Issue 271 Monday 10th February 2014 University of Bristol Independent Student Newspaper
www.epigram.org.uk
Inside An unAMMicable evening Epigram
• Officer role review derailed • AMM fails to reach quoracy Josephine Franks Editor Laura Jacklin News Editor Apathy and self-interest were the characteristics that dominated this year’s AMM. Despite Bristol boasting a student population of almost 20,000, only 263 students made it to the union’s largest annual democratic event. This meant that the meeting did not reach quorate and all the motions passed will have to be ratified at at Student Council on Monday 17th February. Of those in attendance, a large number left after the first motion failed to pass. This motion debated the proposed officer role reviews, which would make the fulltime officers more representative of the student body and include the positions of Postgraduate Officer and Student Living Officer. One of the proposed changes included the merging of the current VP Sports and VP Activities roles into the new position of
Opportunities and Student Development Officer. Sports teams turned out in force to question the motion, which eventually failed to pass with a slim majority of 52% voting against and many promptly left following their victory. The low attendance figures and departure of many students during the meeting generated feelings of frustration in the elected officers. Both Imogen Palmer (VP Activities) and Alessandra Berti (VP Welfare and Equality) expressed disappointment at the fact that the student body was not accurately and equally represented by those present at the meeting. Attendees were largely students already engaged with the union, while the union wishes to reach out to those currently underrepresented, such as postgraduate and international students. Speaking to Epigram, Berti labelled the evening a ‘disappointment’, calling it a ‘beautiful example of why AMMs don’t work’. Palmer echoed this, telling Epigram that ‘many people in the room couldn’t see how important [the role review proposal]
was.’ However, she continued to say that she ‘still had hopes’ for the officer role review, which may yet be taken to Student Council. Similarly, Ellie Williams (VP Community) said to the attendees of the meeting that it was ‘not completely over’, with an online referendum a possible course of action. The recent staff strike action was another major issue at the meeting and students voted in favour of UBU supporting staff strike action over issues of pay. Support from the union would entail raising awareness of the issues, encouraging students to not cross picket lines, working more closely with striking unions and organising student events and demonstrations to show visible support. Ethical policies were also a key subject of the evening; Tyrone Falls proposed a motion for the university to create a central record of animals used and killed in research. After some debate, the motion was not passed.
Comment centre spread: LGBT rights around the world pages 28-29
Continued on page 3
L ife on Mars
Kai Staats
Bristol PhD students’ expedition a success, full report on page 4
Epigram
10.02.14
News Editorial
Editor: Josephine Franks
Deputy Editor: Alex Bradbrook
Editorial Assistant: Anna Fleck
editor@epigram.org.uk
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anna.fleck@epigram.org.uk
Inside Epigram Features 8 The jobless generation? Holly Jones assesses the job prospects for the next batch of UoB graduates
Mustafa Khayat
Comment Andrea Valentino argues why the West should be doing more to help Syrians in desperate need due to the civil war
A note from the editor Writers’ meetings
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Every fortnight, our editors hold meetings for anyone who wants to write for Epigram. If you’d like to get involved, or simply want to find out more information, come along to any one of the following meetings or contact the relevant editor via their email address below. It’s never too late to get involved - we look forward to meeting you!
23 Surviving Valentine’s Day
Film & TV
Monday 10th Feb at 12.15pm Hawthorns
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Film & TV reviews the final series of the hit comedy, Outnumbered
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Tuesday 11th Feb at 1.15pm The White Harte
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Think our weather is extreme at the moment? Spare a thought for those who have to deal with tornadoes. Science & Tech reveals all.
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45 Growing up and moving on
51 Terrifying tornadoes
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Spending Valentine’s Day alone? Let Living help you survive - and thrive.
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15 Saving Syria
Staff strikes are about just that: staff. The third full day of strike action on Thursday 6th February coincided with a motion passed at AMM for UBU to support staff strike action, yet some students seem intent on still making it all about themselves. Sure, it can be annoying when lectures are cancelled, that tutorial you’d actually done the reading for is called off, but without this disruption a strike would be meaningless. These actions are taking place because all other avenues have been exhausted; talks, negotiations and campaigns have failed to bring about change and staff have been left with no other choice. Striking is not a decision taking lightly – it is not your professors taking the afternoon off because they feel hard done by, but a political act undertaken in the face of a need for real change. University staff have been offered a pay rise of 1% this year. Taking into account inflation, this means a pay cut of 13% in real terms since 2008, which the Guardian pointed out to be one of the largest sustained pay cuts suffered by a profession since WWII. Paying academics a decent wage is vital in rewarding them for the work they do and in ensuring they continue to provide the kind of dynamic, engaging and committed teaching we expect at a university like Bristol. These strikes are not aiming to achieve the impossible. The money for fair pay is there – according to UNISON there is a £1.1billion surplus in the sector. In addition to this, Vice Chancellors across the country have seen an average pay increase of 5%, taking home salaries of around £275,000. This gross inequality is detrimental to staff morale and damaging to the image of academia as an attractive and viable career path. Students are blinded by the sense of entitlement that comes from paying £9000 fees, but they are too quick to forget that it was government and not lecturers who introduced this increase. This selfishness is reflective of a culture that has marketised universities and has monetary rather than academic interests at heart. It is imperative that students back the staff strike in order for the university to realise that this is not a problem that will go away of its own accord. A 13% pay cut cannot be brushed under the carpet; staff must be paid a fair wage now, not only for their benefit, but for our benefit and that of future students. Josephine Franks
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News
Epigram
10.02.2014
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@epigramnews Editor: Laura Jacklin news@epigram.org.uk
Deputy Editors: Spencer Turner; Joe Quinlan; Sarah Newey sturner@epigram.org.uk ; jquinlan@epigram.org.uk
Online Editor: Stephanie Rihon newsonline@epigram.org.uk
Disruption as lecturers strike again Issy May Bull News Reporter
Adéla Šimonová
This term three sets of strikes have been called for by the University and College Union (UCU). Thursday the 23rd of January and Tuesday the 28th of January saw many university staff walk out for two hours, whilst the third instalment of this industrial action is set for today, Monday the 10th of February. The UCU represents around 12,000 academics, teachers and professional services staff from universities and colleges all over the country. These strikes are part of an ongoing battle between UCU members and university employers over pay disputes. Last year university staff were offered a 1% pay rise. According to the UCU, however, this offer was unacceptable because since 2008 staff have been hit with a 13% pay reduction in real terms, due to below inflation pay rises. However, it seems that university employers are not budging on their 1% offer, meaning that once again negotiation has descended into strikes. A particular issue, which appears to be putting fuel on the fire even more, is that senior university staff have not been subjected to the same pay restrictions as their employees. Whilst their colleagues claim to have had pay reductions, the UCU has revealed university vice-chancellors have received on average an 8.1% wage increase each year. The Independent recently reported that the Vice-Chancellor of Sheffield University, Sir Keith Burnett, was awarded a £105,000 pay rise last year, for example. On the other hand, university employers have been quoted saying that they were ‘disappointed at UCU’s latest tactic’ to disrupt teaching. To them, it seems, striking is an unnecessary step too far. At least 11 institutions are reported to be threatening to dock the pay of any member of staff who chooses to strike. In response the UCU
More strike action has been scheduled for today
have threatened legal action if this does occur. Striking is a drastic measure which effects thousands of students across the country. With the amount of money that students now have to pay for university, it can be frustrating when lectures
Empty chairs and empty tables
and seminars are cancelled, as shown by a group of History undergraduates at Warwick University who organised self-led lectures when the strike action was taking place. Yet many students have shown support for the strike action.
Lecture capture to begin from next year George Clarke News Reporter
Marketa Brabcova
Many chairs were left empty as AMM failed to reach quoracy Continued from page 1
Lecture capture is set to be rolled out across the university from September., making lectures available to access online. Although this has mostly been met with a positive response, there are worries that some students, particularly Maths students, could miss out on the benefits of this new technology. In a £1.5 million project, lectures in all disciplines are set to be recorded and made available to students online. This follows the success of the small course-casting project in the faculty of Social Sciences and Law that started in 2009 and has expanded since then. The technology involves recording audio from microphones and video from an overhead projector. However in science subjects, and in particular maths, lecturers often favour the chalk’n’talk style of teaching. As it would involve a switch from using chalkboards to using overhead projectors there has been hostility from certain academics to the new lecture capture technology, Because of this backlash it seems maths students will not be seeing the benefit of lecture capture any time soon. However, is it fair if students of all disciplines are able to enjoy the benefits of lecture recordings, while maths students cannot? Second year maths course Rep Luke Williams said ‘I don’t think maths students will take too kindly to being the only area not recorded” and that he would be taking up the issue with staff. Meanwhile, a first year Maths students said ‘even just the recordings of the lecturers talking along
with the lecture notes would be helpful’. Chris Wilmore, Director of Undergraduate studies, denies there has been a backlash and says ‘staff have been highly supportive and are queuing up to be the early adopters in autumn’. However she does admit that ‘maths certainly isn’t an easy area to use podcasting in, we don’t expect it to be the first area to make use of podcasting’. Certain lecturers have been chosen as early adopters and these ‘champions’ will start using the new technology in autumn. UBU President Rob Griffiths said that ‘after a six month trial phase, lecture capture should be available in almost all subjects’. However Ms Wilmore seems to think that this time frame is a little optimistic, stating; ‘this is a massive process and will take 3-4 years to get fully rolled out’.
Flickr: Ed Yourdon
A motion proposed by Stephen Le Fanu for the university to adopt the Ethical Investment Policy was passed with a majority of 64%. One of the most contentious motions of the evening was proposed by Mark Soames, who called for the university to oppose and ban BAE Systems. The motion was eventually voted on in three parts. The proposal to support raising awareness and defend the right of students to peaceful protest was passed, as was the proposal to prevent BAE advertising and recruiting in UBU space. The third proposal to ban BAE from future career fairs did not pass. The evening concluded with an address from the full-time officers, who reflected on their year so far and spoke once again of the importance of wider representation in full-time officer positions.
For more stories visit www.epigram.org.uk/news
This ongoing dispute, unfortunately, does not seem to have a resolution in sight. It has now been reported across the media that dissatisfied union members have been looking to take further action.
Lecture capture for all?
Epigram
10.02.2014
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Life on Mars: expedition a success Sarah Newey Deputy News Editor
KaiKai Staats Staats
Three Bristol University PhD students have returned from a successful expedition to the Utah desert to experience living conditions on Mars. Ashley Dale, a PhD student in Aerospace Engineering at Bristol, has led and organised the project - which he has done at the same time as carrying out an unrelated PhD. Other Bristol students who travelled to Utah were Michaela Musilova and Sue Ann Seah, who have expertise in astrobiology and spacesuit design engineering. The project itself, which lasted for two weeks in late January, was significant for the future of space travel; the results obtained are relevant to getting people to Mars. The seven-strong team were constantly observed, and subjected to psychological, protocol and food studies in order to prepare for future missions to the ‘Red Planet’. High altitude conditions in Utah mean the desert is one of the most Mars-like places on Earth and was therefore was perfect for such an expedition. Cramped living conditions in the small Habitat Module, with limited amounts of electricity, food, oxygen and water, further replicated the
experience people would have on Mars. Research projects were also conducted into a multitude of new technologies. These technologies included the Canadian Space Agency’s Artemis Jr., a 270kg lunar rover, and ultrasonic spacesuit gloves which feed calibrated information about texture and temperature to the user’s fingers. Yet the project has also been significant in publicising the importance of travel to Mars; journalist Dr Susan Jewell completed the team in order to ensure a strong media profile. Later this year a feature length piece on the expedition will be completed, while Discovery, CNN, BBC News, ITV News and Space.com have all engaged in press coverage. This is significant as space travel has been suggested as vital for the future due to the rate of resource consumption. A World Wildlife Fund report in 2002 suggested that if we continue to use resources in the same way, we will need to colonise two planets by 2050. The expedition has not only put the UK back onto the space travel map, but also Bristol University - Ashley Dale has already committed to completing similar projects in the future.
Ashley Dale, expedition leader and Bristol PhD student spoke to Epigram Sarah Newey interviewed expedition commander Ashley Dale.
The deserts of Utah were the locations chosen for the team to carry out their expeditions to simulate the conditions of Mars
Flickr: Wolfgang Staudt
Limited food, water, electricity and oxygen further replicated the conditions a trip to Mars would entail
Kai Staats
How successful has the project been? Overall the expedition has been a success! With an average satisfactory level of completion across about 80% of the projects we took on and widespread media coverage, we have largely completed our aims of conducting research and publicising the importance of space travel to Mars. What have been the biggest challenges? I found myself in an interesting position as crew commander - the average age of the crew is 32, yet I am only 25. More than anything, my main role was to maintain the fine balance of keeping everyone as equally unhappy as possible. We’re not just talking about a balance within the crew itself, but between the crew, mission support, and the press. Everyone wanted their pet-projects, their protocols, and perfect camera shot, but we only had so many person-hours to work with as a unit. I had to keep the vision of what this was all about at the forefront of my mind. I saw it as my job to optimise the distribution of all of our efforts to working towards that vision as effectively as possible. The habitat module we lived in had 50 sq.m of lab space and 50 sq.m of living space. With a seven-person crew and a humanoid robot in this facility, the idea of personal space was completely left behind as soon as we entered the simulation. If you were not within eye-shot of someone, you were certainly within ear-shot. If there were any disagreements within the crew,
there really was nowhere to escape to. It was easy for the smallest conflict to get amplified. Considering the number of strong characters on this crew, I think we managed ourselves relatively well! Food was another challenge. A diet of dehydrated, long-life, powder-like food is about as exciting as it sounds. Creativity with ingredients only took us so far. Chewing on food is something I missed. But great conversations around the dinner-table helped us with forgetting what we were eating. Why did you decide to embark on the project? Mars is vital for the future of humanity. We are lucky it’s there. Green technologies and strict policing of the way we consume the resources on this planet will only take us so far. We need to find the right balance between dealing with near-term and long-term problems. With the world spending seven times more on cosmetic make-up than it does on its space agency, I question whether we have the right balance. I feel as space agencies around the world slowly confluence on the grand challenge of sending a manned mission to Mars, this sort of research is vital. I have no doubt that bringing the UK onto the stage will bring many economic and social benefits for the nation further down the line. Having now built strong ties to this facility, I intend on opening this door for the UK. I will be organising and directing future annual UK expeditions, using the Mars Desert Research Station as a platform on which the UK can get more involved in Marsrelated research.
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UBU Showcase Month under way Josie Benge News Reporter
Bristol awards honorary degrees Oscar Cunnington News Reporter The University of Bristol rewarded a diverse mix of individuals with honorary degrees for outstanding achievements in their specialist field this January. Continuing a tradition that has been taking place annually since 1909, this year six prestigious honours were awarded, four of which went to Bristol graduates. Jasmine Whitbread received her award on Tuesday the 28th of January at Wills Memorial. Mrs Whitbread, after working for Oxfam for six years as both Regional and then International director, has worked as CEO of Save the Children UK and then Save the Children International for nine years. She thanked the University via Twitter for the Doctorate of Law. The same day Andrew Shore received a Doctor of Music for his contribution to British Opera. Shore graduated from Bristol University with a Theology BA in 1974. Whilst at Bristol he had significant involvement in the Bristol Opera Society and he has remained a patron since his graduation. On the Wednesday two Doctorates of Science were given to Steve Kay and Dr Jacqueline Cornish. Professor Kay is a member of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. He has presented findings in the field of circadian phenomena three times, which have been categorised as “scientific breakthrough of the year”. He described the award as a “tremendous honor” and that the ceremony was an “amazing day”. Dr Cornish’s work in paediatric stem cell medicine and her role as Head of
the Division of Women’s and Children’s Services at University Hospitals Bristol has previously earned her an OBE. She now acts as Governor for the local Colston Girls School and received the Doctor of Science for her influence in setting up the Paediatric Stem Cell Transplant unit at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. Genera Charles Bolden, the current Administrator of NASA, was also honoured. Bolden graduated from the US Naval Academy, becoming a test pilot, astronaut and marine aviator before being the Administrator of NASA. Amongst other accomplishments, his voice was the first human voice ever broadcasted on Mars. He was awarded a Doctor of Engineering, and on collection said that ‘science, technology, engineering, maths and hard work have enabled me to travel from the segregated South to space’. Bolden also gave an inpirational talk in the Great Hall of the Wills Memorial Building, filled with staff and students, and spoke about his achievements as well as the work of NASA both past and present, a talk that has inspired many to work hard and realise their dreams. Sir David Carter received a Doctor of Laws and rounded off the 2014 honorary class. After becoming a PE teacher he rapidly rose through educational leadership roles. He has had an indelible effect on Bristol education, establising the Cabot Learning Federation. Carter has made it a priority to help people from disadvantaged and middle class backgrounds achieve their dreams. Without a doubt all six of these individuals earned their honours for the remarkable achievements in their fields.
