaps more of a win for Northern Ireland. Before the new law, women who had abortions or even attempted one could be given up to a life sentence - those involved could also be reprimanded.

Due to the devolved nature of the Stormont, just because the rest of the U.K. received greater abortions rights in 1967, it didn’t mean Northern Ireland did as well. The Northern Irish government holds the majority of power when it comes to passing legislation, hence it doesn’t share the same legislation as the rest of the UK. This was witnessed back in 2015 when the DUP blocked a popular change in the law to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples, using a veto known as the Petition of Concern. The issue isn’t that Northern Ireland doesn’t want modern rights and freedoms, it’s that its parties cannot agree to the extent of these modern rights and freedoms (in particular, the DUP).

However, we move forward. As Boyd Sleator, Northern Ireland Humanist Coordinator said, ‘work has not finished’ and he’s not wrong. It is still important that we monitor the legislative dance and ensure that no steps are out of place, nor out of time.

If Northern Ireland can teach us anything, it’s that a divided parliament cannot achieve nearly as much as a united people.

Of course, by travelling out of Northern Ireland, women could secure free, or at least safe abortions. But for many this was not an option and discretely taking pills in unsafe environments, so as to not out yourself

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12/11/2019 16:55:13

The Election

By Tom Marsan

Just when you thought the end of term couldn’t get any more exciting, a General election has been called for 12th December – the day before we break up for Christmas. This early Christmas gift will be the first December General Election since 1923 and following our rich political history, it’ll be fought over a range of issues to gently shape Britain’s future. Just kidding, it’s about Brexit.

Having missed more deadlines than a failing first year, the UK has been granted an IMC by the EU and allowed another extension - leading us set to leave the EU on 31st January 2020.

While it’s difficult to tell exactly what other policies might be campaigned on, we do have a pretty clear indication of what their Brexit policies are and given that’s why we’re having this election, here’s a brief rundown: For the Conservatives it’s pretty simple, following the sinking of their big plans to leave on 31st October ‘do or die’ having neither done nor died, they have a Brexit deal (a shiny new Johnson approved one) and if they get a majority they’re going to push it through.

If you’re a big fan of the WTO and referendums (the original obviously) then Nigel and his Brexiteers are your party this year.

It’s worth mentioning that to vote in this election you must meet ALL the following criteria: - be registered to vote - be 18 or over on 12th December 2019 - be a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen (sorry no EU citizens) - be resident at an address in the UK - not be legally excluded from voting Now luckily as a student you can register in two places, at home and in Bath. However you can only vote once so think carefully about where your vote matters most and who you want to represent you. Currently in Bath we’re represented by Wera Hobhouse of the Lib Dems so look into her and the other candidates. You can vote by post or in person so don’t worry about having to travel home if you want to cast your ballot there, just make sure you sign up to vote by post beforehand.

Elections are important and this one particularly so, make your voice heard and go vote, this could be your last chance for 5 years.

Now Labour aren’t too happy with the new Johnson deal, Corbyn is looking to negotiate a new-new deal, which leaves us closer to EU, then they’ll put said deal to a referendum – confusingly, it’s still unclear whether they’ll be campaigning for the deal they just negotiated or against it.

Lib Dems are all one thing - REMAIN! That about sums it up really, if remaining is your game the Lib Dems aren’t even going to make you relive all this voting, they’re just going to revoke article 50 if they get a majority (unlikely but who knows).

The Brexit party – LEAVE! Nigel’s latest populist Brexit club can’t seem to play nice with Johnson and really isn’t happy with his new deal and demands No Deal!

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12/11/2019 16:55:13

Our Planet, Our Future, Our Voice

By Elle Campbell

‘What do we want? Climate action! When do we want it? Now!’ On the 25th October, these words were chanted by students and staff alike on the parade. Organised by the People & Planet society and Amnesty International, they protested for climate change awareness to become a key focus for the University.

The University of Bath has already taken steps to become a role model for climate change mitigation in academia. We were one of the first universities to become members of the Carbon Trust’s Higher Education Carbon Management scheme and overall carbon emissions on campus have reduced by 22% in the last 15 years. This has been achieved even during the University’s most substantial period of growth, through various schemes in the accommodation sector, which have drastically reduced our carbon budget.

young people to have the opportunity to understand environmental issues and act on them, by incorporating sustainability into school curricula. These goals have been supported by over 200 UK academics and strikers feel that our University has the platform to make this a reality.

Likewise, the only way for people to take climate change seriously is to ‘declare a climate emergency’.

Our SU has already recognised that climate change is a real threat and have committed to ‘a university strategy to address the climate crisis’ in their Top Ten Issues.

At the strike, Community Officer Francesco Masala gave an empowering speech explaining how important environmental awareness is for our future and how he wants to drive sustainability at our University. Our new Vice Chancellor, Ian White, also came to support the strike on campus. He has agreed to develop an environmental framework and has expressed his commitment to making this a reality.

Despite your personal feelings towards striking, campus activism has proven to be effective over recent years. In 1998, United Students Against Sweatshops made a movement in the United States to force sporting goods companies used by universities to file their labour practices. Could school climate strikes be going in the same direction? All we can say is… watch this space.

The People & Planet society and Amnesty International have been campaigning for the University to become ‘Carbon Neutral’ by 2030. This strike could have been the first step in making this idea no longer just a fantasy. We are advocating for the University to go a step further and act on the topics touched on by Greta Thunberg and her supporters. Last year, Greta started skipping school and standing in front of the Swedish Parliament in the name of climate action. Since then, many people have followed in her footsteps and this eventually led to over 117 countries participating in school climate strikes this September. They want

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12/11/2019 16:55:15

Demonising vegans – is it really justified?

By Harriet Habergham

Boris Johnson’s recent description of climate change protesters as ‘uncooperative crusties’ sums up the elites’ dismissive attitude towards those who are trying to do their bit. Climate change activists, eco-warriors and vegans all tend to be tarred with the same brush as a lot of opinionated hippies walking around with unbrushed hair and baggy pants.

Whilst some of the stereotypes are amusing, and many vegans take it on the chin, there is a more serious aspect to this ‘banter’. A study by MacInnis and Hodson showed that vegans are viewed more negatively than atheists, immigrants, homosexuals and asexuals. There was uproar when the editor of Waitrose Food, William Sitwell, suggested in a private email, “How about a series on killing vegans one by one?”. But why does such an innocent life choice spark such controversy?

This year, 107 scientists published a report for the UN calling the western world to cut down meat consumption in a bid to curb carbon emissions and thus prevent global warming from crossing the point of no return. Agriculture and forestry for food production contributes around a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions. Of these emissions, animal products account for 58%. This does not even cover food air miles and food waste. Whilst the report does not explicitly state that we should all covert to veganism, a simple reduction in the quantity of meat we consume could go a long way to slow the pace of climate change.

“Thus, logically those who make a conscious decision to set aside meat for the sake of the planet deserve our admiration.”

However, just as meat eaters retain the right to eat meat, vegans retain the right to eat as they please.

Vegans receive bad press for being pushy about their choice. And whilst there are those who reinforce the old joke of “How can you tell if someone’s vegan?

Don’t worry they’ll let you know”, being vegan is a demanding change. Having tried myself periodically over the past couple of years, I fully sympathise with vegans who are enthusiastic about discussing it. It has definitely become a more accessible diet over the past couple of years, but when oat milk costs almost twice the price of dairy milk any tips or mutual sympathy are welcome.

As much as we would like to, it is no longer possible to ignore the scorching heatwaves or increasingly common and devastating natural disasters. Therefore, whilst I am in no position to tell people how to live their lives (especially as I am prone to a bacon sandwich every now and then), we should continue to respect those who make the effort.