Trying out: a whole host of student activities will be available to try during UBU Showcase Month
UBU
The Students’ Union looks set to inspire a resurgence of extracurricular participation with UBU Showcase: a month-long festival demonstrating the variety of activities it has to offer. Throughout February, students are invited to experiment with new interests and hobbies by attending one-off events run by the University’s societies. The initiative is the brain-child of the Vice President for Activities, Imogen Palmer. She explained that the festival is aimed at ‘students who felt like they couldn’t sign up for anything part way through the year,’ offering them the chance to ‘attend taster sessions and actively find out whether they like them or not.’ UBU Showcase emphasises the fact that societies welcome new members throughout the year, not just during Freshers’ Week. ‘I cannot recommend trying something new enough,’ Imogen adds. Events on the programme range from arts and culture, to sport and politics to food and drink. A martial arts lesson, a crash course in poker and a cocktail making class are just a few examples of what is available. Some students might be hesitant to get involved halfway through the year, but all of the sessions have an emphasis on being inclusive and welcoming, and no prior experience
is necessary. Further to these sessions, UBU Showcase celebrates positive aspects of University life such as democracy, charity and diversity. Monday’s Student Council provides a new opportunity for students to affect Union policy, in addition to Thursday’s Annual Members Meeting - anyone is free to attend and submit an idea for discussion. Also falling within the month is ‘Explore ’14,’ the University’s first ever multi-cultural festival, which began with a cultural bazaar and will culminate in a fashion show. The latter half of February will see RAG Week and Student Volunteering Week, both demonstrating the charitable work done by students within and beyond the Bristol community. ‘This time last year, UBU Showcase Month was just a little seed in the corner of my brain,’ says Imogen. ‘It has now blossomed into a glorious tree abundant with the fruit of free taster sessions, the branches of RAG and Volunteering, and the strong and proud trunk of democracy. Convoluted metaphors aside, I am immensely excited by the number of students involved and events happening and I hope it will sow the seeds for future second term activity festivals.’ For more information and for full events listings, visit www.ubu.org.uk/ activities/showcase.
10.02.2014
THE EPIGRAM BALL IS COMING Tickets now on sale! • Pimm’s reception • Three-course meal • Wine • Entertainment and much more... Friday 7th March at The Bristol Museum Dinner tickets: £35 Ents tickets: £20 See facebook.com/EpigramPaper for more details
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News catch-up Porn filmed at £75,000 for biggest UWE sparks legal cancer killer in UK action threat Alex Green News Reporter
Margot Tudor News Reporter
Shock has spread across both Bristol Universities following the news of a porn film made on the University of the West of England’s Frenchay campus. UWE has stated that it would begin legal proceedings to prosecute Johnny Rockard for filming illegally on private premises. Students were shown in the initial scenes of the film in which Mr Rockard scouts the campus for a girl ‘who wants to earn some money and have some fun’. He approaches adult-actress ‘Xzena’, who claims to be a third-year psychology student, aged 22. A source approached Epigram stating this woman has only recently been released from jail for child neglect. The Avon and Somerset police are said to be involved following the incident and are now investigating to discover if a crime was actually committed. Many rumours surround the making of this film with many saying that the scene on the bus was filmed entirely with extras. Epigram cannot corroborate this claim but Mr Rockard is clear in stating that he was careful to shoot the film ‘in a way so that (for copyright reasons) no one could be clearly identified [without signing a release form].’ A further question of many students was the choice to film a sexual act outside a local nursery. However, Mr Rockard has addressed this by
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stating he had checked ahead of time and found the building unoccupied, but accepts it is a ‘valid concern’. As far as he was concerned ‘It was just an empty building we were filming some distance away from.’ Regardless, many have pointed out the poor tasting connotations with this choice of location.
Legal issues remain over whether the land used in the UWE shots is public or private The story has raised a series of questions about the growing and increasingly more public world of adult entertainment. Some question whether this is worthy of a news article as it did not cause complaints at the time of filming and Mr Rockard himself seems mystified at the amount of attention he has received. On the other hand, legal issues remain over whether the land used in the UWE shots is public or private. Students at the University of Bristol, however, need not worry about the chance of playing an unwitting extra in Mr Rockard’s next film. He told Epigram that ‘there are no further scheduled shoots at either of Bristol’s Universities,’ as he has ‘been there, done that.’
A team at the University of Bristol has won funding that will provide £75,000 towards research into genetic markers in the blood. This work could identify lung cancer early on in its development and drastically increase the chance of the disease being cured. Lung cancer is one of the United Kingdom’s most significant killers with a survival rate of only fifty three percent. It is by far the most likely of all cancers to take its victim’s life. Why is it then that research into early recognition of lung cancer receives far less funding than that of cancers of other varieties? More research into lung cancer is a necessity: it only receives seven per cent of the total research for all cancers. The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, whose charitable grants committee is headed by David Gilligan, will provide funding. Gilligan, consultant oncologist of Addenbrookes and Papworth Hospitals of Cambridge, highlights the lack of exclusive funding: ‘only £425 is spent on research for every person who dies from lung cancer compared to £3,509 for breast cancer’. He directly correlates cancer survival rates to the amount of money put into research saying that this is ‘the reason breast cancer has much higher survival rates’. Over a third of those with lung cancer in the UK are diagnosed at a stage where treatment is ineffective. Bristol researchers aim to offer a solution to this state of affairs by producing a simple, cost effective method of early diagnosis. Scientists will look at thousands of blood samples, taken
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Lung cancer is by far the most likely cancer to take the victim’s life Professor Caroline Relton of the School of Social and Community Medicine at Bristol expressed her support for the project: ‘We are very excited about this new project as it applies research that we have been doing in other contexts to lung cancer.’ This creates the potential for this work specifically in the area of lung cancer to feed into an ongoing worldwide study of early predictors. The significant amount of funding supporting this project presents a real chance to achieve this goal and improve upon our current methods of early detection.
Bristol development drought to end
General Charles Bolden spoke to a hall full of staff and students in the Wills Memorial Building on 29th January
Lucy Stewart News Reporter While cities across the country have been undergoing new developments for many years now, it seems that change and development in Bristol has come to some sortaof standstill. Despite several plans for new large-scale projects, such as the Bristol Rovers Stadium in 2005 and the Bristol City Stadium in 2008, none of these plans have been built as of yet, arguably leaving Bristol behind. However, a three-year financial plan has just been approved by the mayor to fund the building of an indoor entertainment arena, originally proposed in 2003. After having finally been approved, it is thought that the arena will cost a total of £91m to build, spread over three years. The arena will also be partially funded by rent from the operator as well as car parking income from future visitors. The arena, which is due to open in 2017, will seat 12,000 and will be built adjacent to the Temple Meads train station These approved recommendations will now go before full council on 18 February. Although it cannot be denied that the city of Bristol has its fair share of beautiful buildings and sights, including not only the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge but also the university’s own Wills’ Memorial Building, a new project on such a large scale could bring many benefits to the city. In nearby Cardiff for example, there have
Markéta Brabcová
Marketa Brabcova
General Charles Bolden was in Bristol to be awarded an honorary degree and speak to staff and students
from lung cancer victims well before their disease manifests itself in order to compare them with those of healthy patients. The key to this research is the epigenetic mark, a biochemical change that can cause lung cancer. This change directly affects the body’s DNA, switching various genes on and off, which leads to the cancer’s development. If the research is successful, a quick and effective blood test could be produced en masse.
been several large-scale projects, including the Millennium Centre and Cardiff City Stadium. Perhaps most important is the construction of the Millennium Stadium, which generates more than £130m a year for Cardiff and sustains 2,500 permanent jobs. A similar project here could have similar effects.
“
The mayor has approved the building of an indoor arena, to cost a total of £91m The university itself has been going through changes similar to those approved in the city, including a new Life Sciences building bnwhich is due to bne opened this year, being in use from September. Ongoing renovations to halls of residence, namely Hiatt Baker, continue and the Student Union building is also still This new arena will add to these new developments around Bristol and therefore potentially add to the university experience for all students.
10.02.2014
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Epigram
The Jobless Generation? With more people than ever graduating with impressive degrees, Holly Jones assesses student job prospects Holly Jones Features Writer As the second year of my Bachelor’s degree plods solemnly onwards, I find myself applying left, right and centre for internships, work experience and part-time work – anything to get my foot in the door and have my CV shine like a beacon of productivity instead of that of yet another ‘passionate, organised and enthusiastic’ graduate. Grade inflation and an immediate lack of graduatelevel jobs proportionate to the graduate population are eroding the value of an undergrad degree for the foreseeable future: this is the reality facing many once their mortar boards are tossed into the air. ONS figures show that around 38% of the UK population are now graduates – with 31% of all of them coming from Russell Group universities like Bristol. This is compared to 1992 when only 17% of the population graduated from university. This has had the effect of raising the
bar at entry level to some careers – jobs which previously did not require a degree now prefer to take on degree-holders as possession signifies their work ethic and commitment. Upon graduation, 47% of those joining the labour force are unable to find graduate-level work. This figure was 36% a decade ago.
“ Anything to get my
foot in the door and have my CV shine like a beacon of productivity
Unpaid internships postgraduation are coming to symbolise the decreasing real value of the undergraduate degree: work is akin to – and in some cases, identical to - that of paid employees,
but without the ‘benefit’ of financial remuneration. 78% of respondents to Futuretrack, which monitored certain studentsthroughtheiruniversity experience and into the world of work, said they would consider an unpaid internship, despite organisations like Intern Aware protesting that they are illegal. Those who cannot afford to work unpaid tend towards paid jobs with lower salaries which require less experience – this goes some way to explain the high level of non-graduate jobs held by graduates, as increasing numbers of working and lowermiddle class students venture to university. Those who can afford to work as an unpaid intern may have to supplement their nonwages through part-time work on top of their intern workload, or rely on their parents for assistance. Living with one’s parents is not uncommon after graduation, as it is often cheaper than sharing a flat or house, and the idea of buying or renting on one’s own is virtually out of the question. House prices have
swollen so disproportionately to RPI inflation that, according to the housing charity Shelter, if grocery prices had increased at the same rate since 1971, a four-pint carton of milk would cost £10.45 and a bunch of six bananas would cost £8.47. It is easy to see graduate prospects in the short-term as bleak. The added value of a degree upon one’s earnings throughout a normal working life is, on average, £115,000, but this has declined by up to 2% a year compared to average earnings over the last ten years. Coupled with this, the Labour Force Survey reports that the bottom 20% of employed graduates make less than those whose highest educational attainment is A-level. The figure is 15% for those with no higher than GCSEs. However, it’s not all bad news in the long term – a tenyear projection by the Warwick Institute for Employment Research predicts that the number of white collar jobs requiring a degree will increase, and due to our ageing
“ population, more graduate vacancies will gradually become available, taking up 46% of the job market. This also has positive implications for those looking for jobs with the possibility of promotion.
Unpaid internships post-graduation symbolize the
decreasing value of a degree
The Warwick IER found that students going into both specialist and general higher education colleges wanted to pursue a career in the field related to their degree subject. This echoes the findings of a Higher Education Statistics Agency survey which saw the highest employment rates six months after 2012 graduation
in institutions like the Royal Academy of Music and the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance – no Russell Group universities even feature in the top twenty. It should, however, be noted that the nature of these jobs was not recorded and could be graduatelevel or not. It’s clear to see that graduate prospects immediately after leavinguniversityaren’tamazing but they aren’t terrible, either. With the right approach to the daunting job market, work can be found. It’s a case of getting creative with work experience or doing voluntary work during a degree (when you’re more likely to be able to afford to work unpaid) in order to get a look-in come job application time. Our generation just has to grow up a little sooner than our graduate counterparts did a decade ago. The extra work now is likely to have long-term benefits if only because we as a population decided to have fewer children, but I’m willing to take that if it means my three years won’t go to waste.
Epigram
9
flikr: LiberalDemocrats
Six years ago an obscure politician inappropriately touched several female members of his party, the Liberal Democrats. The frenzied media furore over allegations of sexual misconduct by Lord Rennard has not been uneventful – one of his many allies in Parliament compared it to the “Salem witchtrials” – however, the public reaction to this political crisis has been largely indifferent, paling in comparison to the Savile-style revelations of the last 2 years. Baron Chris Rennard, only recently a household name, stands directly accused by 5 women of sexual harassment. The lifelong peer strongly denies these claims – and in spite of pressure from the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, he refuses to apologise for them. In doing so Rennard has unwittingly inspired a much-needed debate on what constitutes sexual harassment and how it should be tackled, particularly in Parliament. The initial allegations made by 4 aspiring Liberal Democrats – including an Oxford lecturer, a former Councillor and a special adviser to the Deputy PM – have since been joined by statements from 6 more women, who have accused him of abusing his power through inappropriate sexual advances at work-related events over the past decade. According to Alison Smith, a Lib-Dem activist at the time: “He [Rennard] started... moving his hands down our backs and places where they had absolutely no business being,” after which he tried to prevent her and a friend from leaving his house after dinner with him. Other
allegations include repeated leg and knee-touching through clothing and “clumsy passes” at younger women in the party. Critically, many of the reports were first made to party officials at the time of the incidents; others have only just come to the surface, now that the party appears to be taking the allegations more seriously. The first actual inquiry by the LibDems into Rennard’s actions was finally concluded this January. Though the various women’s claims were found to be “broadly credible” it was thought unlikely he could be found guilty on sexual harassment charges. The results of these findings have been mixed. Whilst the public (and the tabloids) see little doubt that Rennard’s actions were unpleasant for the women involved, few are willing to apply the pejorative label of sexual harassment; rather, there is a tendency to trivialise these incidents as nothing more than unsuccessfulseductionattempts. The Daily Mail columnist Sarah Vine epitomised this view with the headline: “Why didn’t the Lib Dem ladies just give the old goat a slap?”
“ Rennard has
unwittingly inspired a much needed debate on what
constitutes sexual harrassment
Given the level of influence Rennard exerted throughout the party’s hierarchy, these justifications often neglect the relationship between authority and sexual harassment. The Baron, who stands credited with the electoral success of the Liberal Democrats and bringing the party out of the shadows of opposition, is generally seen as one the most prominent Lib-Dem officials – holding the power to make-or-break the career of any member. In light of the peer’s position, it is unsurprising that formal complaints were not made at the time – and that the informal complaints were not taken seriously. Rennard’s actions may or may not have qualified as sexual harassment, but undoubtedly transgressed the
boundaries of acceptability set for a man in his position. This places even more pressure on political parties to develop protocols to deal with sexual harassment claims. In any major company, 4 reports of indecent behaviour by a senior official would be immediately referred to an HR department. This begs the question, why did nobody take these claims seriously till it became tabloidworthy? Everyday Sexism founder Laura Bates summarises the case well: “right now the media is sending the message to women everywhere that if you complain you will not be taken seriously, you will be treated as weak and ridiculous, and ultimately it won’t come to anything.” This comes to the horror of the Lib-Dem leadership; Nick Clegg’s much-maligned party has once again failed to stick to its own principles. The Minister for Women, Jo Swinson, is claimed to have “uncovered... a very serious pattern of behaviour” after investigations in 2008. However, she failed to discipline Rennard beyond an apparently ineffective warning from Chief of Staff Danny Alexander; reports continued to be made over the last 6 years of the peer’s inappropriate behaviour. There is little doubt that the government is slow to adapt to changes in equality: even today, less than a quarter of British MPs are women, and Westminster is infamous for its Bullingdon Club ‘old-boys’ culture. The Rennard scandal is just one of many that plague Parliament – and is a constant reminder to women in politics that they are viewed as inferior to men. The net result of this entire fiasco has been damaging on all sides: Clegg can’t punish Rennard without losing the support of half his party; Rennard won’t apologise for something he claims he didn’t do. However, the most significant outcome is the fallout for professional women everywhere. If claims of sexual harassment are swept under the carpet at the highest levels of government, what does that say for the autonomy of women in other walks of life – particularly when their aggressor has the power over their careers for years after.
flikr: Lotus Carroll
Stuck in stone age: Lib-Dems rocked by Lord Rennard scandal Ajit Naranjan Features Writer
10.02.2014
Dark side of the selfie Becky Black Features Writer Selfies. Harmless, pouty, frivolous pictures by yourself or with your pals? Right? Well, yes, to a certain extent. But the now overwhelming popularity of these pictures, leading for ‘selfie’ to become the Oxford Dictionaries word of the year in 2013, should maybe cause us to step back and take a look at the society that is producing this effect. With over 63 million pictures on Instagram with the hashtag ‘selfie’, it seems everyone is jumping on the bandwagon of creating innumerable instant self-portraits. With cameras now on the front of every iPhone, it is easier to self-document than ever before. Is there any way that this can be a good thing? Whilst at first the selfie may have seemed like light hearted fun, the ease with which we pick up a camera and record how we are looking has become worryingly straight forward. We are more than ever a society obsessed with our own faces; it seems as though we are at risk
of becoming a generation of Narcissuses, falling in love with our own reflections. Whilst I may sound a tad melodramatic, it is worth pointing out that our obsession with self-documentation has a notably darker side. The webpage ‘Selfies at Funerals’ shows page after page of these pictures taken at funerals, often with enthusiastic use of hashtags such as #rip #sadday and of course #funeral. There is something incredibly sinister about the whole affair; we cannot put our phones down even for long enough to mourn, without feeling the need to share what we are doing with our friends or followers. However, maybe it is more than pure narcissism. Something about the obsessive nature of the trend suggests it is not just vanity, but more a way of validating our own existence. We are, after all, uploading and sharing these pictures in the hope of ‘likes’, an unadulterated ego boost even for the most humble of Facebookers. It seems that the selfie has the power to make us feel less alone
in the big, bad world. Yet, if we’re not picking up our phones to document ourselves, it will be something else. Our need to record everything is fast becoming an integral part of human nature, a trend likely the result of the normalization of camera phones and digital photography. Images can be taken as quickly as they can be deleted; every picture wavers with an air of transience. After all, its only pixels on a screen, not ink on paper. So, instead of panicking about how our society is going down hill, I instead urge you to consider when and where it is appropriate to take a selfie or photo. There are times when a selfie is a great idea - when you want to send a picture to a friend showing off your new hairstyle/nose ring/tattoo, convey how excited/sad you are about something/someone... essentially, in fact, it is fine to take a selfie anytime, anywhere (ok, except maybe not at funerals). Just have a think, before you hit ‘post’, whether it is something the world really needs to see.
Epigram
10.02.2014
119
Not a waiting game
For the past seven years I have had an eating disorder, alternating between anorexia and bulimia. Brimming with naïve optimism, I fell victim to the common misconception that university would be an opportunity to reinvent myself; a new city, surrounded by new people, free from old anxieties. This ‘fresh start’ that I envisioned only heightened my sense of insecurity and isolation. I reverted to ingrained coping strategies; the meticulous control of food. Soon I was underweight, my hair began falling out and I was perpetually cold. After Christmas, I sought help from the Student Health Services. I was assessed by the resident psychologist who placed me on a waiting list for a programme of CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). Unless someone dropped out of the programme I was told to expect a three month wait and counselling was offered to me in the meantime. My mental health deteriorated and I left Bristol to be supported from home so I never fully engaged in the course of CBT offered. For me, the wait was too much. These waiting lists are too often accepted as simply symptomatic of heavy demand upon health services and thus completely unavoidable. A long waiting list is yet to be recognised as a huge obstacle to people who
are trying to overcome mental health difficulties. Instead, they emphasise the role of awareness and a willingness to participate in treatment as primary objectives. An article in the Guardian, citing statistics from a leading mental health charity, estimates that 26% of those considering themselves to have a mental health problem do not seek help. A degree of self-knowledge is indeed essential and the first step towards recovery. However, as I have experienced, this readiness to seek solutions is only half the battle, the individual needs to then address the issues that have surfaced in appropriate therapy. All too often this is not immediately available. Mental health campaigns often only work to generate awareness and combat the stigma around mental health issues, as opposed to reforming the institutions responsible for facilitating the therapy of mental health disorders.
“ All too often therapy is not immediately available
These services are particularly important at universities. Student vulnerability to mental health issues is widely acknowledged. It is estimated
that 1 in 500 women between the ages of 15-25 will need extensive treatment for anorexia while manic depression commonly begins between the ages of 1625. Students endure academic and social pressure, exasperated by the fact that, for many, university is the first time they are away from the security of their family. The university itself was supportive; alternative exam arrangements were organised, essay extensions offered and continual email contact made asking after my health. That said, these measures, though I am tremendously grateful, were only helping in managing my disorder. They must co-exist with a course of treatment directly and actively confronting the illness. The student body would benefit from a concentration of resources in mental health services. The problem I faced at the Student Health Services reflects systematic difficulties within the National Health Service. Back home for the summer and I was placed on another waiting list. I returned to Bristol for the autumn term and was put on another waiting list for a service in Southmead. Treating the initial stages of mental health disorders allows for distorted coping mechanisms to be addressed before they become entrenched. Waiting prevents this from happening. In my experience, mental health services are disjointed at a national level. Repercussions are endured by students who live in one location during term
time and another during the holidays. Subsequently, as in my case, students face being continually transferred from one waiting list to another, not spending enough time in one place to undergo a full programme of therapy. Furthermore, I was unable to be on multiple waiting lists at the same time. I could not plan ahead and arrange a course of therapy to be undertaken at home whilst still waiting for CBT
in Bristol. If students are still on the Bristol waiting list when the holidays arrive, they return home to a vacuum. If it was not for provisions put in place by the university and the support of my family I would have been incapable of continuing my studies. My family had experienced the full force of my eating disorder and were quick to react. For other students this may not be the case. Students are entering a
highly pressured society and it is therefore imperative that the mental health services expand to match the proliferation of mental health disorders. Universities, with a high concentration of individuals statistically more likely to suffer from such illnesses, should be a prime focus. Knowledge and self-awareness are crucial but for most, in order to progress in recovery, access to therapy is essential.
National statistics indicate... 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in any given year. Mental health problems are more common amongst students than the general population. Mixed anxiety and depression is the most common mental disorder in Britain.
Flickr: marsmet481
Anonymous Features Writer
Flickr: Feggy Art
Awareness around mental health issues may be growing but one student’s experience highlights that there is still much that needs to be improved.
If you are currently experiencing any form of mental health problem, the UBU Just Ask service can support you though getting the appropriate help. Just email ubu-justask@bristol.ac.uk or call 0117 331 8634 / 8635.
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Should we lower the voting age to 16? As Ed Miliband calls for the voting age to be
Yes
lowered
such a change ‘Labour’s Great Reform Act’?
Gjeta Gjyshinca By the age of 16, it’s safe to say most of us have developed some understanding of and interest in the world around us. Many will have taken on roles of responsibility at school and will at least have been introduced to the significance of voting and the role politicians play in society. So being allowed to actually vote could be a huge advantage, not only to 16 and 17 year olds, but also to society and parliament as a whole. The Labour party has announced that lowering the voting age to 16 could be one of their first acts as a new government as they want all young people over the age of 16 to be able to vote in the London mayoral election of 2016. Their main argument is that this will tackle apathy and disaffection in young people and engage them with politics. Given that 16-year-olds are those nearing the end of compulsory education and on the brink of a decision that will dramatically affect their lives – whether to go on into further education in preparation for university, or whether to leave school and face the world of work – this is a fairly strong argument to lower the voting age.
“ Politicians aren’t exactly the most loved people in the world right now
take an interest in voting and politics from a younger age will continue to do so throughout adulthood. Besides, 16-yearolds are possibly the most knowledgeable members of the public about the standard of education up to GCSE and the options open to young people after compulsory education – above all, most of them have matured enough by this stage to be able to voice their concerns and opinions, and have a say themselves on who should run the country. Politicians aren’t exactly the most loved people in the world right now – a lot of people disagreed with the coalition in the first place, and were dissatisfied with Nick Clegg’s lack of ability to see through his pledge not to raise tuition fees. Before that, there was the expenses scandal, which also revealed a side to many politicians which most of the public hadn’t expected to see – suddenly it became clear that a lot of these supposed representatives of society were just out to claim as much money as they could from the very taxpayers who voted them into power. Perhaps lowering the voting age would do something to improve the generally negative view of politicians – by proposing to give 16-year-olds the right to vote, Labour is attempting to engage a whole new set of people, to demonstrate political parties are relevant to the issues which affect people’s lives, and perhaps to show that politicians not only trust 16-year-olds to vote but are also prepared to take into account the opinions and decisions of young people. At the age of 16, the importance of being trusted to do something should not be underestimated. It could be just the trigger to not only encourage young people to vote and engage in politics but also to see politicians in a new light – rather than the greedy, tuition-fee-raising people making life tougher for us, they may just be seen as those with an aim to improve the state of the country, with the support of voters as young as 16.
“ Lowering the voting age would do something to improve the generally negative view of politicians
Flickr/net_efekt
Cast your mind back to the day you received your GCSE results – up until this point, most of us had probably never held an envelope which could potentially change the course of our lives. And although the stress of GCSEs may seem trivial and unimportant to us now, at the time it was a big deal. Most people I knew were sobered by the fact that this was the first time that they didn’t really have the next step set out for them. Up until now, we’d know exactly where we were headed in September. This was the first time that decision lay in our hands. And I imagine many of us would have seized the opportunity to have some say of the state of the country we were finally about to enter as young adults. It is crucial to engage and involve young people at this pivotal stage of their lives, and, according to Sadiq Khan, the shadow justice secretary, evidence shows that those who
to 16, is Polly Toynbee right to call
No Oliver Carter-Esdale The shadow Justice Secretary, Sadiq Khan, recently announced in a speech in London that Labour’s new main constitutional policy directive was to lower the voting age to 16. The reasoning behind this, or so they claim, is a bid to tackle political apathy, particularly amongst younger voters. So is this some dazzling new-fangled method that will change the face of British politics and the franchise? No. Well, not really. In post-Russell Brandian non-revolutionary Britain, we are all acutely aware of the apathy the British public tends to feel towards political parties and the system in which they currently exist. Can you blame us? Two wars, a financial crisis and a lot of brazen turncoat policies under New Labour have been followed by a True Blue Brit in the form of David Cameron. Thatcherite conservatism isn’t hidden behind Tony Blair’s shiny red tie any more, instead we’ve got the real deal, albeit with Nick Clegg and co. following every the Tories’ every beck and call as their rather sheepishly yellow lapdog. Khan claims Labour wants to reconnect with the British public and repair the damage done to the relationship by previous governments who have ignored the will of the people. Almost a million protesters marched on London against the war in Iraq and around 50,000 students gathered in 2010 to protest the rise in tuition fees. Twice, the overwhelming outcry from the British public was seen and heard. Twice it was ignored. It’s hardly surprising that people are apathetic. Thinking about it, it really does seem a bit odd that Labour should want to give the vote to 16 year olds. One line of argument that could be taken is that if we don’t trust 16 and 17 year olds to purchase alcohol and cigarettes, then why should we give them the right to vote? Surely it’s a practice of immense double standards. Why be old enough to vote but not to drink and smoke? Another thing that Labour might want to consider is this: On the whole, Britain’s youth is fairly conservative whether they realise it or not. So extending the vote downward probably would actually increase the Conservative vote. (Heaven help us.) The sensationalist headlines from the likes of the Mail and the Sun and their other redtop cronies has turned people against the welfare state, immigrants, and pretty much everything else. Do Labour think that they can somehow pull the rug of youth out from under the Tory party’s well heeled
boots? Another problem that Labour would face should they carry out their plans is the very disaffection that they seek to tackle. People who don’t vote Tory don’t really want to vote Labour either, they feel alienated not just from the party but the political system in general itself and therefore don’t vote.
“ People are apathetic
The public’s apolitical nature is a serious problem. Just over 64% of those who could and had registered to vote in the 2010 election actually did so. At the London Mayoral elections in 2012, a little over 34% of those enfranchised turned up at the ballot box. It seems a bit of a shrewd move by Labour to try and bring in more voters simply to increase voter numbers, claiming it will tackle political apathy rather than actually tackling the problem itself. A recent poll revealed only one in 10 young people are planning to vote. So what is this other than a cheap and foolish manoeuvre by Labour to try and go pandering to people who don’t really want to have anything to do with them or indeed politics in general? One way to tackle this, as Labour has suggested, is to introduce political education in schools from a much younger age. This however cannot be rushed, if it is introduced then we must wait for people’s minds to have been shaped of their own accord from a more considered position rather than simply handing their parents another vote. If the Labour party, and indeed the political class in general, want to make more people care more about politics, then not only should they introduce a broader political education, but and perhaps more importantly, they should move to capture the interests and hearts of those already enfranchised. I pray in the next election we elect a government formed of considerate, considered individuals, more broadly representative of the British Public. The next government and indeed all politicians need to prove themselves to the public before they can be trusted and entice voters back to the booths. Currently, it is of importance to reach out to the 54% of 18-25 year olds and 24% of over-65s who can vote but didn’t, rather than try and clutch at the straws of those who, for now, don’t really care.
Epigram
10.02.2014
14
Losing status? Facebook as a fortunately failing fad
“
Princeton researchers forecast that it will lose 80% of its user base within the next three years
It is undeniable that, at the moment, people consider Facebook more of a necessity than a luxury. For the majority of people, Facebook is the most effective means of communication. Considering the network was created in 2006 simply for a small college population, it has come a long way in a short period of time. And the key to its success lies with its integral features. Take the translation tool. Language is a huge barrier for virtual communication, and Facebook
Facebook”? When was the last time you went for a catch up with a friend and didn’t already know the majority of their stories from the Facebook newsfeed? But does this mean it won’t die out? Surely, everything does. There is always the danger that people will simply get bored and move on to something better. Convincing evidence already exists that Twitter is growing much faster than Facebook. Twitter has the immediacy that is so important in our fast-paced society and Facebook seems to be falling behind. It is also always possible that one big scandal could end it all. Facebook is constantly on the brink of a huge boycott or shut down due to inappropriate posts, pictures and groups. Just recently, the Culture Secretary has demanded greater action
from social networks over content that promotes self-harm and suicide after the tragic death of 15-year-old Tallulah Wilson. Tallulah decided to take her own life after being exposed to the glamourisation of self-harm and suicide on social network sites. It is incidents like these that could force Facebook to close its virtual doors forever.