Thus, logically those who make a conscious decision to set aside meat for the sake of the planet deserve our admiration. And yet, there remains such a stigma. Tesco faced criticism from the National Farmers Union who claimed their advert to promote a vegan range “demonised” meat. People dislike being told that that the things they enjoy are a threat to the planet and thus, consider vegans as sanctimonious and holier-than-thou. Many see the increasing popularity of veganism as a threat to their own lifestyle choices.

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12/11/2019 16:55:15

The world is protesting, but does it know what for?

By Nele Gewert As 2019 enters its final few months, the world has been thrown into turmoil.

The Bolivian people are protesting election results.

Hong Kong’s most recent ban on face coverings led to thousands of masked protesters marching through the streets. Ecuador has declared a state of emergency in response to violent outbursts after fuel subsidies were cut. Barcelona resembles a battlefield amidst demonstrations to separate Catalonia from Spain. The list goes on.

Minor issues are spiraling into major violence. Just take a look at Chile, where fare-hike protests triggered by secondary school students have escalated into an official state of emergency and numerous deaths. Similarly in Lebanon, demonstrations over a “WhatsApp tax” proved to be the final push to transform dissatisfaction into calls for the ‘fall of the regime’. But while each and every protest has been distinct, there has been a common underlying dynamic...

Many movements have been started by price increases for key services. For example, fuel subsidies were the final straw in Ecuador and Haiti, and social media taxes prompted uprisings in Uganda and Lebanon. Many citizens view these price hikes as just another way to squeeze money from the poor and increase inequality. Furthermore, demonstrators claim that current political systems have enabled legislators to fill their own pockets from the wallets of their citizens. From Beirut to Hong Kong, protesters are no longer satisfied with the ruling elite who are meant to represent their interests, and call for change.

variety of grievances, highlighting the lack of a set of cohesive demands. The bottom line seems to be that people are demanding redefinition of the relationship between governments and their citizens. These events are not defined by a clear plea; the event itself is the message and emphasizes the dire situation protesters feel they are in.

While the current protests being reported worldwide are making their mark in the world, their power to actually change political systems is being questioned.

Hierarchical protest structures may have their limitations, but these unstructured “new protests” can be ineffective in the long run. Social media participators can be opportunistic and inconsistent in their commitment to a cause. Furthermore, many protest seem to lack a final goal. While governments in Hong Kong, Lebanon, Chile and Ecuador have abandoned the policies that initially caused uprisings, unrest has only escalated. This leaves governments to choose either to intensify violence through increased police force, or do nothing and risk appearing apathetic.

Ultimately, it seems that unless protesters can find a common goal and offer a feasible ideological alternative to current systems, the issues underlying unrest will simply stagnate, serving to worsen political tensions in the long run.

Interestingly, the most recent wave of global unrest has differentiated itself from the traditional idea of demonstrations. Protests used to be highly structured, but in an era of social media, demonstrations are increasingly organised informally amongst networks of people, and often lack a distinct message or leader. This was especially visible in Brazil, where posters expressed a

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12/11/2019 16:55:16

England Triumph Over Bulgaria’s Dangerous Right Wing

By Freddy Campbell Watching England’s recent Euro 2020 qualifier against Bulgaria take place in Sofia, the disgust and sadness felt by those watching the racist abuse that unfolded was likely accompanied by an even more depressing lack of surprise.

With the match already being played in a partially filled stadium, as a sanction for previous racial chanting during matches against Kosovo and the Czech Republic in June, the build-up was dominated by speculation as to what players’ and officials’ responses would be if history repeated itself. Striker Tammy Abraham suggested England might walk off the pitch and risk forfeiting the game, whilst many saw this as the first test for FIFA’s new 3 step protocol.

Midway through the first half, monkey chants and Nazi salutes were clearly seen in sections of Bulgarian supporters. Raheem Sterling and debutant Tyrone Mings were particular targets, with the latter caught by cameras as he turned to the assistant and asked, “Did you hear that?”. The England players response was measured, channelling complaints through the officials, and fortunately the protocol proved effective, with a large group of hooded supporters seen leaving the stadium following announcements pleading for them to stop. Despite this, it remained a painful watch, the anger and emotion palpable on the players’ faces, and England’s 6-0 victory completely overshadowed.

For some, this only added to the evidence that there is an Eastern European racism in football issue. Similar abuse occurred during England’s international in Podgorica against Montenegro in April of this year, and the dangers of Russia’s far right ultra’s were discussed extensively in the media prior to last year’s World Cup. It begs the question, is this a problem restricted to football or does it represent broader societal concerns?

“It begs the question, is this a problem restricted to football or does it represent broader societal concerns?”

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov acted quickly, condemning the behaviour and forcing the head of the Bulgarian football union to resign, an act applauded online by Sterling. However, tolerance for these racist views was clear within his own ranks; the Bulgarian manager stating he did not hear any abuse and goalkeeper Plamen Iliev accusing English players of ‘overreacting’.

Football hooliganism in Bulgaria has long been associated with extremist nationalist movements, but these are also reflected in its mainstream politics. Borissov’s party is in coalition with three right-wing populist parties, IMRO, Ataka and NFSB, which tacitly support racist policies. The leader of IMRO is currently attempting to pass an integration strategy for the ‘asocial’ Romany gypsy community into law, suggesting limits on the number of children they can bear, and introducing compulsory labour education schools for those children to attend. This is clearly not an issue restricted to just football.

Yet, the idea that such racism is simply constrained to Bulgaria and Eastern Europe is a dangerous fantasy.

Whilst Bulgaria is a serial offender, almost every nation is culpable, including Britain. The case of Chelsea fans forcing a black supporter off a Paris metro train is a high-profile example, but very recently an FA cup fixture between Haringey and Yeovil was abandoned following racist abuse.

Clearly, more needs to be done by both national and international governing bodies to combat the issue with stronger sanctions. But with Europe seeing a continued rise in support for right-wing populist movements, this may become an all too familiar problem.

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12/11/2019 16:55:17

Heaven on lockdown: There is a situation in the Valley

By Muhammad Ali Rizvi

and Ladakh, whereas China governs the inhabitable region of Aksai Chin. The UN mediation had proposed a plebiscite to be held in the disputed territory after demilitarization had been done by both Pakistan and India. However, over the years, despite multiple suggestions, both sides have rejected all plans to demilitarize the region. Pakistan and India fought two more wars in 1965 and 1971, including heightened tensions during the Kargil Conflict in 1999 over Kashmir.

“Can you brief me about whatever I miss tomorrow?

I need to leave now, my flight is in a few days and I want to be able to spend as much time with my mother as possible”, I asked my mentor towards the end of a meeting on a campaign we were running for Kashmir.

“I am sure you can spare a few minutes, Dawood over here hasn’t spoken to his mother in weeks and yet he is still here,’’ he replied. As dark as it was, we shared a laugh at that comment. But in that moment, I realized how even being able to speak to your loved ones, let alone be with them, is a privilege that not everyone enjoys.

Often known as ‘heaven on earth’ for its scenic rivers and majestic mountains, the Kashmir Valley has been made hell for those living in it. After the partition of the Indian Subcontinent in 1947, Hari Singh, the ruler of Kashmir, had shown reluctance in acceding to both newly formed states, India and Pakistan. Although the majority of Muslim Kashmiris wanted to accede to Pakistan, the Hindus, Buddhists and some ethnic Kashmiris wanted to accede to India. Having violated their Standstill Agreement with Kashmir, Pakistan tribal militias invaded Kashmir which led to the Indo-Pak war of 1947 which came to an end through a UN enforced ceasefire.