When was the last time you met someone without a Facebook account?
Flickr: Mustafa Khayat
Research from Princeton University has shown that the number of hits Facebook is receiving has dropped since 2012. The social network site, which will celebrate its 10th birthday in February, has outlived its rivals Myspace and Bebo, but Princeton researchers forecast it will lose 80% of its user base within the next three years. So, can we really believe that Facebook, a site so irrevocably woven into our everyday lives, is destined to face a digital death?
“
Rowena Henley
created a feature whereby this barrier is rendered a non-issue, meaning it is accessible worldwide. People can express an opinion in one language and it can be understood in another. Another key feature is its security settings. Unlike any site before them, Facebook made their users feel ‘safe’ by giving them free reign to decide how accessible their profile is. The security settings allow Facebookers to limit who can see what, be it posts, pictures or personal information. This was a huge bonus for teens who wanted to stop their mums from seeing a photo of them at 13 with their first Marlboro Light. These features, along with others, prove that the kids at Facebook’s headquarters worked out the perfect social networking formula early on. It is these features that created such a devoted user base in the first place. It was up to Facebook to keep them and, considering they have accumulated a ridiculous 1 billion users in 10 years, they have clearly done something right. They have introduced clever additions to their site, such as the instant message system, to eradicate competition in terms of online communication, to the detriment of MSN. Furthermore, Facebook has connected with thousands of other sites online. Users are able to connect their Twitter and Instagram accounts to their Facebook, guaranteeing they are not forgotten when someone logs into other sites. They have also connected with forums such as Buzzfeed, meaning even when mindlessly scrolling through funny pictures, you can always share them on, you guessed it, Facebook. You cannot escape that little ‘f’ icon in the corner of your screen. What Mark Zuckerberg and his team have done is ensured that Facebook is always a presence, that it is simply an intrinsic part of everyday life. And they’ve succeeded. It is now part of our thought process. When was the last time you met someone without a Facebook account? When was the last time you took a photo without someone saying “make sure you put that on
Personally, I would not be entirely devastated if Facebook were to be shut down. Though an avid user myself, I can see the damage it is having on our generation. However, I would rather it lived a long and happy life than be taken over by the likes of Twitter or Instagram. These sites have taken the worst aspects of Facebook and exploited them. Twitter and Instagram promote the self-indulgence social networking has introduced and create an environment where people live their lives simply for the way they will come across on the Internet. I think that Facebook retains some dignity as it allows us to properly connect with people, whereas Twitter and Instagram simply inform us of another person’s #outfitoftheday. Just go outside and wear it!
University needs to put its money where its students are
“
more commercially savvy, universities like Bristol can offer students a better allround experience and at the same time combat the absurd hike in fees forced upon them by government policy
Will Tingle The only measures being employed by the university to tackle government spending cuts have been raising fees, cutting back on teaching staff and enrolling more students. However, this shouldn’t and doesn’t have to be the case. Since the government spending cuts, the necessity for universities to generate income has become even more important. Being an aggrieved arts student myself, I have personally witnessed rising classroom numbers, causing education standards to slip as teaching resources are spread thinner. Exorbitant fees mean that increasingly, the places available at university are being taken by the most privileged rather than the most talented. By becoming
The necessity for universities to generate income has become even more important First of all, the university must attempt to generate more income from students themselves. This doesn’t mean students would end up spending more overall; conversely, it will simply redirect expenditure towards the University rather than elsewhere, capturing more revenue on site. An obvious
example is food and beverage outlay. Most of the University’s cafés are hidden away and with the exception of the Refectory and the ASS café, there are very few sites on campus to buy lunch. As a result, the likes of Sainsbury’s, Boulangerie, Pret a Manger and my personal favourite, Caffe Gusto, receive staggering daily income. By creating more food outlets and increasing the variety of food on offer, the University can offer students more convenient lunches without compromising quality. The same can be said for stationery, where the beneficiaries of students forgetting their pens or running out of paper are Wilkinsons and Ryman, whereas it would be so simple to have a small stall available for this on the University complex. The University must be more creative in its means of generating income. With a student body of around 20,000, it could even be feasible to act as a reseller of technological equipment, think how many laptops, tablets and phones are purchased each year by students, and the colossal expenditure from this. If the University offered a small range of
high quality products, they could give students the chance to save money and at the same time take a cut of the profits; capturing new markets and creating new streams of income. A similar example is advertising, which at the moment lacks presence on the University precinct. Although so many products are geared towards a student target market, this is not yet being exploited by the University. Would it be going too far to suggest introducing adverts on the University website? If students were aware that income received would go towards improving their University experience, I can’t envisage this prompting too many objections. Bristol must make better use of its world-class facilities. The Multi Media Centre and lecture theatres could be hired out for meetings, conferences, additional classes, etc. If the facilities are good enough there should be a demand for their usage. Likewise, a key area of income which the university is failing to exploit is the prestigious reputation of Bristol and the capability of the students. They must follow the examples of Oxford and Cambridge
who have created additional revenue through enterprises likes the Oxford University Dictionary and Cambridge University Press. There is no reason why Bristol could not offer online language learning packs and publish more of its students’ work. There should be more commercial partnerships, in particular for science students and engineers, offering support and research for companies, another way in which the University could make better use of the state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment it has. I realise my ideas are not supported by strong economic findings, and are purely theory. However, Bristol can buck the trend amongst other universities and take a step away from the traditional. It can become an innovator and a university of the future, a leading light in the way in which universities generate income. It is important to take positive action in an environment in which it has become progressively more difficult to survive since the government spending cuts. The University must strive for better selfsufficiency and not rely on the generosity
Epigram
10.02.2014
13 13 15
Someone needs to step in and salvage the Syrian people
Andrea Valentino Even for a country as bruised as Syria, one cannot help being depressed at the photographs recently smuggled out of the country. The images, released to a Qatari-funded committee of human rights prosecutors and since compiled into a harrowing report, are 11,000 masterpieces in our species’ fantastic ability to cause suffering. Every picture shows a human corpse. President Assad’s prison guards apparently snapped each photo after stamping out the life of its subject. Some of the victims were so emaciated that one of the report’s authors compared them to the survivors of Nazi death camps. Some had had their eyes gouged out. ‘Caesar’, the defector who leaked the photographs, claims that the government murdered and photographed up to fifty inmates of Syria’s prison system every day. But perhaps this episode’s most
sordid aspect is that it only scrapes at the upper layers of Syria’s hell. In many other conflicts, the brutality of these images would make them especially resonant. But Syria is so stuffed with horror that these latest revelations are hardly revelations at all. Two million Syrians have fled abroad so far. The UN predicts that 75% of the country’s population will need humanitarian assistance this year. And then there are those who have died: 100,000 and counting. It is difficult to measure exactly the number of victims due to the nature of the battle, a desperate mess of ambushes, ceasefires and reprisals. The constant fighting has cut off some rebelcontrolled areas for months, making decent statistics impossible to attain. This military confusion translates into a similarly benighted political situation. At the start of Syria’s civil war, nearly three years ago, the opposition Free Syrian Army, FSA, was fairly united and essentially liberal. But Western inaction prevented the FSA from getting the guns and funding it needed to seriously challenge the Assad regime. Meanwhile, rabidly anti-Assad governments like Turkey and Saudi Arabia happily armed Sunni fundamentalists opposed to both the liberal FSA and the secular Ba’athist state of
President Assad, himself an Alawi Shi’a. In other words, Syria is now essentially faced with a three-way fight between the government, the remnants of the FSA, and a well-organised front of Islamic militants, albeit one that itself is also prone to moments of sectarian civil war. The grinding bitterness of the conflict, and the ideological oceans separating all sides, makes peace in Syria seem an almost impossible dream.
“
At least in Britain some Syrians can gather the shards of their once brilliant civilisation
Given how improbable progress appears in practice, beyond the odd local truce, the current peace talks in Switzerland are almost farcical. An example: President Assad maintains that he is planning to run for ‘re-
election’ this year, while the opposition want assurances of an Assad-free future. There are other problems. Although the UN is running the talks, the United States was deeply involved in their establishment. For this reason, the Islamic factions that control swathes of northern Syria were not invited. Nor was Iran, Syria’s long-time ally and America’s biggest enemy in the region. Regardless of what the Obama administration might think of them, though, Iran and the Islamists look set to influence events for the foreseeable future. Ignoring them will only perpetuate the stalemate. Like so much else surrounding the country, then, this summit in Geneva puts shabby political manoeuvring before the immediate needs of the Syrian population. Even the recent report limps out unblemished. By releasing it on the eve of the summit, the Qatari government appeared happy to employ all this photographic misery in wrecking the talks before they began; for many Sunni states, only the total destruction of the Assad regime is acceptable. How can such cynicism be fought? Some, like American senator John McCain, have suggested arming some of the more moderate rebels. That might break the deadlock, but like
adding water to an already bloated balloon, the influx of still further guns into Syria might rupture the whole country permanently. Besides, three years of inactivity have given zealots, both in the government and among the rebels themselves, a massive head start. It is unclear if moderate rebels could threaten their Islamic colleagues, let alone a resurgent Syrian army. An option for the British government would be to allow Syrian refugees to settle in Britain. Nick Clegg has said that the government is to accommodate ‘particularly vulnerable’ individuals on a temporary basis. This is a good idea. Aside from the obvious health benefits to the refugees themselves, safety in Britain will permit them to fund and organise the rebuilding of their nation when the killing finally stops. This is currently impossible in Syria, given the atomised condition of its civil society. It is also a struggle in neighbouring countries like Lebanon, where many destitute Syrians can hardly clothe their children and anyway face considerable prejudice from locals. At least in Britain some Syrians can begin to gather together the shards of their oncebrilliant civilisation, something each of the 11,000 photos published last week seemed to condemn to the gutter forever.
Epigram
10.02.2014
Letters
@EpigramLetters Editor: Emma Leedham letters@epigram.org.uk
Controversy for the sake of controversy There’s no harm in a little debate and disagreement. Before arriving at university I was not aware of the extent to which debate would become embroiled in my everyday life. From day one in halls, debate was rife; you couldn’t walk into the kitchen without witnessing an intense dispute over the existence of God or the meaning of life. These days the debates I observe in my student house are far more lighthearted and entertaining. The most memorable debate of this year concerned the country of origin of the fez. Who knew that a red felt hat could be the source of such conflict? However, both sides presented clear and logical reasoning behind their arguments and, eventually, the debate was settled with a quick Wikipedia search. It is not the intention of this letter to outline the types of debate I have observed in my four years at university; I am merely using this example to demonstrate that debate should be encouraged, when both sides are willing to put forward rational arguments. In student journalism, debate and disagreement are also actively encouraged, however I feel that some members of the student journalism community have taken this a step too far. My argument is that certain writers have taken to creating controversy for the sake of controversy. Whilst I aim to steer clear of the private school/state school debate, which has been unavoidable in student media since Becca
Atkinson’s controversial article in The Tab on the 16 January, the article in question can hardly go unmentioned. My suspicion is that whilst said author does possess some very warped views on the class and education systems in the United Kingdom, a lot of her opinions must have been exaggerated for the sake of controversy. I may be completely and utterly wrong, but I can’t fathom that anyone with enough intelligence to get into a top university like Bristol can seriously believe that ‘some parents choose to spend their money on school fees and some spend on flashy holidays and expensive cars’. Surely the author is not completely ignorant of the fact that most families don’t have the money to decide on which luxury to splurge on this year. Before this letter deteriorates into a line-by-line deconstruction of the aforementioned article, it is worth adding that Epigram is not immune from publishing unnecessarily controversial articles either. A recent article entitled ‘Bristol vs. America’ – in which the author begins by declaring his repulsion at the unattractiveness of British University students, and ends by suggesting what women should and shouldn’t wear – was hardly well-received. Whilst I don’t doubt that the author holds these views, I struggle to believe that he did not foresee that publically revealing them would portray himself in an exceedingly poor light. My final example harps back
to last year, but is nonetheless the most poignant example of controversy in student journalism for the sake of it. Remember last year’s furore over the Christian Union’s decision to exclude women from making speeches unaccompanied by a male? One contentious Tab article attempted to support this decision, but only after reading the first sentence did I begin to despair: ‘Welfare and Equality are at it again’. I believe that such obnoxious phrases are a prime example of the problem facing student journalism today. Whilst freedom of speech should be encouraged, such unnecessary provocation for the sake of it is highly insensitive. That said, the article in question was written by the same author who supposedly believed that UWE should be demolished, and that local fruit and veg sellers should not be allowed on campus because students can buy all their food from Sainsbury’s. To the minority of student writers who believe that being controversial equates to intellectually stimulating journalism, I urge you to stop. Debate is a big part of University life, but people should think twice before offending large segments of the student population for the sake of getting themselves noticed. Oh, and for those of you still wondering, the modern fez was developed and made popular in the Ottoman era. Emma Leedham 4th year Geography Flickr: NS Newsflash
Do you want to have your say? Email letters@epigram.org.uk
As British politics meanders towards European elections in May, UKIP are expected to arrive at the polls as the only party with any semblance of momentum. Here are some of the problems with UKIP’s view of the world. In spite of the fact that the deluge of Bulgarian and Romanian workers never actually materialised (perhaps Montpellier, Munich and Milan remain more attractive destinations than Maidenhead) this has done little to dent the legitimacy of the party’s often grossly unfounded rhetoric. The question of immigration remains tied to the party’s primary populist argument – ‘let’s get out of Europe as quickly as possible’. Yet there is an ignorance of the fact that two thirds of immigrants living in the UK come from non-EU states. As was recently suggested on Question Time, the notion of an imaginary influx of Eastern European migrants is little more than a thin smokescreen of racism towards the nationalities that UKIP does not want in Britain. Chinese workers are fine, Romanian workers are not. Unless of course you are UKIP’s defector from the Tories, Victoria Ayling, who recently said, ‘I just want to send the lot back’. Or, of course, if you are Godfrey Bloom – known to UKIP leader Nigel Farage as ‘dear old Godders’ – who only resents immigrants from ‘Bongo Bongo Land’. So apart from anyone from Bulgaria and Romania, the rest of the world and made-up countries have also found their way onto UKIP’s immigration hit list. As Alex Andreou correctly pointed out in the New Statesman last year, there is a reason that no other major party has to describe itself as ‘non-racist’. No other major party is awash with racism. Of late the party’s leader has adopted a more cutthroat attitude to misdemeanours within his party. Where it was once fashionable to appear racist, as UKIP’s popular appeal has soared such outspoken ignorance has become decreasingly tolerated. Publicly at least. Godfrey Bloom’s labelling of female activists as ‘sluts’ saw the end of his career (although his demise would have been far quicker had the party been popular during the ‘Bongo Bongo Land’ affair). The party also asserts that upon withdrawal from the EU it would maintain the same trade agreements that are currently in place. With 52
per cent (£400 bn every year) of UK trade in goods and services coming from the European Union it seems slightly risky to contend that all agreements will be kept in place purely on the basis of hope. There is no formal agreement to suggest that this would be possible, and in reality it is little more than a pipe dream. £400bn of trade based on a pipe dream is hardly reassuring. Presumably as a consequence of the lack of substance on future EU trade policy, UKIP has, of late, attempted to divert prying eyes towards something a bit more sensationalist – the foreign aid budget. The way to solve the global financial meltdown, the credit crunch, one of the deepest recessions of the last century would be to simply stop giving money to needy countries. Keeping that £10bn in our own pockets rather than putting that money towards alleviating international poverty is the party’s sensible option. Although UKIP pledges to maintain many departmental budgets it also promises to reform vast swathes of the Civil Service (the MOD would seemingly be the first under the knife). There is, however, no mention of the cost of reform in the party’s manifesto. Can you spot the themes? Lots of broad statements, not a lot of figures or plans to back them up. That’s the problem with UKIP. They create a very particular view of what they want you to see and know and not one of reality. They play on the fears of the most vulnerable elements of society and maintain claims to reason by expelling anyone deemed too extreme. Farage and co. are spreading a highly selective message of antiEuropeanism. Yet they have little answer to any intellectual response beyond an indignant shake of the head and the recent suggestion that ‘other parties have extremists too’. To quote my primary school teacher, ‘two wrongs don’t make a right’, Nigel. If you believe UKIP we are on the brink of an invasion. An invasion of immigrants, an invasion by Islam, an invasion by foreign business and workers stealing our jobs, an invasion by terrorists and an invasion by climate change loonies. The funny thing is that it’s an invasion from Bongo Bongo Land-- that is, one that is in no danger of happening any time soon. Alex Longley
Epigram
10.02.2014
17 13
epAnagram Can you unscramble the names of Premier League and Championship football clubs?
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Last issue’s answers: Turkey, Monaco, Belgium, Litrhuania, Moldova, Russia, Portugal, Finland
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Flickr: beefy_n1
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Fortnightly news quiz
Puzzles
@EpigramLetters Editor: Emma Leedham
letters@epigram.org.uk
1) Which duo won three out of four awards in the ‘Rap’ category at the 2014 Grammys? 2) Parts of England have seen their wettest January in how many years? 3) On which Indonesian island did a volcano erupt, killing 14 people? 4) Which Spanish footballer completed a £37 million move to Manchester United from Chelsea? 5) Which Eastern European capital has experienced violent anti-government protests by pro-EU activists? 6) The first picture showing new Doctor Who Peter Capaldi in costume was unveiled. Which BBC comedy series is Peter Capaldi most famous for starring in? 7) Which tennis player won his first Grand Slap at the Australian open, beating world No.1 Rafael Nadal? 8) Which American pop singer performed during halftime at the NFL Super Bowl XLVII? 9) New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key has suggested dropping the Union Jack from their national flag. What symbol would he see it replaced with? 10) Baroness Sally Morgan accused Downing Street of ousting non-Conservative supporters from key public body posts. Which non-ministerial government department was she chair of until recently?
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2017, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tesco and Morrisons, Glucose, Sam Bailey Flickr: ebbandflowphotography
Flickr: Scismgenie
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Michael Schumacher, £400 million, Trigger, Sherlock, Zara Tindall,
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Sudoku
Last week’s quiz answers Q1-10:
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UBU NEWS
News and opinion from the University of Bristol Students' Union www.ubu.org.uk
STUDENT SWITCH OFF
ELECTIONS
WHAT'S ON
Winners Announced
Born Leader
UBU events this fortnight
© Jamie Corbin
ANNUAL MEMBERS’ MEETING 2014 RESULTS
Feb 2014
The Students' Union Annual Member’s Meeting
Although the Annual Members’ Meeting was also
Four motions were voted on at the AMM:
took place on Thursday 6 February at 5.15pm in
inquorate with 263 students present, the following
• A motion to support staff strikes, which passed
the Anson Rooms.
items were still discussed and voted on. Those that
with 63% for, 22% against and 15% abstaining.
passed will be ratified by the next quorate Student
• A motion calling on the University to create a
Council.
central database of the number of animals kept and
The AMM provides an opportunity for students to submit motions to improve the student
killed failed to pass with 48% against, 39% for and
experience or change something here at Bristol.
Proposed changes to the Elected Officer roles
13% abstaining.
Students attend, debate and vote on these
based on the recent role review were presented
• A motion to oppose and ban BAE from University
motions and those that pass become official
by the Full-time Officers, discussed and voted on.
and UBU events was partially passed with students
UBU policy. This policy informs the work of the
The proposed changes did not pass with 52% of
voting for Actions 1 and 2 but against Action 3.
elected officers who have the important role
students voting against, 44% voting for, and 4%
• A motion to continue UBU’s Ethical Investment
of representing and campaigning on behalf of all
abstaining.
Policy, which lapsed in the past year, also passed
students.
with a significant majority. UBU’s annual affiliations were approved by the
A General Meeting (a formal meeting of UBU as
meeting and two lapsed policies were renewed.
a company) took place before the AMM started
The Full-time Elected Officers also reported on their work and experience so far this year and
to vote on a special resolution to remove the
Students were also polled about their views on
specific Full-time Officer role titles from the UBU
the current structure of the academic year with a
Articles of Association (the legal constitution
significant majority indicating that they are unhappy
The full list of submitted motions, renewed policies
that governs how UBU operates as a company).
with the current structure, believe more control
and the AMM agenda are available online www.ubu.
Unfortunately the General Meeting was inquorate
should be given to departments or schools and that
org.uk/amm. The formal minutes of the meeting,
– not enough members attended to have a vote.
they would like the issue to be pursued.
including the details of the motions that passed and
Information about how the special resolution will be taken forward will be available shortly.
student had an opportunity to ask them questions.
any amendments, are available online.
UBU SHOWCASE MONTH
F
eburary 2014 is your chance to celebrate the wealth of student activity at the the University of Bristol Students' Union. We've already had a range of events take place, including Discover Islam talks and exhibition; Improvised Comedy Workshop;
Women In Leadership panel discussion; Canoe and Canoe Polo taster sessions; Orienteering and Conservation Society sessions. Below are some highlights of the past week, and a selection of events that are still to come. www.ubu.org.uk/showcase
BRISTOL'S GOT TALENT Who will be crowned Bristol's Most Talented? Monday 24 Feb, 7:15pm, Anson Rooms. Information and Tickets (£5) from www.ubu.org.uk/volunteering
UBU GET GREEN MUSICAL UP The team who can create the “best” upcycled product from waste musical materials in just four hours will win £250 cash prize! Come as a team or join one on the day. Register online through the UBU Get Green Facebook Page. Sunday 2 March 1pm - 5pm, Queens Building.
DISCOVER ISLAM Feb 2014
Bristol Islamic Society held a great selection of talks including ‘Spirituality in Islam’, ‘Who is God? What is the Quran?’ For updates and more events visit www.brisoc.com
EXPLORE 14 WEEK A week of cultural events celebrating all the diverse cultures represented by Bristol students. Sat 8 - Thu 13. www.ubu.org.uk/explore14
WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP On Tuesday 4 Feb a panel of women leaders met at the Richmond Building to discuss what leadership looks like and whether it is a gendered concept.
RAG DODGEBALL Get your team together, pick your fancy L-R: Daniella Radice, Samantha Budd,Alexandra Berti, Louise Goux-Wirth and Judith Squires
dress and grab some balls! Sunday 23 Feb, 10am, Clifton College. www.BristolRAG.co.uk
THE GREENEST HALLS IN BRISTOL
T
he electricity meters have been read, the bins examined, the participation tallied and UBU
Get Green can now announce the winners in the categories of Energy, Waste, and Engagement for the term one Student Switch Off competition! The Student Switch Off is a not-for-profit campaign encouraging student action on climate change. They run energy-saving competitions within halls of residence at 54 universities across the UK and
1
achieve average reductions in electricity usage of 7%.
The Rackhay 17.19% Energy Savings
Favell House
With an overall reduction in energy consumption
10.69% Energy Savings
of 17% the top hall is The Rackhay! In second
Northwell House
place with 11% energy reduction is Favell House,
Highest % of students pledged:
St. Michael’s Hill St. Michael’s Park
Highest total number of students pledged:
Manor Hall Richmond Terrace
1
33 Colston St. 62.52% of Waste is Recycled
58.70% of Students Pledged
Clifton Hill House 57.35% of Waste is Recycled
137 Total Students Pledged
University Hall
9% Energy Savings
56.46% of Waste is Recycled
and holding onto third with a reduction of 9% is Northwell House. From turning off lights to putting a lid on your pots and filling the kettle with only
St. Michael’s Park take the top spot for the highest
what’s needed – you have certainly been Switching
rate of student pledges. Manor Hall win for the
Off!
highest total number of students pledged.
In the category of waste the winner is 33 Colston
Congratulations to all of the winners. Ben & Jerry’s
Street who recycled 63% of their waste. Clifton Hill
deliveries are on their way.
House holds onto second place with 57%, followed
This is not the end! In term two, UBU Get
by University Hall in third with 56%.
Green will award the best halls in Energy, Waste, Engagement, with an additional category for Most
SEE YOURSELF IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT
H
ave you thought about nominating yourself in the
The Engagement category is measured by the
Improved. This means no matter where halls
student elections 2014?
number of students who have pledged their
currently stand in the rankings, there are still
support to Student Switch Off. These winners
chances to earn ice cream through reducing energy
We think each and every one of you have something
were announced and awarded with Ben & Jerry’s in
and waste. Like Bristol Student Switch Off on
to offer as a leader and UBU can help you become the
December 2013 but once again St. Michael’s Hill and
Facebook www.facebook.com/ssobristol.
leader you want to be. Next month, elections will take place for Full-time and
WHO SAID IT WAS THE TAKING PART THAT COUNTS?
E
Part-time Officers as well as for six Undergraduate and two Postgraduate Research Senate Representatives. Nominations open on Monday 17 February. If you are thinking about standing here are some things you can do: • Sign up to our elections newsletter at www.ubu.org.uk/elections to receive updates about information sessions, workshops and key dates.
ach year over a thousand students from the University of Bristol and the University of the
• Nominate a mate to receive more information (we'll
West of England (UWE) go head to head in a series
contact them to find out if they'd like to sign up to the
of sporting events, called the Varsity Series. Teams
newsletter)
from both universities will compete in activities from American Football to Volleyball including poker, paintball and waterpolo until May. Embrace the rivalry and follow the action using the hashtags #MightyMaroon and #VarsitySeries.
• Get in touch with any specific questions or concerns.
Feb 2014
WHAT'S ON FEBRUARY MONDAY 10 UBU Active Badminton, SEH, Tyndall Avenue,12.30 - 2pm Mixed Martial Arts Taster, AR6, The Richmond Building, 6pm - 8pm UBU Comedy Night, AR2, Anson Rooms, 8pm - 11pm TUESDAY 11 Women's Forum, Wills Building room 3.32, 4pm - 6.30pm UBU Get Green Sewing Children's Toys, The Hawthorns, 6pm - 8pm WEDNESDAY 12 Explore 2014 Cultural Film Marathon, MR1 UBU, 2pm - 11pm Photosoc Studio Taster, AR11, Richmond Building, 7pm - 11pm Canoe Taster, The Pool, Richmond Building, 7:30pm - 9pm THURSDAY 13 Reading and Note Taking Study Skills Workshop, UBU, 10am -1am Explore 2014 Performance Night, 7.15pm - 11pm, Anson Rooms FRIDAY 14 Canoe Polo Taster, The Pool, Richmond Building, 8:30pm - 10pm SATURDAY 15 RAG Procession, 12pm - 2pm UBU Mascot Race, College Green, 3pm - 4pm UBU Active Dodgeball, Cotham School, 1pm - 2pm UBU Active Flag Football, Wills Hall, 3pm - 4pm UBU Active Volleyball, 5pm - 6.30pm
TUESDAY 18 Bags for Life Upcycling, Cordial and Grace Sewing Café, 6pm - 8pm BME Students Forum, Wills Building room 3.32, 6pm - 8pm Bristol Revs Gospel Rock, St Paul's Church, St Paul's Road, 7pm - 9pm RAG & Volunteering Pub Quiz, AR2 Anson Rooms, 8pm - 10pm THURSDAY 20 RAG Week Fit and Fab Zumba, Activity Room 11, UBU, 5pm - 6pm LGBT+ Students Forum, Wills Building room 3.30, 6pm - 8pm RAG Week Overnight Soccerthon, SEH, 11pm - 3am SATURDAY 22 Course Rep Conference, Richmond Building, 12.45 - 5pm UBU Active Dodgeball, Cotham School, 1pm - 2pm UBU Active Flag Football, Wills Hall, 3pm - 4pm UBU Active Volleyball, 5pm - 6.30pm
MARCH THURSDAY 13 UBU Elections Nominations Close MONDAY 24 UBU Elections Voting Opens THURSDAY 27 UBU Elections Voting Closes
SUNDAY 16 RAG Casino Night, Anson Rooms, 8pm - 10pm
Contact UBU University of Bristol Students’ Union
MONDAY 17 UBU Elections Nominations Open UBU Active Badminton, SEH, Tyndall Avenue,12.30 - 2pm Poker Crash Course and Tournament, Bundy's Bar, 6.30pm - 11pm Student Council, Anson Rooms, 6pm
For a full list of events visit www.ubu.org.uk
Richmond Building 105 Queens Road Bristol BS8 1LN www.ubu.org.uk
/BristolSU @UBUBristol
CULTURE
Photography by Steve Rosenfield. See p.38 for full feature
Epigram
10.02.2014
Arts
Editor: Claudia Knowles
Deputy Editor: Rose Bonsier
Online Editor: Erin Fox
arts@epigram.org.uk
deputyarts@epigram.org.uk
artsonline@epigram.org.uk
What we are not The creator of the What I Be project is a man called Steve Rosenfield. Unhappy in his previous career, he left the city behind him to take up photography whilst travelling. Rosenfield has photographed bands and celebrities such as Norah Jones, Joss Stone and Michael Franti, however he wanted to do more with his work; ‘something that would touch people’s souls’. The What I Be project has been running for over three years now, and is quickly, and rightfully, gaining global recognition. Rosenfield started this project ‘in the hope of opening up the lines of communication, and to help everyone accept diversity with an open mind and heart and empower those who feel they suffer for something they may see as a flaw’. The title of the project came from the lyrics of a song by Michael Franti, a close friend of Rosenfield’s. What the project is ‘basically all about is being who you are and being the best you can be’. Rosenfield asks members of the project to write their biggest insecurity on a part of their body, then photographs them. Next to the images is a statement that reads ‘I am not my
@EpigramArts
Sammy Steele speaks to photographer Steve Rosenfield about rejecting our insecurities
__”. The purpose is to see them reject their issues; Rosenfield wants them, and us, to realise that they do ‘not define who they are as a person’. After the photos have been released, Rosenfield later gets them to write a statement explaining how their insecurity has affected their lives. The What I Be project holds a significant amount of relevance to the society we live in; one where we feel we are constantly being judged on our insecurities, conditions and issues. Many individuals will hold onto and dwell on their hardships – often leading to feelings of being judged, feelings of not being accepted and feelings of being alone. Rosenfield has described the project as ‘spreading awareness on what people go through due to society’s Above: I am not my anxiety Below Left: I am not my panic attacks Below Right: I am not my self harm paved roads’. The What I Be Project, as I see it, is a message to society: we are not alone. Going through the photos on the project’s website you see all kinds of insecurities being shown, from depression to illnesses, race and many more. But one thing that is echoed in all of the images is the courage of the participants – the true beauty of the project. It takes courage for someone to stand up in front of a man they do not know, to be photographed with their insecurity and to share their story, first with a complete stranger and then with the rest of the world. The What I Be project is empowering in its nature, for it shows us that we too can overcome whatever insecurities we might be facing. We too can be brave and can accept the diversity of our society.