In the aftermath, Kashmir was divided into three parts, and it remains so. Pakistan governs Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan, India governs Jammu and Kashmir

In the 1987 State Elections, a new political party, the Muslim United Front (MUF) emerged popular. They rallied for the rule of Quran in the Assembly and against political interference from the centre. The election saw the highest turnout of 80% in the valley but MUF only won 4 out of the 43 contested seats, despite having 31% of the popular vote. The elections were considered to be widely rigged by the National Congress – counterpart of the Indian National Congress and hence began the alienation of Kashmiris from the political sphere to weaken their autonomy.

What followed has been one of the most horrendous cases of human rights abuses by a sovereign State. In 1990, India enacted the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) to curb any rebellions. This allowed the Indian Armed and Paramilitary Forces to have immunity against committing crimes such as detention without bail, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. AFSPA was condemned and demanded to be repealed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in 2009.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International further report incidents of sexual violence, torture and fake encounters all carried out by the State. Even the international community has acknowledged these heinous crimes being committed by the IAF, as a State Human Rights Commission reporting over 6,000 unmarked graves in Jammu and Kashmir was condemned by the British Parliament.

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In July 2016, after the killing of a young Kashmiri rebel, Burhan Wani, at the hands of the Indian security forces, there were widespread demonstrations and protests in the Kashmir Valley. Over 100 civilians died and more than 600 were injured due to the use of pellet guns. The Indian government has been notorious for cracking down on the spread of information, as it would suspend telecommunication services and enforce curfews each time protests were inevitable.

On the 4th of August, a crackdown by the Indian Government in Kashmir led to political leaders being under house arrest, deployment of Indian Army troops in addition to the current 600,000, a complete media blackout and blockage of internet services, ban on public assemblies and tourists and pilgrims being forced to leave the Indian Occupied territory.

On the 5th of August, through a Presidential order the Indian Government revoked Article 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution. Article 370 and 35A were conditions for Jammu and Kashmir acceding to India, as these provisions gave certain autonomy to the state.

The laws allowed Jammu and Kashmir to form their own assembly and govern their own laws, as well as decide if they wish to extend any additional powers to the federal Indian Government. Article 35A further defined who a “permanent resident” of the state of Jammu and Kashmir is and what privileges they shall

enjoy.

The revocation of Article 370 takes away complete autonomy from Kashmiris to govern themselves whilst 35A deprives them of the right to grant the status of “permanent residents”, allowing all other Indians to consider it a Union Territory. All Indians now have the right to own property and permanently settle in Jammu and Kashmir; the political power of the original Kashmiris who are supposed to vote in a plebiscite for the fate of Kashmir is being diluted. They have also lost preferential treatment for employment and educational opportunities.

The international community’s silence on the issue has been thoroughly disappointing. One could argue that some have even acted as enablers, for instance Donald Trump’s participation in Modi’s Washington political rally. Similarly, Bill Gates met PM Modi during the same visit and ironically, despite being a pioneer of technology and telecommunications, did not condemn the Indian government’s communications blockade.

It is now evident that people all across the political spectrum prioritise economic benefit over humanitarian crises, and hence they found it more suitable to appease to a market of 1 billion consumers than speak for the 12.5 million citizens of Kashmir.

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Where is the love? SocioBathic hate culture on campus There are not many things as quintessential to the University of Bath experience as our Facebook pages. Confessions of a SocioBath, Memeversity, Secret Admirers - look at anyone’s screen on the bus or in a lecture, and nine times out of ten they are scrolling through one of these. Even if you don’t follow the pages yourself, your entire newsfeed becomes your friends being tagged in posts on them; they are unavoidable.

Controlled by anonymous admin and contributed to by the masses, these pages have become the driving force of our online, and even offline, culture.

Anonymity has its benefits. Pages like these provide an undeniably useful platform for people to vent and feel listened to when they don’t feel comfortable speaking about their problems out loud. Though laced in humour, a lot of the posts on these pages give us a glimpse at people’s true insecurities. This vulnerability can be beautiful, if you can see past the gory details.

“Though laced in humour, a lot of the posts on these pages give us a glimpse at people’s true insecurities.

This vulnerability can be beautiful, if you can see past the gory details.”

But these pages aren’t as innocent as they seem.

Psychologists have found a lot of evidence linking anonymity with abusive or hateful behaviour (e.g.

Zimbardo, 1969). For anyone in our generation, this is something we encounter on a daily basis with the rise of anonymous posting online. We are constantly exposed to people’s unadulterated thoughts. But what you don’t know can’t hurt you, and sometimes things are better left unsaid – they are clichés for a reason.

People have the right to say whatever they want online,

but that doesn’t mean that free speech doesn’t have consequences. The admin’s job is to monitor these consequences and protect its audience, and this is where Confessions of a SocioBath becomes truly toxic.

Regularly violating Facebook’s community standards and Uni Truth’s Terms of Use, the admin couldn’t seem to care less about the impact of their page. Having a platform is a privilege not to be taken lightly.

The admin’s rule-breaking recklessness seems to mirror perfectly the recklessness of the contributors. With post after post of hateful comments about everyone from bus drivers to vegans, and deep-seated transphobia permeating many of the threads, it leaves you questioning whether we are always this heartless – or whether these are just the views that rise to the surface when you drink the dangerous cocktail of anonymity and immaturity. In all my optimism, I still find it hard to believe that students are only saying these things because they are anonymous. What does it say about our community that we turn on anyone who is different when the social consequences are removed from our actions?

Confessions of a SocioBath is proof that we can’t have nice things. It started out as innocent, if not slightly questionable, fun: students posting about their sexploits, crushes and most embarrassing secrets, and others getting a kick out of it. But it was only a matter of time before things got dark and downright depressing. Gone are the days of online innocence; we are left with an online culture that hates everything and everyone and reveals that we all have a little SocioBath in us when the cameras are off and the masks are on.

“Confessions of a SocioBath is proof that we can’t have nice things”

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Best Places to Eat on Campus

By Chloe Coules

The Patch

Although relatively new to the campus scene, the Patch has always stood out for its locally sourced and healthier range of lunch options. Catering for the campus’ vegetarians and vegans, it offers a range of wraps, hot meals, smoothies and drinks. I recommend the Falafel Currynaise Wrap – it’s the tastiest vegan sandwich I’ve ever had. The Patch is the perfect spot for studying too - with its big communal table and peaceful atmosphere, it makes a welcome break from the bustling Parade. If you’re after a lunch you can feel good about, this is the place for you!

Fountain Canteen

Edge Café

If you like a lunch that’s Instagram-worthy and aren’t worried about spending a few extra pennies, the Edge is perfect for you. With its minimalist modern design and beautifully presented food, this is the perfect place for a treat after a big deadline or for a catch up with friends. Their sandwiches branch off from the usual offerings into more interesting flavour combinations such as Cajun Chicken with lime mayo or roast vegetables and guacamole, and they have a wide range of breads and pasties to choose from. However, the sandwiches come to just under £5 which makes it a bit of a budget-breaking lunch!

Want to have lunch with your friends but can’t pick where to go? Situated in the basement below Claverton Rooms, Fountain is an eclectic mix of world cuisines meaning there is always something for everyone.

Whilst the quality isn’t as great as some of the other campus offerings, Fountain is the go-to destination for when your student loans start running out – I mean, who can turn down a £1 value menu? Sometimes you just need quantity over quality.

4W Café

Whilst it can be a tactical mission trying to find a seat in 4W, this is for good reason. They offer a range of reasonably priced lunch options including jacket potatoes, soup and toasties – perfect for those long autumn days. They also have the best coffee on campus, and a wide range of milk alternatives, making them a favourite for when you need a little pick me up between lectures.

Pitstop

There’s nothing better than a big fry-up to fix a postScore hangover, and Pitstop delivers the best. For only £2.95, you can get a standard breakfast, with vegetarian and vegan alternatives available too. They also do a range of baguettes and fillings, jacket potatoes, pasties and even crepes. Whilst its not as aesthetic in interior design as the other eating areas on campus, it ticks the boxes for price and quality.

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12/11/2019 16:55:20

Syria: out with the old, in with the new [invasion]

By Chloe Bester

Turkey invaded the Syrian-Turkish border region following the US’ withdrawal of their troops. Their motivation? To remove the People’s Protection Units (YPG). The YPG stems off of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who are linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Turkey. The Turkish government have deemed the PKK a terrorist organisation. Hence, Erdogan wants to quell any prospects of Kurdish autonomy in Syria, as to not embolden Kurdish nationalism within his own state.

The American-Turkish arrangement additionally mandated that the YPG surrender weaponry. Ironically, this weaponry was given to the YPG by the USA themselves to wage war against the IS. America had to abandon their alliance with SDF to appease Turkish demands, going as far as to adopt Turkey’s view of the YPG being terrorists. According to Turkey’s foreign minister, the agreement signifies the USA’s acceptance of Turkey’s actions in Syria. A massive blow to Kurdish autonomy.

The invasion aimed to relocate up to two million Syrian refugees, who previously fled both the IS and the civil war, which some claim to be the inception of Turkey’s attempt to ethnically cleanse Kurds. Kurds are the largest ethnic minority in Syria, with large populations also existing in Turkey, Iraq and Iran. Thus, if the YPG’s autonomy were to gain cross-border support, it could destabilise Turkey internally.

The YPG has evacuated Ras al-Ayn, essentially handing it over to Turkey. Nonetheless, SDF fighters remain deployed in other areas inside the buffer zone. The SDF were compelled to forgo their autonomy in these areas in favour of securing protection from Assad, due to the imminent Turkish offences. Syria manipulated this fear in order to diminish YPG self-administration.

Assad deliberately withdrew from Tal Talmer to allow Turkey to seize this town. Russia similarly delayed launching its patrols.

“Thus, if the YPG’s autonomy were to gain cross-border support, it could destabilise Turkey internally.”

The YPG came into possession of north-east Syria after reclaiming it from the IS, assuming governance over the region.

Pence brokered a ceasefire with Turkey in an attempt to recover order in Syria following the invasion. The agreement called for the YPG to withdraw 30km away from the Turkish border, creating a buffer zone between Turkey and Syria. A ceasefire would be observed for 120 hours to allow Kurds to safely retreat. The buffer zone was meant to span from the Iraqi-Turkish border to the Euphrates River. However, after signing the Memorandum of Understanding with Russia, Turkey was left with a zone spanning from Tel Abyad to Ras al-Ain. In return for decreasing the zone, Russia promised to patrol the Syrian-Turkish border, ensuring the permanent vacation of Kurdish people.

Kurdish distrust of both the Turkish and Syrian regimes is shared by the wider political realm. Nancy Pelosi regards Turkey’s suspension of hostilities as a farce. Erdogan seemingly didn’t sacrifice anything, yet he has been able to expand his influence in the region at the price of the US’ credibility within the Middle East. The relocation of Syrian refugees will increase the flow of people into neighbouring nations, and even worse, may create the ideal commotion needed for IS to re-establish itself – something the US could be blamed for.

It is interesting to note that the US advocated complete withdrawal from the Kurdish region, as to not intervene in Turkey’s imminent attacks on the YPG, but it has deployed troops to protect oilfields in the south of Syria. According to Washington, the oilfields are being protected from the IS. Consequently, oilfields are being prioritised over civilians.

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The Science Column The Truth about Death Our brains are magnificent by all accounts. Whilst other animals developed claws, beaks and sharp teeth to deal with evolutionary pressures, our brains evolved quietly behind the scenes, enabling the use of language, the perception of time and as this article will discuss, hiding the truth about death.

A recent study by researchers at Bar Ilan University in Israel has shown that when the brain receives information linking itself to death, it is categorised as not reliable. Our brains make sure that we see death as something that happens to other people, not ourselves.

If you’ve ever thought about death you may realise that the brain subverting the truth of it may be beneficial for most. Death is ingrained into us as negative. Not only do we have a biological imperative to survive, the loss of life itself is terrifying. In every aspect of life we are taught to fear uncertainty, and death is the superlative amongst uncertainties. Not only is it an uncertainty, but it is immortalised as dark. Truly understanding it would cause unrivalled existential dread.

So whilst the brain helping us avoid this reality is a good thing for most, it is less favourable for those facing death head-on. Knowing you face death as a terminal cancer patient pushes the realities of life and death into one another, forcing the pendulum to stop swinging, your life can become something else entirely.

Scientists have been focusing on this, there’s hardly a more noble cause than alleviating the existential dread in those doomed to an early death.

Here we appear to have found an answer in an unlikely place, psychedelic drugs. Recently Peter Gasser and others published a paper in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, reporting the effects of LSD on 12 of their patients undergoing psychotherapy dealing with end of life anxiety. Several patients described a sense of supreme well-being and unity with others. Seven out of nine patients reported that they had lasting improvements in their end-of-life anxiety a year after the sessions (3 died of cancer before their results could be taken). The researchers also saw no lasting negative side effects. That’s a 77% success rate for improving end-of-life anxiety.

This evidence doesn’t stand alone. As people have started to awaken from the slumber induced by the war on drugs more evidence has been uncovered supporting the medical benefits of hallucinogens such as LSD and Psilocybin. As Dr.Bossis, pHD, clinical assistant professor at NYU, stated “The emotional, spiritual and existential distress that can often accompany a diagnosis of cancer often goes unidentified and untreated. Patients who have benefited from psilocybin clinical research have reported less anxiety, improved quality of life, enhanced psychological and spiritual well-being, and a greater acceptance of the life-changes brought on by cancer. It is a welcome development that this promising and novel clinical research model utilizing psilocybin has begun to gain clinical and academic attention”.

Death is terrifying, even our brain thinks so, maybe it’s time we start facing it head on.

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Society of the Month

By Chloe Coules

There are many reasons why someone might feel excluded from faith or organised religion. Whether it be sexual or gender identity, ethnicity, or background, these factors can be real barriers in young people’s exploration of faith, and can lead to a lot of hurt and trauma. FaithSafe is a student-run group, supported by the Chaplaincy, aiming to provide a space safe for students to express and explore faith, regardless of who they are or where they come from.

The group meets once a week to discuss faith, life and doubt, read scripture and pray. There is music, good conversation, and plenty of cups of tea (and occasionally beers). We also share life stories and testimony, and help each other deal with problems big and small.

What makes the group stand out from other faith groups on campus is that questioning and doubting is encouraged, recognising that some students explore their faith in different ways and questions are just a mark of interest and a desire to understand, not something to be ashamed of. Everything said within the group remains there and we make sure that everyone is respectful and open to any differences, prioritising the inclusivity of our space and protection of our members.

The group brings together students and staff of all Christian denominations, focusing on the things they have in common instead of differences. It also welcomes students wanting to explore faith more broadly, although the meetings are informed by Christian tradition.

The group started to work with LGBT+ Soc last year, attempting to repair the relationship between the chaplaincy and LGBT+ students. We hope to work more closely with the diversity and support groups on campus this year to see how both groups can further support minority group students of faith through University and all the conflict that belonging to multiple culturally different groups can cause.

What one of our members said: “FaithSafe is a safe space for anyone, no matter what background or faith story, to discuss things through without feeling judged or as though you need to change in any way to fit in. I’m so grateful that this has been started up and I can’t wait to see what the future brings!”

If you are interested in joining us or collaborating on events, please email crc38@bath.ac.uk or contact the University Chaplain Nigel Rawlinson.