“ ” Empower those who feel they suffer
A few words from Steve Rosenfield for Epigram Arts Do you feel there is an exchange of trust with those who share their stories with you? Steve: There definitely is an exchange of trust when I do these photography sessions. It’s one stranger talking to another about some pretty emotional things that have happened in their lives. Some of your images portray really heavy stuff, how do you cope with the stories people tell? S: I often get asked this question and the
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best way to answer it is, to try not to take anything on that people say. There is an exchange in energy but I think it washes itself away when I put up the images and release them to the public. Have you ever considered visiting other countries, or getting in touch with other photographers to work alongside you with the project? S: I’ve had many photographers ask to do
the project in their country, but the thing is, the project is all about the talking session that happens before the image even takes place. It’s more than just taking a picture with a flash. I will definitely be traveling around the world with the project. Have you ever done a self-portrait for What I Be?
The project is all about the talking session that happens before the images even takes place
S: I haven’t done an image of myself yet, as it’s going to be in the book for the ‘about the author’ section! When is the book coming out? S: It’s currently in the design and structure phase right now. I’m so new to the book world so I really couldn’t even say. There’s a mailing list to sign up for on my site where you will get contacted when it’s made available. Interview by Sammy Steele
See more from the What I Be project at www.whatibeproject.com
WHO
from art to film whilst studying at Goldsmith’s College. Winning
Steve McQueen
art competitions from the age of
Artist, Screenwriter and Director (1969-present)
four, McQueen was destined for
Director of the nine Academy
He beat Tracey Emin (last week’s
Award nominated movie, 12 Years
Flash Art Fan) to win the
a Slave (2013), McQueen moved
Turner Prize in 1999.
artistic glory, going on to study at London’s Chelsea College of Art.
flickr: Debbie Wong
WHAT As an artist, McQueen originally made 8 short films. His first feature film, Hunger (2008), earned him a BAFTA, amongst countless other awards. Starring Michael Fassbender, the film documents the harrowing true tale of IRA supporter Bobby Sands’ hunger strike in 1981. Fassbender went on to star in both of McQueen’s following feature films, Shame (2011) and 12 Years a Slave (2013).
Epigram
10.02.2014
39
Comic sell-out in Anson Rooms raises £5,000 for cancer charity nowadays – regular Edinburgh Fringe performer Fin Taylor chose to assert his local roots by putting those edgy Stokes Croft folk in their place. When asked how such a starstudded cast of comedians could be persuaded to put on a performance completely free of charge, Mark Olver (compère) said that he had simply called upon good mates and that ‘good comedians, if they are not working, will go and do a gig as they love doing stand-up’. Olver also organises the for tnightly c o m e d y performances at UBU and encourages students to have a go at stand-up, saying ‘people don’t his ret realise how manageable he w no it can be to get gigs and to kr: flic give it a try’.
alone. Penny Brohn Cancer Care is a local charity and relies entirely on donations. Providing people with the practical tools they need to regain control of their lives following cancer, they take a ‘Whole Person’ approach to care so that people can live well despite their suffering. Each hour-long one-to-one appointment organised by the charity costs £50, meaning that the proceeds f r o m M o n d a y night will go on to help 100 people when they need it most. There was a distinctly Bristolian feel to the evening. While Jon Richardson reminisced about the days he spent at the Union bar – an admittedly alien concept
Literary Bristol Erin Fox explores Goldilocks author’s fondness for his hometown
staying elsewhere, saying once that ‘Bristol is still the place to which I most cling’. Southey was born at 9 Wine Street, right next to St Nicholas’ Market. All that is left of the original building is a commemorative plaque. The Wine Street of Southey’s day looked vastly different from that of our own due to the destruction caused by the Second World War (pictured right). In fact, the entirety of Millennium Square had to be completely rebuilt following the bombings. His birthplace was a famous market street, rivalled only by London’s and packed with narrow shops. His father’s shop was number nine; a linen draper’s signalled by a sign of a golden key. In his letters he wrote very fondly of this place, saying that when he left for school, he ‘never thought of Wine Street without tears and such a sorrow at heart’. In another letter he recalls the medieval church on the corner of Wine Street and its reconstruction into what now exists as Christ Church with St. Ewen. He writes, ‘I was christened in that old church, and at this moment vividly remember our pew under the organ’. This organ has been reinstated (although reworked) in the current church building. Southey then bemoans the loss of the Quarter Jacks (also now reinstated): ‘I have many a time stopped for a few minutes
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In a series of articles about Bristol’s past literary connections, Epigram Arts will illustrate how Bristol has ‘become quite a literary city’, in the words of Robert Southey, giving us the chance to trace the footsteps of some of the literary world’s most interesting and prominent figures. And where else to start but with Robert Southey. Today, Robert Southey’s most recognisable work is The Story of the Three Bears (the original Goldilocks story), however at the time he was most renowned as Poet Laureate. He was a key figure in the Romantic Movement, a friend of Wordsworth and Coleridge’s. Born in Bristol in 1774, Southey formed a close attachment to the city. He often wrote wistfully about it in his letters when he was
Southey and Coleridge often participated in experiments with laughing gas, ‘a dose of beutification’
WHEN McQueen received an OBE in 2002, only to be appointed a CBE in the 2011 New Year Honours for his contributions to the visual arts. In 2006 he travelled to Iraq and worked there as a war artist, subsequent to which he was inspired to create Queen and Country (pictured left); a cabinet filled with a series of postage stamps, each sheet depicting a photo of a soldier who lost their lives in the Iraq war from 2003-2008.
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Ultimately, the night’s entertainment resulted in feel good vibes all round - student audience members chuffed that they got to see a host of celebrity talent for a tenner, all the while raising money for a cause which can affect us all. Hopefully, with acts already lined up at UBU for the following weeks, quality comedy will ensue.
“ ” Cilla Black, Luxembourg and lipstick vibrators all managed to have their moment
Further donations to Penny Brohn Cancer Care can be made at their website where you can also sponsor Ali Cowley who will be running the London Marathon to raise money for them this year. www.pennybrohncancercare. org/Events/vlm14
Aice Bibbings
flickr: Paul Townsend
What better way to chase away the first-day-back blues than with a bit of evening comedy? While stand-up may already be a fortnightly fixture at UBU, Monday 27th January saw a special all-star line-up take to the Anson Rooms’ stage to cripple the audience with laughter whilst raising money for Penny Brohn Cancer Care. Headlining the evening was the legendary stand-up artist Jon Richardson, infamous for Channel 4’s 8 out of 10 Cats and Stand Up for the Week, accompanied by other big names including Joel Dommett (Impractical Jokers) and James Acaster (Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Russell Howard’s Good News). Throughout the evening a combination of teenage revelations, quick gags, and a good degree of comic filth culminated in a night of entertainment in which the likes of Cilla Black, Luxembourg and lipstick vibrators all managed to have their moment of glory. Throw into the mix cheap drinks (thank you student bar) and a thoroughly good cause and it is unsurprising that organiser Ali Cowley said that the event was ‘literally a total sell out’ – raising near to £5000 in ticket sales
with my satchel on my back to see them strike. My father had a great love for these poor Quarter Boys who had regulated all his motions for about 20 years, and when the Church was rebuilt offered to subscribe largely to their re-establishment. But the Wine Streeters had no taste for the arts – and damn them! No feeling for old friends, and God knows what became of the poor fellows.’ At different periods in his life Southey also lived in Kingsdown Parade near the University, then known as St James’s Place, and also on College Road near College Green. He rented the former with his wife and the latter with Coleridge. Southey married Edith Fricker, a childhood friend, when they were living in Bristol. They were secretly married at St. Mary Redcliffe. Coleridge would then
go on to marry Edith’s sister, in the same church, so close was he to Southey. Coleridge and Southey befriended Humphrey Davy, a scientist who conducted experiments at the Bristol Pneumatic Institution on Dowry Square. Both Coleridge and Southey benefited from Davy’s position here as they willingly and often volunteered to be participants in his experiments with laughing gas, or as Southey termed it, ‘a dose of beatification’. Southey was so in love with Bristol that he believed ‘deeply are the feelings connected with that place rooted in me, that perhaps in the hour of death they will be the last that survive’. So, while the poet was not buried here, his connection with Bristol may have been his last living recollection. When Southey died it was Bristol that he truly left.
WHY
WHERE In 1996, McQueen left his home city, London, for Amsterdam. He now lives there with his longterm partner Bianca Stigter. McQueen continues to work with the finest pluck of British talent – collaborating with Carey Mulligan in Shame, a film about sexual addiction, and Chiwetel Ejiofor in his Oscar-tipped sensation about the slave trade. fanpop.com
If you have seen 12 Years a Slave, which I hope you all have, then I need not provide an explanation of how influential this director has become. Look out for his upcoming small-screen work, co-writing and directing a series for HBO as well as a drama on the lives of black Britons for the BBC. Fatos Nacakgedigi
Epigram | 10.02.2014
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Following the sell-out success of its premiere at Edinburgh Fringe 2013, Theatre Ad Infinitum is coming to the Bristol Old Vic from the 6th-8th February. Ballad of the Burning Star is the story of a Jewish boy’s struggle to come to terms with the conflict raging in his homeland, Israel. We speak to Israeli-born Nir Paldi. He’s the writer, director, artistic director and co-performer of the show. He was inspired by his own experiences growing up in Israel and stars as the high-heeled and hairy-chested drag-queen MC, ‘STAR’, supported by a dazzling troupe of ‘STARLETS’. Under a glittering Star of David disco ball, they examine an Israeli man’s childhood in a Jewish settlement built on occupied Palestinian territory, the perpetual war that tore his family apart, and the traumatic events of his military service that made him ask: “Am I a victim or a persecutor?” Tell us a bit about your motivation for writing and creating Ballad of the Burning Star. P: I wanted to explore the identity crisis facing my homeland, Israel. As Jewish Israelis, we’re brought up on the belief that we are always persecuted, that all non-Jews are against us and that a second holocaust is about to erupt at any moment. In Israel, the victim identity is present everywhere you turn, but what is rarely talked about is the fact that Israel has become an occupier - that we are also the persecutors. This leaves Israelis feeling a deep-rooted discord between being the victim, historically, and being the persecutor, in a modern day reality. I wanted to share this complex human situation with the audience. I find the everlasting cycle of victim-persecutor fascinating, tragic, and so very human. What excites you most about this production as a piece of theatre? P: What excites me the most about Ballad is that we’ve found a theatrical language which will let the audience experience the violence, the dark humour, the
Theatre Ad Infinitum - Amy Briggs
Bombs, drag queens, disco balls and Israel.
unpredictability, the love of a family, loss, laughter, and pain/heartache - things that are everyday norms in the Middle East. We have created a style that, we hope, is sophisticated enough to accommodate the complexity of the situation it’s trying to deal with. The play creates a multilayered style, with three narratives being told in parallel and things are never what they seem. I was looking for a
theatrical language that would reflect the aesthetics of the human story, the history and also the story of the people trying to make a piece of theatre about it. With Ballad we have tried to create what feels like a ‘big show’. I hope that we have found something that is strong as a storytelling device but also has built-in visual metaphors exploring the ‘big show’ that governments put on in order to fuel the hate and guarantee that war never ends. You both direct and perform; what was the biggest challenge in creating this piece? P: The biggest challenge was always finding some distance from the piece. Ballad is dealing with things that are quite personal for me so I’m already very close to it. Add to this that I’m also the director, co-star and writer and things can get quite confusing. I was lucky to have an amazing crew making the show with me and they helped me get some perspective.
Do you have a favourite role? P: Do you mean a favorite role in the play? I only play one role - STAR - I love playing - she is wild! She says whatever she wants and is very outrageous. If you mean whether I prefer the role of a director or an actor - I’d say that directing comes more naturally to me. There are a lot of contentious issues surrounding Israel; what role do you think the Arts has to play in political debate? P: This is a very big question. I think the main thing art could / should do is raise important issues. Make people see things from different perspective and bring about dialogue. When I decided to create Ballad of the Burning Star this is what I wanted to achieve the most get people to talk to one another about the subject. They can agree or disagree with each other or the piece but I’d like them to talk and to listen to others talking. I had some amazing conversations with audience members after performing the show. Ballad provokes strong reactions from people and makes them want to share what they experienced. Interview by Amber Segal and Theatre Ad Infinitum
Arts Introducing: Fatos Nacakgedigi 2nd year student Left: acrylic on canvas (50 x 20cm) I started with the big blob of pink in the middle, which was almost like a seed to me, and worked on it from there every day, almost showing the blossoming of that seed, making it into something that contains my different moods throughout the days. Right: acrylic/glue paint/collage on canvas (40 x 30cm) I had just been to Fresher’s Fair in my second year, and came back home with so many leaflets, so I thought what better way to use these than create a collage? What’s special for me is that towards the left there is a piece of paper that says BRISTOL which will always be a reminder of university and my time as a student in the coming years! Send your work to art@epigram.org.uk to be the next Arts Introducing
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We’re experts in Audit, Tax, Advisory and fish & chips Show us your expertise this February for your chance to win a prize! When trying to secure zero VAT rating for sales of hot takeaway foods for the fish frying industry, we didn’t just research fish and chips. We became experts in it. Now we’d like to see your expertise. Show us your special hobby, a skill you’ve mastered, or even your own unique way of doing something mundane. We want to know whatever it is that makes you an expert – the weird and the wonderful. Visit KPMGexpert.co.uk and send us a photo or video – the most original and imaginative entries could win Amazon vouchers, an iPad mini, or a £1,000 travel voucher! And if being an expert is your thing, you can also find out about our graduate opportunities. KPMGexpert.co.uk
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Epigram
10.02.2014
Editor: Gareth Downs
Deputy Editor: Matthew Field
Online Editor: Alejandro Palekar
filmandtv@epigram.org.uk
deputyfilmandtv@epigram.org.uk
filmandtvonline@epigram.org.uk
Inside Llewyn Davis
heyuguys.co.uk
Film & TV
@epigramfilm
empireonline.com
Lloyd Maliphant
Awards season glory awaits Dallas Buyers Club Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto star in the sensational moving biopic Dallas Buyers Club and both are tipped for awards season glory. Dallas Buyers Club tells the real life story of Texas rodeo cowboy Ron Woodroof and his fight to find effective treatment for the HIV virus during the late 1980s. Dallas Buyers Club is a brilliant film, and one of the few films that I have seen that explores the struggles of AIDS victims. The film was first conceived in the early 1990s yet took more than 20 years to come into production. It was ultimately filmed on a slim budget of $5m and was shot in a mere 25 days with almost no lighting and often just a single camera. The end product is just remarkable.