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12/11/2019 16:55:21

A Showcase of Sporting Success!

By Owen Midha

Wednesday 30th November saw the inaugural Sporting Showcase take place in Founders Hall, as Basketball and Volleyball faced off Cardiff Met in a mini Varsity encounter.

The idea behind the initiative, from Sports Officer Tom Sawko and the Sports Executive Committee, is to encourage student supporter engagement at some of the University’s top sporting fixtures, building from the exceptional student turn out for the rugby at The Rec last month.

The Basketball Men’s First Team were pitted against tough opponents in Cardiff Met, although going into the match Met were yet to record a win this season, and Bath were sitting comfortably in second place in the BUCS Western Tier 1. This form showed early on, as Bath took an early lead. Buoyed by a crowd of a few hundred home fans watching in Founders Hall, they strived to a 10 point half-time lead, which brought jubilant scenes to the spectators.

As part of the Sporting Showcase programme, those spectators were encouraged to get involved. Half-time competitions included a half-court shot, and prizes ranged from energy drinks to Score tickets for the highly in demand Halloween Score that evening.

to popped up with too many threes to count, as Bath cruised to victory. The win represents their first points this season in a tough BUCS Western Tier 2. Upcoming matches against UWE and Swansea will hopefully see them push on up the league.

Meanwhile, the women’s first Volleyball Team thrashed Met by three sets to nil - including a 25-8 romp in the third set - to remain unbeaten in their division. An early winner of SU Sport’s Volunteer of the Week, Saskia Kreutzfeldt was named Player of the Match, as the Blue and Gold recorded their third straight win. They now top Western Tier 1 and have made an excellent start in their bid for promotion to the Premier Division this season.

Throughout the day, supporters had further chances to win packages at Revolution Bar and further Score tickets, which drew in crowds and enhanced the atmosphere in the arena. With the sponsors pulling out all the stops, you won’t want to miss the next Showcase on 13th November - this time it’s Lacrosse, so get down to the pitches to support the Blue and Gold!

The party atmosphere soon became subdued however, as the players’ return to the court saw Bath on the back foot and by the final quarter, they were trailing behind.

Cardiff Met began to amass a lead, and were six clear with just 1 minute 30 left on the clock. But all hope was not lost, as a couple of threes from Alex Fresneda and one from captain Jack Solomons saw Bath snatch a victory by 68 points to 65. The win sends them to the top of the league.

The First Team victory was followed by a win for the Men’s Second Team by 83 points to 53 over Cardiff Met’s second string side, which only added to the celebratory atmosphere in Founders Hall. Alex Rober-

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12/11/2019 16:55:22

State of the US Democratic Elections

By Adonay Berhe

In the Democratic Party, establishment figures – including much of the media and many political donors - worry that their party has veered too far left. This is compounded by Biden’s poor performance in debates (there have been three with a fourth later this month) and weak fundraising (he raised $10 million less than his rivals in previous months). His failure could open a lane for a new centrist candidate.

In a presidential race with worldwide implications, November 2020 could see Donald Trump win his second term or the election of his successor as 46th President of the United States. As the Democratic Party picks its nominee, Joe Biden faces a fight from his left.

The race to be the Democratic Party’s nominee has been congested. There are over fifteen candidates but three front runners: Joe Biden (former Vice-President), Bernie Sanders (Senator from Vermont) and Elizabeth Warren (Senator from Massachusetts) polling over 80% in aggregate.

Campaigning is underway and debates have continued with a fifth scheduled November 20th, ahead of the start of Democratic Primary voting in February 2020.

The Democratic Nomination process concludes at their National Convention in July 2020.

Joe Biden - in addition to his stint as Vice President under Obama - has been a prominent politician since the seventies. This has helped his campaign - he has near-universal name recognition and strong approval ratings.

Biden, 76, is widely viewed as experienced and appeals to white working-class voters. Compared to his rivals the ‘progressive’ wing of his party that includes Sanders and Warren - he is largely a moderate on policy issues.

This has led to mild speculation that there could be new candidates including Hillary Clinton and businessman Michael Bloomberg. Some have pointed to the launch of Clinton’s new book - ‘The Book of Gutsy Women’ - last month and increased media appearances. Bernie Sanders, 78, is likely a familiar name across the Atlantic. He draws parallels to the UK Labour Party’s Jeremy Corbyn as the leader of a populist, grassroots movement with ‘anti-establishment’ sentiment.

This is Sanders’ second time running for the Democratic Party nomination. In 2016, he fell around three million votes short of eventual nominee Hillary Clinton. However, his movement succeeded in bringing ‘progressive’ policies into the mainstream: shifting political discourse - or ‘Overton window’ - in the Democratic Party to the left.

She may have weaker name recognition, especially internationally, but Elizabeth Warren has been a powerful figure in American politics for decades. As Senator, she was an advocate for consumer protection rights - particularly from bankruptcy - and criticising Wall Street.

Warren had a prolific academic career prior to politics. Now aged 70, Senator Warren is known for being strong on detail and a fiery campaigner against powerful interests in politics.

It’s still unclear who, if any, will be able to battle Trump’s core support base because it is pretty safe to say that just like 2016, we can’t be sure of anything.

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12/11/2019 16:55:23

A Night at the Apollo with the Fabulous Jonathan Van Ness

By Harry Bridge

Being a long-term fan of Queer Eye, it’d be an understatement to say that I was extremely appreciative when my girlfriend surprised me with two tickets to go see the fantastic Jonathan Van Ness perform live in London. For those who don’t know, the premise of Queer Eye is that individuals facing crises (varying from a man trying to find himself after his wife’s death, to a lesbian woman trying to learn how to accept herself) are nominated by friends and family to be ‘made over’, courtesy of the fab five. Although this may sound perfunctory, how could a weeklong makeover solve existential crises and their lives? A watch of the show might answer your question. Queer Eye, for me, and specifically Jonathan, shines a special light on the importance of self-acceptance and the deep necessity that lies in accepting your emotions rather than suppressing them.

Jonathan is the grooming expert on Queer Eye; however, he is a lot more than that. His role in the show opened the world up to his bright, extravagant and wholesome personality enabling him to write a best-selling book, produce an incredibly popular podcast and have his own web-series. He has also campaigned for LGBTQ+ rights extensively with politicians like Nancy Pelosi and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Evidently, he’s had a wild ride, and one gets a hint of that during his show.

the room with his wit and a never-ending, fabulous change of outfits, I couldn’t help but feel as though the first comedian, his close friend, was underwhelming.

This contrasted greatly with the second comedian who had the whole place in tears. Fortunately, whilst Jonathan did act as a host, this took up a vast majority of the show, where he talked over coping mechanisms, funny anecdotes, Queer Eye, and although he promised not to, politics... a lot of politics. These funny and oftentimes rather deep reflections were supplemented with his own personal gymnastics’ routine.

If you watch Queer Eye exclusively and don’t see him elsewhere you might get the impression that his personality must be exaggerated. What became clear in London that night was that Jonathan is exactly as imagined: surprisingly smart and witty, has an incredible fashion sense, cares deeply and knows how to have fun. He made everyone in that theatre feel comfortable with who they were, and for that, he deserves our credit.

What was instantly noticeable at his event was the bubbly mass of welcoming people with bottles of white wine in hand. The diversity present was electrifying, and it quickly became clear that it would be hard not to feel accepted amongst them.

Having not done extensive research beforehand, we expected the whole show to be Jonathan doing comedy, however, less than 20 minutes in we were confronted with what felt like an ugly fact, Jonathan was hosting a show for two other comedians on tour with him.

Whilst Jonathan was incredible as a host, lighting up

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12/11/2019 16:55:24

Inclusivity in TV

By Bethany Williams

In the past, the media has frequently shied away from portraying an accurate and relatable image of the population on both television and social media. However, there is a desperate need and an increasingly tangible desire to see a broader and more accurate spectrum of the global population on our screens. Thankfully we can see some progression and positive movement towards more diverse content, with BAFTA introducing their own set of Diversity Standards for 2020-21, meaning TV shows will have to meet diversity targets on gender, race, sexuality, etc. amongst their characters to be able to successfully win an award. Hopefully this will encourage more presence from minority groups in our favourite shows and movies in the future. However, despite there not being copious amounts of content, here are some of my favourite TV shows which are wonderful and promote inclusivity!

One fantastic option is the BBC4 show There She Goes, which aired in 2018, but can still be found on iPlayer. This show sought to educate its audience on the difficulties of living with a serious learning disability, with the show being split into two timelines running concurrently. The first timeline begins at birth with the parents (David Tennant & Jessica Hynes) noticing that something was different with their daughter’s develop-

ment, and the second taking place a decade later, as the daughter navigates life and begins to understand her disabilities. The show is based on the writer’s (Shaun Pye) real life and so maintains a high level of authenticity which I really liked. It also touches heavily on motherhood and the difficulties surrounding raising children, which is a crucial issue that needs promoting more on our screens. The show is cleverly written and includes hilarious comedy to balance out the important issues being explored throughout the five-part series and is definitely worth a watch.

If you’re interested in watching more LGBTQ TV shows, some great options include Netflix’s Sex Education (which I binge watched in 2 days, it is amazing), BBC’s lesbian period drama Gentleman Jack and Sky Atlantic’s Euphoria.

Sex Education is one of the most hilariously relatable series I have seen in a long, long time and showcases some incredible characters. Played by Ncuti Gatwa, gay character Eric comes out to friends and family, as the audience follows his personal journey to self-acceptance. The show will be releasing a second series in 2020, so keep your eyes peeled. If comedy isn’t your thing, Netflix also released an episode of Black Mirror (it’s a creepy show I know but trust me it’s good!) called ‘Striking Vipers’ in Series 5, where two straight men fall in love virtually in a video game. Not the typical love story as it all takes place through virtual reality, but it remains a powerful storyline that follows two men realising who they really are and what makes them truly happy.

Hope you enjoy these suggestions, there are many more shows that explore inclusive storylines so always keep an eye out!

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12/11/2019 16:55:25

I Liked it Before it was Cool: A Look at Toxic Fandoms

By Tom Marsan

“You’re not a REAL fan!”. Ok, well… who is? We’ve all encountered a toxic fan base, a clique of elitist purists who demand cringe-inducing loyalty to a fictional universe. When an otherwise great form of media has a fan base fighting to keep everyone else out, something you enjoy can quickly become a source of embarrassment.

I think one of the most obvious examples has to be the cult of Richard and Mortimer, the vocal minority of Rick and Morty fans with superiority complexes that demand them to call people morons. Thinking that a narcissistic sociopath is a character to emulate and that liking the show increases your IQ is ridiculous. Yes, the show is nerdy, but it obviously has mainstream appeal.

Super fans, attacking non-fans and casual fans alike for insufficient loyalty affects how people view the fan base as a whole. They have been very effective in making it difficult to publicly admit enjoying the show for fear of being grouped in with them. This puts normal fans in a bind; they’ll never be accepted within the fanatical true fans as dedicated enough, and from the outside people will lump them in with the obsessives.

An even more egregious example are the increasingly outspoken and obnoxious diehard Star Wars extremists. A group that has successfully added sexism and

racism to their delightful repertoire of toxicity. With Star Wars the problem is exacerbated by generational clashes. I remember loving Revenge of the Sith when I saw it in the cinema and like many of my friends, thought the prequels were great films as a kid. Maybe they’re not landmark cinematic masterpieces but they’re still fun and enjoyable. At the time however, there was outcry over people’s childhoods supposedly being ruined and while the films do deserve criticism, this shouldn’t be directed at the fans for enjoying them. History seems to be repeating itself with the latest films, albeit with an insidious twist. The advent of social media has meant the diehard fans now have a platform from which to espouse their hatred of the new films and their fans. The actors in the new Star Wars films have also been the victims of unprecedented hatred online, going so far as to make Kelly Marie Tran, who plays Rose in The Last Jedi quit Instagram.

Most of the abuse she received seemed to only focus on her race and gender, showing a sad reflection of how quickly toxic fan bases can incorporate some of society’s worst traits in pursuit of their imagined ‘perfect’ vision.

Toxic fans corrode everyone’s enjoyment. If you like Rick and Morty, Star Wars or anything else then go for it, enjoy it. Just don’t be those fans, because no one really cares if you liked it before it was cool.

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12/11/2019 16:55:25

Prettiest places around Bath

By Emily Johnstone Nestled within the Somerset countryside, Bath is a real head-turner. From its buttery-stone walls to the Roman Baths themselves, the city is home to a number of fabulous spots to visit. There’s plenty to explore so read on for my round up of Bath’s prettiest places.

Hare & Hounds: When tucking into a Sunday roast, I suppose it’s the food on your plate that counts the most, rather than the view outside of your window. But what happens when you want to have your cake (or in this case a Yorkshire pud) and eat it? The Hare & Hounds pub offers you the best of both worlds, serving a delicious roast with one of the best views in Bath.

Prior Park Landscape Garden: If you’re looking for an excuse to escape the library and take a break, head on over to Prior Park. Bath’s cityscape unfolds beneath the bridge, offering an epicentre of peace. A leisurely five-minute walk will lead you right to the Skyline, a route that boasts all of the meadows and woodlands you could ever need for a destress.

North Parade Passage

Royal Crescent Imagine going to Paris and not taking a photograph of the Eiffel Tower or visiting Pisa and not posing by the Leaning Tower? In Bath, no Summer Ball is complete without a group photoshoot in front of the Royal Crescent. It also offers the perfect setting for Pimms and picnics too.

The cobbled streets of North Parade Passage will guide you through another pretty place in Bath city. From Sally Lunn’s to Crystal Palace, the passage spoils you for food and drink choices. During the festive period, the street is usually bustling and is worth checking out to catch a glimpse of its twinkling Christmas lights.

Bath Abbey No list of Bath’s prettiest places would be complete without a mention of Bath Abbey. As a popular pick for graduation snaps, the Abbey is a must-see! If you’re feeling like burning off any study snacks, I recommend taking the tour to the top of the tower. You’ll probably feel each and every one of the 212 steps but once you catch your breath and make it to the roof, you’ve reached the best vantage point in Bath.

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Hell’s Angels by Hunter S. Thompson (Book Review)

By Scott Campbell

I first stumbled across Hunter S. Thompson a couple of years back, through a post on Facebook, where his daily routine was described. If you haven’t heard of the myth, I recommend you search for it. I was more fascinated than horrified, and ever since I have watched all the film adaptations, all the documentaries and I have bought all of his books. The first book I read of his was Hell’s Angels, a tell-all trip alongside some of the most notorious hog-riders and filthy criminals in 1960’s America. Hell’s Angels is perhaps the most famous piece of Gonzo journalism and remains at its infamously prestigious, gasoline-pump pedestal today.

Thompson is, as he appears in his novel, a seemingly nonchalant and almost dissociated spectator to his own experiences, a sort of ethereal nomad no more or less than present for the sights he witnesses. He writes and depicts such carnages throughout the novel in such a dispassionate way that the reader is left with no choice but to feel astonished in the face of Thompson’s blasé attitude towards situations that would forever imprint on other human beings.