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Filmed on a slim budget of $5m and shot in a mere 25 days Woodroof (McConaughey) is diagnosed with HIV as a result of unprotected sex with a prostitute and is told by doctors, due to the severity of his condition that he has about thirty days to
live. With next to no treatment available and abandoned by his friends who turn against him out of homophobia Woodroof begins taking large doses of stolen AZT, an experimental drug, for treating the virus. However it proves ineffective and nearly kills him, yet it is the only HIV drug on offer to the tens of thousands of HIV and AIDs sufferers and comes with terrible side effects. Resolving to live, Woodroof begins searching for alternative medicines in Mexico and further afield which remain unapproved by the Federal Drug Administration, due to a lack of testing and profiteering, with a course of AZT costing patients $10,000 a year. Woodroof is constantly challenged by the homophobic stereotypes attached to the AIDS virus, losing his friends at the rodeo and ultimately becoming close to Rayon (Jared Leto), a transgender woman and AIDS victim, and the doctor and medical researcher Dr. Eve Saks (Jennifer Garner). With the help of Rayon, Woodroof sets ups the Dallas Buyers Club, a members organisation that, for a monthly fee, distributes HIV medication which he imports and smuggles into the USA. The film provides a moving insight into the aids crisis as well as homophobia, exploring friendships between the sexes and sexualities. Woodroof is initially dreadfully homophobic but gradually develops a close friendship with Rayon, a transgender woman and aids sufferer. Rayon is played by an excellent Jared Leto who returns
from a six year acting hiatus. Leto is also known as the front man of 30 Seconds To Mars (trust me, his acting is much better). The acting throughout is what makes this film really stand out from the crowd. The unconventional character of Rayon is both delightful and tragic and brings out the best in Leto (pictured left). McConaughey has proved in the last two years that he is a top Hollywood player, his starring role in Mud (2012) is a must see and his cameo in The Wolf Of Wall Street was one of the best, if short lasting, performances in the film. McConaughey and Leto have taken Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor respectively at both the Screen Actors Guild and the Golden Globes as well as nominations at the Academy Awards. Dallas Buyers Club is a wonderfully moving film and even in such a tightly contested awards season with so many brilliant films it must be considered one of the top contenders. It is throughout a film about the fight for survival, a willingness to live, contrasting the slow suffering of AIDS victims with a final scene of Woodroof entering the rodeo arena, taking his life on the line bull-riding. It conveys the tragedy of the AIDS sufferers, the ever battling hope, even as friends and lovers died around them. wikipedia.org
Matthew Field Deputy Film and TV Editor
Dallas Buyers Club is in cinemas now Dir. Jean-Marc Vallée, 116 mins
Inside Llewyn Davis is a film of failure and mediocrity. However, this is true only of its tale and not its quality, as it stands as one of the finest in the Coen brothers’ repertoire. The film follows a week in the life of the eponymous folk singer, struggling to make a name for himself in the 60’s Greenwich Village folk scene, pre-Bob Dylan. He bounces from sofa to sofa, borrowing money from peers and barely surviving in the bitter New York snow without a winter coat. The driving force of what could be loosely labelled as a plot is the omnipresence of a ginger cat (fittingly named Ulysses), which critics have been scrambling to ascribe some meaning to. The cat leads him from situation to situation and provides moments of comedy, of which there are many. Anyone worrying that the Coens had toned down their dark sense of humour, fear not. All the regular characters are there, those rude, mysterious, and not quite real people who inhabit the Coens’ work and bring life to the brothers’ acerbic writing. In a brilliant second act road trip to Chicago, with the promise of success on the other end, Llewyn butts head with an obnoxious jazz musician and his beat poet chauffeur. John Goodman, playing the former, all but steals the film with his 20 minutes of screen time in a warmly welcomed return to the Coens’ filmography after a 13 year absence. His loud performance contrasts nicely with Oscar Isaac’s who underplays Llewyn beautifully, spending much of the film staring wistfully out of train windows, the kind of performance which won’t receive much recognition but deserves it nonetheless. Llewyn is a peculiar protagonist, atrociously unlucky with self-destructive tendencies, and yet we still root for him, even when he continually and stubbornly makes the same mistakes and lashes out at others for his shortcomings. He is haunted throughout the film by his past failings, the death of friends and by the aforementioned ginger moggy, all bearing a burden on Llewyn, his weariness becoming more and more obvious as the film goes on. This is a folk film in every sense of the word. It looks folk, with its washed-out desaturation and earthen colour palette lending the film a truly unique look that fits the tone perfectly. It’s certainly folk in its music, with extended sequences devoted to full performances; melancholic and humbling, all filmed live by the cast, allowing you to sit with the characters as they bare their souls. The soundtrack (which makes love to my ears as I write this) has clearly been laboured over, each song no doubt handpicked after much deliberation by the Coens who obviously have a passion for the genre but are also unafraid to make light of its foibles. The film starts as it finishes, showing Llewyn’s self-perpetuating cycle of failure and disappointment, but yet by following his journey we don’t blame him and we understand him and his imperfections. Despite the cold winter that the Coens present, this is their warmest and most human film and proves that even after a 25 year career they are still very much on top of their game and continue to put out work that stands among their best, which is no small feat when considering their remarkable body of work.
Epigram 10.02..2014
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I, [would not recommend] Frankenstein
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Jordan Kelly-Linden
If you are in anyway familiar with Mary Shelley’s novel then I, Frankenstein, a sequel - if you can call it that - is one you’d do well to avoid. Focusing on the monster’s story postFrankenstein, the film picks up where Shelley
We are left wondering why the legendary monster is all of a sudden so strangely attractive dramatically, and very deliberately, left off. Stuart Beattie, screenplay writer and director, very neatly condenses the novel’s plot in order to remind us that, despite its inconsistencies, this film was in fact inspired by the nineteenth century horror story. Sadly this effort, although executed quite well, is just not convincing enough and we’re left
wondering why the legendary monster, played by Aaron Eckhart, is all of a sudden so strangely attractive. As if the character and plot deviations of the first ten minutes weren’t painful enough, suddenly the what-should-be Aaron Eckhart (above) and Yvonne Strahovski emotional scene of the creature burying who co-stars as Terra his master is ruined by the appearance of some not very frightening demons who look like they’ve been recycled from Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. And as if that wasn’t enough, some gargoyles, who turn out to be an ancient race of supernatural beings linked to some undefined God on a mission against these stereotypical representations of evil, become animated and swoop in to save the day. Motivated by the already implausible concept of a creature who is apparently - although it doesn’t seem it - made from a mismatch of corpses, you are able to suspend your disbelief for a substantial portion of this film. However, the stilted, expository dialogue eventually gets a little too much and the soundtrack that tries to force out your feelings becomes grating and ineffectual. Having said this, the CGI was impressive. Although the camera angles were slightly overdramatic at
In 2015 another recasting of Frankenstein is set to be released with James MacAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe most enjoyable parts of this film were Bill Nighy’s sassy attitude and the fact that it is one of few rewrites that actually gifts the pitiful creature with a name. In 2015, another recasting of Frankenstein is set to be released with James MacAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe taking on lead roles. Alongside I, Frankenstein, it will join the ranks of other remakes who chose to alter the original vision of Shelley’s Modern Prometheus. But let’s just hope Max Landis, writer, and Paul McGuigan, director, will manage to do some justice to Shelley’s incredible narrative.
I, Frankenstein is in cinemas now Dir. Stuart Beattie, 92 mins
flickr: Gage Skidmore
flickr: Gage Skidmore
times, the gargoyles’ transformation from pretty human to flying stone status was pretty slick. The way that their wings turned to capes and vice versa was a particularly nice touch. The film comes amidst many recent and soon to be released adaptations of the well-known, gothic tale. In truth, after the stunning National Theatre performance of Frankenstein, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller, I, Frankenstein didn’t stand much of a chance. Although, you could argue that upping the supernatural aspect of the story, bringing it forward a few hundred years and involving the miracle monster with modern day concerns that come close to mimicking recent genetic breakthroughs gave the story a refreshing reboot. It is also worth noting that the
Wahlberg shines in surprisingly great Lone Survivor Lone Survivor provides 121 minutes of impressively intense and wince-inducing action drama, based on former United States Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell’s bestselling non-fiction account of Operation Wings; the 2005 4-man mission against the Taliban in Afghanistan which went horrendously wrong. To know more of the story is only to lessen the gripping cinematic experience, particularly when not only does the title give away the ending but the real-life event was widely reported at the time and again now surrounding the film’s release. Nevertheless, Lone Survivor sees director Peter Berg redeem himself following 2012’s embarrassing Rhianna-starring Battleship, based, inexplicably, on the board game of the same name. Featuring explicit, bone-crunching violence balanced with patriotic, never-back-down courage to create an immersive experience reminiscent, somewhat surprisingly, of Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours. This is due to the pair being similarly based on true stories
and featuring Americans out of their comfort zones culminating in gruelling set-pieces and ultimately fist-pumping survival. The four SEALs are portrayed expertly by long-term Bergcollaborator Taylor Kitsch, as well as Ben Foster, Emile Hirsch and, most impressively of all, Mark Wahlberg as Marcus Luttrell, in an extraordinary role demanding as much range as such an accolade warrants. Additionally, we can expect to see the film in the shortlists for a number of technical awards; with adapted screenplay, sound mixing and editing and make-up all being fair-bets. Though Lone Survivor occasionally lapses into blockbusteraction cliché – perhaps muscle memory from Berg, whose past directing credits also include Will Smith blockbuster Hancock – as well as verging on patriotic propaganda at times, the message is mostly anti-war and the final act sees unexpected heroes emerge which counter the latter flaw. So despite offering one of the worst trailers released in 2013, which depicted the movie as brainless and heartless, Lone Survivor is an impressive production from all involved, which will bring
a lump to your throat as each of Luttrell’s ‘brothers’ falls as well as it keeps your heart pumping for its duration. Forcefully and respectfully bookended by footage of real-life Navy SEALs, Lone Survivor is two-thirds of pure action with unexpected emotion effectively woven throughout, providing what is surely one of the best war films of recent years.
digitaltrends.com
Matthew Floyd
Epigram 10.02.2014
45
bbcpitcures.co.uk
The Bridge II
... and Brooklyn Nine-Nine Matthew Field Deputy Film and TV Editor So the most recent Dano-Swedish police drama has come to a close leaving a gaping hole in my Saturday nights (I am that sad) without any foreign language Scandi-Noir to look forward to. The Bridge II was gripping from start to finish. This season had the rather preposterous plot of a group of eco-terrorists attacking targets either side of the iconic Øresund Bridge. After lots of grayscale shots of depressingly cold Scandi landscapes, endless twists and turns that would confuse even Stephen Moffatt and some trademark deadpan badassery from Swedish superstar Detective Saga Noren the series has at last come to an end with a trademark twist.
For me the Scandinavians (and the French with their tragically under watched crime drama Spiral) actually know how to make police dramas exciting, and how to produce more than three episodes in two years (I’m pointing at you Sherlock). The real gem of The Bridge II is Soifa Helin and her brilliant characterisation of Swedish detective Saga Noren. Saga fits the Danish stereotype of a Swede, emotionless yet efficient. She is utterly flawless as a detective and hopelessly unqualified as a girlfriend. Her Danish counterpart is the troubled Martin Rohde, played by the excellent Kim Bodin. Frankly give me Saga over Sherlock any day, this is the crime genre done properly. Unfortunately The Bridge II lacked a truly engaging villain but more than made up for this with an unexpected twist in the final episode. So in an effort to fill the void left by my regular Bridge viewing I have turned to Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the Golden Globe winning police procedural comedy starring Andy Samberg.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is warm and pleasantly amusing and a welcome bit of genuinely decent comedy to come out of the states away from the death throes of shows such as The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother. It has a few, shall we say, teething problems, and is occasionally a little light on the laughs. But the cast does a fine job and Samberg is good in the lead role. The problem with Brooklyn Nine-Nine is that it ultimately falls into all the US comedy stereotypes. The jokes and gaffs are often void of subtlety and painfully immature. I suppose it is nice to see a police show which plays for laughs, but suffice to say this is not going to top classic police comedies such as The Thin Blue Line. Brooklyn Nine-Nine will prove some pleasant procrastination viewing, but if you have the time to spare, there is nothing in British or American crime T.V. at present that comes close to the storytelling and style that is on offer in The Bridge II.
All grown up: Outnumbered’s final season Hannah Korn The popular comedy series, Outnumbered, returned for its fifth and – thankfully - final season on Wednesday 29th January. The show has enjoyed great success in the past, with its fantastic portrayal of the trials of everyday family life, including many moments we’ve all experienced ourselves. However, many viewers were in for a shock and a disappointment on Wednesday evening, as the series seemed to be missing its old spark. In my opinion, the show has simply run its course. The actors playing Jake, Ben and Karen are now respectively aged 18, 14 and 12, and have changed almost beyond recognition from their original characters – they are simply too old now to exhibit that same youthful innocence and lack of social awareness, which made the original plots so amusing.
Karen has moved to secondary school and dyed her hair, whilst Jake is now sporting a tattoo (which Pete insists looks like a spider) and Ben has clearly hit his growth spurt. He also decides in this episode to try out for the school musical, despite his lack of singing talent, which makes for some interesting conversations between Ben and Sue (‘…A musical?...And you’re going to…sing?’) As for Karen – well, the less said about the planned hamster IR, the better. The episode is mostly centred around Karen’s problems adjusting to secondary school, whilst Jake in particular a p p e a r s even more exasperated with the stupidity of his parents than ever (not so unusual for a teenager!), although Sue and Pete are exhibiting the same well-intentioned but out-of-touch parenting as ever. Outnumbered still has some great moments, but perhaps the time has come to quit whilst they’re ahead (and maybe before Jake, Ben and Karen have children themselves?).
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Perhaps the time has come to quit before Jake, Ben and Karen have children themselves...
10.02.2014
Music
@epigrammusic
Editor: Mike Hegarty
Deputy Editor: Danny Riley
Online Editor: Dan Faber
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Joe + Adrian
Howling Owl: A taster playlist
Photo: Keira Cullinane
Spectres
Spectres - ‘The Sky of All Places’ The label’s flagship band, featuring owners Adrian and Joe (see left), these guys are LOUD with a capital LOUD. This track is not Spectres at their most squalling however - its cloudy guitars and disembodied vocals simmer along just a little bit too gorgeously.
Photo Credit: Keira Cullinane
Oliver Wilde - ‘Stomach Full of Cats’ On Oliver’s Soundcloud, a tag on one track reads ‘Lo-fi Dad Rock’. If that doesn’t bring your ears running (and I can understand why it might not) this slice of woozy, summery slack-pop surely will.
Photos courtesy of Howling Owl
GuMM - ‘LIONHEART’ Flamboyantly inhabiting the poppier end of the label’s musical spectrum, these guys combine thick guitar and theatrical vocals that star-gaze more than shoe-gaze.
Flickr - Natalia Balgerska
Epigram
The Naturals - ‘HEAT DEATH’ One poster described this band as sounding like ‘Transformers fucking to dub’. I don’t want to try and top that description, so I won’t.
Giant Swan - ‘Did They Play Dogs’ Perhaps the most Brissle-sounding of the roster, Giant Swan use 2 guitars and a boatload of pedals to create dark, dank, droning techno.
Local Profile: Howling Owl Records In a city more acquainted with white reggae than white noise, Bristol’s Howling Owl Records is flying the flag for all things loud. Epigram spoke to co-founder Adrian Dutt about his label, getting pints lobbed at him, and what sounds like the indie-est dissertation of all time. By Mike Hegarty In 2011, two mates moved to Bristol from North Devon and started putting together zines and releasing cassettes from a bedroom. 2 and a bit years later, Howling Owl is a small but thriving label with more than a dozen artists putting on loud, raucous nights seemingly every week. It’s not quite a Scarface rags-to-riches story, but sometimes we forget just how bloody difficult it is to sell music in 2014. Joe and Adrian, who also play in label stalwarts Spectres, describe the Howling Owl as a ‘hobby/ lovechild/noose around our necks’, on their website. But when I speak to Adrian on the phone, he promises it’s more than worth all the hassle.
got arrested for it pretty much straight away which is quite good. Hopefully he’ll get his comeuppance. London was great though – a lot of people turned out.