A particular passage that sticks with me is his description of a party at Ken Kesey’s (Author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) forest house in which the Hell’s Angels shared the spotlight with famous poet Allen Ginsburg and LSD aficionada Richard Alpert, all while the police gathered across the river, two polar entities separated by a slithering body. Two forces, anarchy and destruction meeting peace and love. Thomp-

son describes the dreamy Hollywood scene in such lucid colour that the absent dimensions of his world become reality for the reader, the psychedelic sights, retro smells and textures, fears, anxieties, skin scorching adrenaline and all the pleasures in-between.

Not all of Hell’s Angels is a delight - Thompson through his indifferent voice does not shrink away from stating the unfortunate reality of the biker gang.

From the rapes to the assaults, the sexism, racism, homophobia and Nazism (although some in the gang wore swastikas, they often stated it was simply to show their lack of social conformity) - they are documented.

Much in the same way Thompson’s narrative can caress, his accounts of the anarchy cloaked alien depravity displayed by the members of the gang is beyond upsetting and in most cases, foul.

Themes such as Thompson’s own love for motorbikes, drugs, mayhem and the essence of the beatnik generation vein through the book and rightfully so - it’s exactly what the Angels were about, more or less. What this novel brings more so than others from the same time is a chillingly divorced perspective of some of the most singularly marvellous gatherings, sights, experiences and crimes against society that occurred that side of the millennium. What makes Hell’s Angels such a special piece of journalism, is that it was so prolific, it created the genre of gonzo journalism. And simply put, writing hasn’t been as fun since.

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Elon Musk’s Latest Discovery: How to make a Profit out of Pres

By Ethan Scanlon

Two weeks ago, Elon Musk made small news with CNBC, not to do with Space x dragon or his use of weed on a radio interview but a topic much closer to home, student accommodation.

Many students struggle to fund themselves at university, working a part time job or taking large sums of money from the Bank of Mum and Dad have become standard practise. In 1992 at Penn University, Musk, along with his roommate Adeo Ressi, took a much more unorthodox route, opting to turn their out of campus student digs into a fully functioning club.

Many of you have probably already experienced your accommodation being turned into a club, both for pres and afters, not always to your satisfaction. So what would it be like if you could charge people charge people to pre in your accommodation? In untaxable, hard cash. Musk noted in “Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and

the Quest for a Fantastic Future” by Ashlee Vance that he would charge £5 for entry and it would be “pretty much all you can drink”.

Now, what would Mr Musk have done if he’d have been like one of us, trawling campus on a rainy day?

During freshers and even after it was a thought that had often crossed my mind. Unlike other venues going to somebody else’s accommodation is the prime location for pres; free alcohol, no worries of damaging property (because it’s not yours) and no need to clean up the mess hungover in the morning, what is not to love? Many people have come into my common room, drunk our alcohol and left it a mess for us to clean the day after, so why wouldn’t he charge them? £5 entry, with the Quads being able to fit 30 to 40 people in comfortably, would see him earning £200+ a night.

Adding in Klass, Score and Friday night as a flat he would have been earning just under £600 a week - not quite Tesla profits yet. But hypothetically speaking, he could have paid off his tuition loan before Christmas and still have left over disposable cash to buy something for the holiday.

There might be some small hiccups in the system. For one there is security and the other is the flats both above and below. However, it does seem unlikely that flats would be bothered, similar to Norwood house, he could have offered them “flat” rates to make up for the noise. And as long as security didn’t know about the charge, they would just assume it was a normal Friday night. It would seem that Elon Musk’s accommodation turned club is one of the most revolutionary systems to be created at university, with students being able to make upwards of £5,000 a semester just for hosting pres, and that’s not even taking into account charging for afters. However Quads was definitely just an example, it’s not like they’d need the money anyway…

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Team of the Week

By Nicole Allen

As the smell of freshly cooked chilli con carne filled Nelson Street on Monday evening, there could only be one reason: long standing UOBWFC veteran Libby Piggott was hosting one of her famous ‘Christian in Sport’ evenings.

Being a committed Christian since she was young, Libby felt compelled to combine two of the most important aspects in her life, through hosting annual evenings of food, drink and casual chats about Christianity. She even invited a member of the ‘Christians in Sport’ organisation to answer some pertinent questions that were posed, debunk some myths that were common among the girls and help expand upon some secondary school RE knowledge from many moons ago. Libby explains: “It was a class evening, just to get everyone together and explore what the Christian faith is all about with some top food and discussions” The evening has always proved popular, and this year saw 20 of her fellow UOBWFC members flock to Nelson Street (perhaps just in pursuit of the free food...). And whilst Libby’s student house living room was small, her generosity was huge. Not only did she slave away in the kitchen cooking enough chilli for 20 people, and another batch for veggies, she was also completely open in sharing her journey with her religion; a brave move which granted her a great deal of respect and admiration from the room.

head and a clean sheet with a 2-0 win against Plymouth - kickin’ balls girls. The 1’s followed suit with a 2-0 win away against Portsmouth - needless to say the coach journey back involved very high spirits but some questionable renditions of Rihanna, maybe stick to the football girls...

Finally, it goes without saying that UOBWFC wouldn’t be what it is without the Development girls, who stay committed throughout the season, even with early morning starts and lack of playing time. You Devvies are the real superstars.

One team, one dream, one love.

Final Score:

Portsmouth 0 - 2 Bath 1’s

Man of the Match:

Libby, or should we say Lobby for that goal soaring high over the keeper. And for making that banging chilli #foodporn

Dick of the Day:

Praya (Sandy 2.0) for going back to her London ends and trying to start a scrap with the opposition. Brap ting.

Goals:

Libby and Tia

“For me, I love sport and use it as a way to worship God. So to be able to share such an important part of my life with these girls was quality. Next up...Q + A!” And it’s not just off the field that Libby and the UOBWFC girls have been catching people’s attention. Last week saw all the girls in blue and gold clinching 3 points, starting with Futsal who battered their arch rivals Cardiff Met with a solid 9-4 washout. Special mention to Brooke who scored her first goal for the team, followed by 3 more in the same match - did someone say scorgasm? Then there were the 2’s who kept a cool

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Lets get Quizzical

It’s time to ditch the dumbbells and turn your training to braining. See if your mind is in shape with this issue’s sports quiz: What routine does South Africa rugby coach Rassie Erasmus change every time his team loses?

He listens to Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys 36 times to “regain my spirit” He only drinks non-alcoholic beer until he wins again He ditches one “lucky” white shirt and starts wearing a new one Gareth Bale admitted that he doesn’t “have a clue who the prime minister is anymore” and doesn’t “know 99% of Brexit”. However, what did Bale say he does know about?

He said he can recite pi to 50 decimal places He said he knows which golfer is No.1 in the world rankings He said he knows every Sports Personality winner from the last 25 years Which capital city hosted a World Cup qualifier that had no goals, no fans, no journalists and no live broadcast on TV? Beijing Pyongyang Baku Lee Ann Walker received 58 penalty shots at a golf tournament in Indiana this month. What had she done wrong?

Her caddie helped her line up shots while she was on the green She was caught smoking marijuana midway through her round She picked up her opponents ball and threw it in the lake

Team Bath Walks on Water

Take a look at some of this month’s results: Hockey Men’s 1’s vs Oxford Brookes 2 - 0 Ladies 1’s vs Loughborough 0 - 6 MCouples vs Cardiff Met 2’s 2 - 0 LCouples vs UWE 1’s 3 - 3 Men’s 3’s vs Swansea 1 - 3 Ladies 3’s vs Ladies 4’s 2 - 0 Men’s 4’s Southampton 1 - 7 Men’s 5’s vs Southampton 3’s 5 - 1 Ladies 5’s vs Exeter 0 - 5 Men’s 6’s vs Marlborough 5 - 3 Netball Women’s 1’s vs Hertfordshire 59 - 51 Women’s 2’s vs Hertfordshire 32 - 31 Women’s 4’s vs Marjon 75 - 30 Football Men’s 1’s vs Cardiff Met 0 - 5 Women’s 1’s vs Hertfordshire 5 - 1 Men’s 2’s vs Bournemouth 0 - 3 Women’s 2’s vs Southampton 1’s 1 - 1 Men’s 3’s vs Winchester 1 - 0 Men’s 4’s vs Exeter 3 - 1 Volleyball Women’s 1’s vs Cardiff Met 3 - 0 Basketball Men’s 1’s vs Cardiff Met 68 - 65 Men’s 2’s vs Cardiff Met 83 - 53 Rugby Men’s 1’s vs Leeds Beckett 26 - 52 Women’s 1’s vs Cardiff Met 21 - 27 Lacrosse Men’s 1’s vs Swansea 14 - 1 Women’s 1’s vs Oxford 7 - 13 Women’s 2’s vs Exeter 5 - 22

A mixed bag of results for Bath this month with some mighty wins, but also some crushing defeats. Still, never fear, when our Blue and Gold superheroes are near!

Answers: 1. He ditches one “lucky” white shirt and starts wearing a new one 2. He said he knows which golfer is No.1 in the world rankings 3. Pyongyang 4. Her caddie helped her line up shots while she was on the green.

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Studious Chastity

Chastity waited at the busy U1 bus stop in town, dressed in her tight smart casual clothing, with her favourite pair of glasses and hair slicked up into a bun, she was dressed to kill. No baggy sweatpants and hoodies for her today, oh no, it was a very important day. Today was her first study session in the library.

On the way up to Uni she ran through her mental checklist of what she had to do: her Lit review for that dreadful project, organise the files on her computer, all very mundane tasks. But she could feel herself starting to get excited at the prospect of productivity. She was practically blushing as the U1 ground to a halt.

Chastity sipped her steamy flat white and then discreetly hid it by her side as she slipped through the library gates. She was a good girl, but who said that good girls couldn’t break the rules every now and then.

She smirked to herself as she strode into the relative cacophony that is the second floor of the library. A thought popped into her head and Chastity stopped in her tracks. Which floor was she going to work on?

How had she not thought about this before?! She calmed herself with a deep breath and headed to the stairs, floor 2 wouldn’t do for the serious work she had in mind and besides, the climb is a good bum workout she thought slyly.

She climbed the stairs, her mind working in overtime; Floor 3 maybe? No, she wanted to work, not be bored to death. So floor 4 or 5. Chastity toyed with these options as she reached the climax of the stairs on the fourth. She convinced herself, as we all do, that she could work effectively in the group areas of the fourth.

The naivety of youth.

As she entered the fourth floor she cast her sultry eyes around looking desperately for a space. It was busy up here, she stopped for a moment, maybe she had made a mistake. Just as she turned to go she heard the sexiest thing ever uttered in the library:

“Hey, do you need a seat? I’m about to leave” She turned to look at her knight in shining armour and was pleasantly surprised. He was very handsome.

He stood and lazily smiled as he gestured to the space.

Chastity melted inside. She nodded speechless, he gave her another smile and grazed past her as he walked away.

“Maybe I’ll return the favour later” she whispered as he left. Not knowing if he heard or not.

It was a difficult study session. Every so often she would catch herself daydreaming about the boy that had sat here. Eventually, it was time to leave. She packed up her bags and headed to the exit. She was daydreaming again as the automatic doors slowly opened. Chastity wasn’t paying attention and collided with some figure.

“I’m sorr-“ She stopped herself, it was him.

He smiled that familiar smile and asked if she wanted to get some coffee before going home.

“I’d love to” She replied, “Just to warn you, I like them hot” and winked.

Doesn’t everyone Chastity. Doesn’t everyone.

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Horoscopes Aries

This month, it’s time to review your sex life. Stop going back to all your old flings unless there’s a genuine connection. Once you feel that passion again, the fun and adventure you’ve been waiting for will follow, so hold out for the right one.

Cancer

Mercury moves into your house of creativity this month, so take the opportunity to go join one of the creative societies on campus - you never know, you could be the next star of BUST, or create an artistic masterpiece at Fine Art Soc

Scorpio

Taurus

It’s time to review where you wanted to be this time 6 months ago - but don’t take this as an opportunity to slide back to where you are - you’ll regret going back to things that weren’t good for you.

Leo

November will be dark and romantic, so take a chance on the tall dark and handsome one, but as Mercury moves into your home zone - make sure they’re serious about you - no f***boys allowed.

Capricorn

Gemini

As the Sun moves into your relationship zone, put down the library books and stop the hectic multi-tasking for a minute, and focus on maintaining healthy relationships instead. Your future self will thank you.

Libra

This is a month of making mistakes, particularly financial ones, so make sure to read the small print if you’re entering into a housing contract or have just landed yourself a job.

Aquarius

As the Full moon completes its cycle to comes into you partnership zone, this is the month for rekindling things with an old flame. If you’ve both learnt from your mistakes, you can make it work this time.

As the sun moves into the house of sleep this month, it might be worth skipping a few of your 9:15s to make sure you’re keeping well rested. And don’t plan 3 nights out in a row it’s no fun being the person that’s passed out in the corner.

As the Sun moves into your goals zone, it’s time to start thinking about the future. However this month will also make you reconsider your life’s purpose, so don’t settle for a grad scheme / placement just yet.

Virgo

Sagittarius

Pisces

This month will lead to misunderstandings in communication and plans getting messed up. It might feel like nothing’s happening how you want it to, but remember that’s okay - life doesn’t always go to plan!

With Venus in your stars all month increasing your cash flow, and Mercury Retrograde calling for you to take a well-deserved break, take the opportunity to order a few extra takeaways this month - you only live once.

As mercury retrograde moves into Scorpio, people from the past may return into your life when you least expect it. But be warned, this isn’t an excuse to sleep over at your ex’s - as always, you will regret it.

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Puzzle Corner

What do you call a duck who likes watching fireworks?

What key has legs and can’t open doors?

A firequacker

Turkey

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What’s On Disability in Bath Debate

Masquerade Ball

Join the Debating Society in CB 4.1 from 6:30pm for a fascinating debate revolving around disability and education. Ready to debate are students, staff and council staff members.

As a staple in every society’s calendar, the Masquerade Ball is back! The night promises all things glam in the beautiful Guildhall with a ‘dress to impress’ code. Be ready to dance the night away and most importantly, don’t forget your mask! Tickets are available from the SU’s website.

Wednesday 20th November 2019

URB hosts The Student Radio Chart Show

Monday 2nd December 2019

Sunday 24th November 2019

The Student Radio Association broadcasts the top twenty songs in student radio every Sunday. Each week it’s broadcast from different student radio stations. Make sure you tune in from 2pm on Sunday 24th November 2019 to hear University Radio Bath’s countdown.

Julian House: Domestic Abuse Services

Snowball

Wednesday 4th and Thursday 5th December 2019 The Snowball will be taking over the SU once again this year. With Christmas fast approaching, it’s a chance to let your hair down and celebrate surviving the semester with your teammates. The evening boasts a casino, an outside bar, two dance rooms and best of all – Christmas decorations.

Check out your team allocations for each Snowball event on Facebook!

Wednesday 27th November 2019

This month, Bath Minervas are working with Julian House to present a talk on the services offered to vulnerable victims of domestic violence in Bath. Julian House operate more than 40 different projects that not only change lives but save them too. Join Bath Minervas from 2:15-4:05 in 8W 2.20 to lend your support and learn about the volunteering opportunities on offer.

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