Epigram: Spectres have been on a wee tour lately – how is it going? Adrian: Yeah, it’s been going really well. It’s just a kind of a mini tour - we’ve been doing our album so we could only do 4 or 5 shows. We did Reading last night which was quite…interesting. There were a lot of people who really liked it but one guy who clearly didn’t. He decided to lob a pint at me and Joe which pretty much wiped out a load of pedals and guitars. Our pedals are all handmade and a bit dodgy electronically, so he pretty much could have electrocuted us, but he actually
You guys were originally putting together zines at home in North Devon. Why did you choose to relocate to Bristol rather than a larger city? Or one with a more band-driven musical culture? We were always coming through Bristol to do gigs elsewhere, and it just seemed like the next logical step for us. We didn’t all want to move to London cause there’s just so many bands and other things going on there, I was still at uni, and just other personal reasons made it seem like the best option. Even before coming we saw a few bands here like Holy Stain and Towns that
How would you describe the Howling Owl sound to my Grandma? Ha, it’s just…really DIY, fuzzy guitars, loud walls of noise, mixed with some more leftfield electronic music. Quite noisy, but with pop structures intact underneath. We try to just be about forward-thinking music, bands that have the right sort of aesthetic and mindset…I think that would be your best bet!
we thought were amazing, and which eventually became real catalysts for the label. Has it been nice seeing your label grow up almost in tandem with that scene? Yeah, it’s great that in all these bands we all met as friends, so there’s a real mutual respect for everyone as people as well as musicians. Everyone helped each other out – if it wasn’t for the other bands and what they were doing then we wouldn’t be where we are. It’s a real great community that’s constantly growing – definitely not a kind of elitist gang. We really are meeting people all the time, this year as we’re stepping up and playing more shows than ever, and playing types of music we never would have before. It’s really nice. You’ve said that your original plan was “to play one gig, just one gig” – do you still set yourself finite goals or do they just keep on getting pushed back? For me and Joe this has gone a little bit out of control, it’s really taken on its own entity. We’re just holding on and seeing where it goes! It would be amazing if we could make it into a viable, self-sufficient label, but at the moment each release is just barely funding the next release. We’ve got a lot of albums coming out this year so that’s a little scary. Must be a real emotional investment, just the two of you running this label. Yeah, it takes up a lot of time. I work full-time and Joe worked full time up
until December, at which point he left to focus more on the label and other stuff on the side. It’s a bit all-consuming but completely worth it because of just every little bit of nice feedback we get. Even people who buy the record just cause they liked the artwork or whatever makes it really worthwhile, cause that’s why we do it! What other labels do you aspire to? There’s some great UK indies that were around at the time we were starting like Big Scary Monsters, and then Vacuous Pop, which is just one guy on his own who’s put out some amazing records, which is really inspiring. And then obviously we both just love Sub Pop and Dischord and all those American labels from the 80s. The network they created completely changed everything in terms of underground music. We’d just like to take the best bits of what they do and try and replicate it in the here and now. Just the other day I finally ordered Michael Azerrad’s book off Amazon, I’m looking forward to reading it (Our Band Could Be Your Life is a carefully compiled chronicle of American indie rock in the 1980s – Sonic Youth, Black Flag, Fugazi, Replacements etc.) That book’s absolutely incredible. I did my dissertation on why and how alternative record labels changed music, and Azzerad is just such a gold mine of information. It’s so eyeopening how everyone was connected, everyone knew each other, it’s really
inspiring…that book pretty much created Howling Owl to be honest. There was nowhere for these bands to play – each band had their own city in which they would go and put on these other bands, and it just became this incredible network. The internet wasn’t around, so Ian MacKaye (Fugazi) literally would ring bands out of the blue and say “do you want to play?” It was really direct, bands just stayed in other bands’ houses, it was great! Finally, any Bristol bands not on your roster that you’re really enjoying at the moment? I really like a band called Adding Machine – really dark, loads of analog synths and stuff. There’s Trust Funds, really scrappy indie garage. Team Brick, who’s Matt from Beak….loads of stuff, can’t really think of much of it off the top of my head. There’s a lot going on!
Epigram
10.02.2014
47
Opal Tapes Showcase: Live at the Arnolfini
Dwellings and Druss
Epigram headed to Bristol’s premier art venue to sample the noisy roster of the underground cassette label.
flickr: truu
Karen Gwyer
‘Dance music bacchanal collides with crusty punk ferocity. In an art gallery. Punters will be advised to perfect a blend of pensive chin-stroking and bug-eyed dance moves ahead of the night’s proceedings.’ So read Epigram’s preview for the Opal Tapes showcase night at the Arnolfini, Bristol’s premier venue for illuminating/ annoying art. Having gone with the expectation of experiencing a panty-wetting blend of aggressive sonic manipulations and techno kinetics, we should have known that our preconceptions would be subverted. A label that limits its releases to two hundred cassette copies becomes such a contrarian attitude. That is not to say that the musical wares
on display were not enjoyable or exciting; in fact, they may have been enough to restore one’s faith in electronic music in general and noise music in particular. The proceedings got off to a characteristically jarring start with Basic House, alias of label head Stephen Bishop who operates out of Teeside out of all places. Those who have watched the excellent documentary Sound It Out will know that people from that corner of the world really like music and they take it seriously, in Bishop’s case seriously enough to set up a financially thankless outlet for his own experimental output and the work of other great underground electronic musicians. After some minor
technical difficulties he began to marshal his sequencer, sampler and laptop into an unholy trinity of sickening, otherworldly noise machines, creating freakish contortions of sound and deep sub-bass rumbles. Somewhere between music concrete and industrial techno, his single piece evolved through abstract samples that included a warped ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’ to occasional tangible rhythms – though these were always cut short by devastating depth charges of synth squall. Gloriously fucked up, although having previously experienced Basic House’s onslaught in the creepy confines of the Old Coroner’s Court, watching it in the more genteel environs of the Arnolfini detracted from
the atmosphere somewhat. Some form of projection or lightshow would have been much more pertinent than reducing the visual element of the performance to a few electronic gadgets and a guy who looks like he might also work in HMV. Much more visually arresting was Karen Gwyer, who added ghostly vocals and readings from what looked like a poetry book (we’re in an art gallery) into her forty-minute journey through drone and rhythm. Comparatively her sound was much more conventional to those versed in electronic and drone music, although that’s not saying much within the context of Opal Tapes. Starting with a heavy organ pedal note and adding austere string loops, she gradually introduced broken snatches of rhythm that brought to mind the more abstract work of Forest Swords. This was all a precursor to the main event however, as the accruement of rhythmic
ostinatos eventually reached fever pitch and morphed into an all-out, four-to-thefloor techno banger. This tenminute section was the most punishingly righteous of the whole piece, and might almost have been enough to convince the audience that they were at a seedy squat rave at four AM rather than a governmentfunded arts space at nine in the evening. Dissipating back into swathes of pitch-shifted drones, Gwyer brought the piece to an end, seemingly unaware of the freakout she invoked as she left swigging from her bottle of ale. Those present who looked like they really were no strangers to a squat rave were Dwellings & Druss; that is Paddy Shine and The Dreadlocked One from Gnod. Seemingly a vehicle for even further movement away from the heavy psych/noise rock sound that earned the Manchester collective so much leftfield recognition, the duo seem concerned with creating almost completely untethered
excursions into the endless creative potential of analogue electronics, paying lip service to no musical genre or school of composition.Describing them in journalistic descriptors is both pointless and impossible but going out on a limb they could be described as slowed-down gabba in a black hole, or what happened when Stockhausen was introduced to psytrance and crystal meth. Overall Dwellings & Druss summed up the nights proceedings; outsider music of the most uncompromising kind, but with an intrinsic accessibility derived from its sheer sonic inventiveness, an attractive quality that overwhelms the forebodingly attached ‘avant garde’ aesthetic. Opal Tapes, with its artists being dropped in Radio One remixes by the likes of Ben UFO, looks set to make the crossover. Danny Riley
Loveless: The Best Songs for a Lonely Valentine’s Joshua Ward looks to the indie canon for salvation from Cupid’s bold arrow.
Drenge - People in Love Make Me Feel Yuck This band supported Peace at the Anson Rooms late last year, so this is a more recent addition to your loveless playlists. Just let the dense, growling guitar (an apt reflection of the band’s heavy name) wash away any positivity towards the concept of ‘love’. The Police - So Lonely Yet again, you’ll probably end up singing along to this track. It’s inevitable. It’s the most perfect, angstiest song to vent your loneliness to, so embrace it. Los Campesinos! - By Your Hand If the album title (‘Hello Sadness’) didn’t clue you up to the tone of this song, the lyrical content
surely will. There’s a certain bitter-sweet mood to this song, which will complement any Valentine’s blues quite nicely. Bombay Bicycle Club - How Are You ‘How We Are’ is one of Bombay Bicycle Club’s first EPs way back from 2007, so it really captures their earlier love-lost teenage energy. HAIM - The Wire Let’s just ignore the fact that this song takes the stance of the instigator of a broken relationship – the chorus does give some words of advice for those who find themselves out of love on Valentine’s. Least of all, the muted guitar and pop beats should get you through it all. Justin Timberlake - Cry Me A River Classic. No justification needed intended).
(but
pun
Little Comets - Adultery The title is self-explanatory with this one. If you haven’t heard Little Comets, I suggest you go and get a copy of this album. In fact, the whole album
flickr: egotechnique
Got nobody to hold on Valentine’s Day? No worries. Sit back, relax and stick this playlist on full volume. Who needs tacky blood-stained red boxes of chocolates and over-perfumed cards declaring eternal love? You certainly won’t when you’re done with this playlist, take my word for it lad.
is along a similar vein as this track and the lyrics are darn clever. Razorlight - Who Needs Love Despite how unpopular Johnny Borrell may be and how badly his last solo album went, no-one can deny that this song is a must have on any ‘anti-love’ playlist. The message is made more ironic by the stereotypical ‘loved up’ backing with a pop drum beat and bright piano chords.
The Smiths - Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want Morissey’s moaning and depressed vocals say it all really. In fact, if you’re feeling particularly moody, listen to the whole of The Smith’s backcatalogue. I really could’ve put any Smiths’ song in this one’s place and thought of several reasons why it belongs on this list: most of all because of Morissey.
Epigram
10.02.2014
48
Reviews Thee Silver Mount Zion Memorial Orchestra
Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light On Everything Constellation
flickr: neatephotos
January 21st
Bibio The Green E.P
The slightly clanging genre tag ‘post-rock’is usually appended to music that eschews conventional song structures, is often instrumental, in which tracks often exceed ten minutes and track titles often exceed ten words. Canadian collective Godspeed You! Black Emperor are perhaps the most popular and best recognised purveyors of this sometimes esoteric style of music – they were winners of the 2013 Polaris Music Prize for best album by a Canadian artist, beating out Purity Ring, Tegan and Sara, and Metric in the process. The core members of Godspeed founded the more experimental offshoot Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra in 1999, and have this month released their new album Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything. Godspeed are known for their long orchestral drones that stretch across vast sonic landscapes, espousing anti-religion and anti-corporate sentiments. They bristle with constructive attitude. Silver Mt. Zion are a jot mellower, in spite of the album title. On Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything they abstain from tense crescendos of instrumental upsurge and instead increase the immediacy of their progression by cutting straight to melodies that are themselves more accessible. They also use Efrim Menuck’s voice to clarify the stern political message that his bands have always been keen to express.
So Fuck Off is mellower but that doesn’t mean the anti-capitalist fury has totally dissipated; it’s been transformed into a kind of resignation. Resignation that radical political change will not occur in their lifetimes, but optimistically living in hope that the world their young son inherits will be brighter and fairer (the album opens with the sound of Menuck’s young son talking about living on an island called Montreal). “Let my son live long enough” Menuck crows on ‘Austerity Blues’, “to see that mountain torn down”. Young Ezra’s brief presence isn’t the only example of spoken word excerpts. Found audio messages are taken from musicians and singers then inserted at the beginning of other tracks. These clips assert the importance of artistic integrity and the freedom that such professions represent within the oppressing confines of the societies we inhabit. If Fuck Off is more accessible, with vocals and recurrently adheres to a verse song structure, one is compelled to ask – is this even post-rock anymore? Or perhaps more relevantly, is it even appropriate to categorise music like this? The concept of classification is a decadent construct of bourgeois culture after all (If you say so – ed.), the very thing that Menuck, Trudeau et al have been trying to undercut for years. Barney Horner
Wild Beasts
Warp Bibio has always seemed to just do what he wants, which for him means exploring the boundaries of the ‘folktronica’ (eesh) style he’s attributed with. It isn’t uncommon to hear him pair chirpy, television-friendly songs and more experimental electronic pieces as if it’s a transition everyone is comfortable with, but he’s managed to make it work by just being so damn charming. Think of it as music for smartphone-era hippies. The Green is pretty homogeneous by Bibio’s standards: reworking two of the more psychedelic tracks from last year’s Silver Wilkinson and bundling them in with similar songs from the archives. Bibio remains silent for the majority to focus on a warm, fuzzy blend of heavily modified guitar
sounds, allowing them to weave together like the letters on the album cover. At points he seems at risk of letting the album sink to darker depths with the slow, foreboding drawl of ‘Carbon Wulf’ but The Green is characteristically light hearted. This is a peaceful, relaxing record through and through. Sadly, it isn’t quite as attention grabbing as previous work would lead us to expect. It lacks the pure charisma of Ambivalence Avenue and energetic highlights of Silver Wilkinson. Taken as a compilation of pre-existing tunes however, it’s a solid addition to his discography and just about enough to bridge the gap to his next release. Jonny Hunter
flickr: passetti
Bibio
flickr: nrkp3
January 27th
Wild Beasts
Actress
Present Tense
Ghettoville
Domino
Ninja Tune
February 25th
January 27th
For their fourth full-length, Wild Beasts have parted company with their producer, taken a year out from touring and have set about writing a much more synth-led record which manages to reconfigure their sound while drawing on 80s pioneers such as The Human League and Tears For Fears. The interplay between the organic and the synthetic allows for an exploration of the darker reaches of the band’s sound. Album opener ‘Wanderlust’, in complete contrast to the beginning of their two previous efforts, is a taut and urgent affair as portentous synths are swept along by an insistent, metronomic drum beat. The undeniable innovation of the album’s first half means that some of the more intricate material nearer the record’s end such as ‘Perfect Pause’, perhaps the song which sounds the most like the Wild Beasts of old, fails to engage. At the same time, it is a testament to the band’s decision to risk reconfiguring their sound that such material now pales in comparison to its electronicallyinflected counterparts. Album centrepiece ‘Daughters’ begins as a smouldering slow-burner in the classic Wild Beasts mode but as the track shifts expertly into a cavernous echo-chamber of synths you realise that this supposedly new direction is where the band have been going all along. Ben Hickey
This month, the underground will have to wave goodbye to one of its most important and consistently fascinating artists. After 6 years of making distinctive, enigmatic music that fuses the claustrophobia of Detroit techno with ambience, classical minimalism and even southern hip hop, Darren Cunningham aka Actress has announced in a wonderfully ludicrous press statement that this album, his fourth, will act as ‘the bleached out and black tinted conclusion of the Actress image’. As swansongs go, Ghettoville is alluringly inconclusive. The more cinematic moments of 2012’s RIP have been jettisoned completely, and in their place stand 17 tracks of stoned, hazed out tension, underpinned by a melange of oddly sequenced clicks and kick drums. On some tracks, such as the dazzling ‘Birdcage’ and ‘Rap’, the vapor-like quality of the music coheres into something approaching pop music, while ‘Image’ seems to look towards 1980s funk for its inspiration. Beatless pieces such as closing track ‘Grey over Blue’ demonstrate Cunningham’s near-unrivalled ability to construct tension out of the most soothing of elements; jazz piano loops itself round and round in crackles, achieving a menacing circularity that somehow provides, in its sheer vagueness, an absolutely fitting and definitive final statement to the Actress name. Alex Schulte
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Epigram
10.02.2014
Science & Tech
Editor: Molly Hawes scienceandtech@epigram.org.uk
@EpigramSciTech Deputy Editor: Sol Milne deputyscienceandtech@epigram.org.uk
Online Editor: Stephanie Harris
Obesity on the increase? Overbearing weight of evidence Rowena Ball Science Writer
fat puts enough strain on the bones and muscles to increase the risk of arthritis; the average age of obese patients undergoing knee or hip replacements in the USA is at least ten years less than those who fall within the ‘normal’ BMI category. According to the government, the NHS spends over £5 billion per year treating health problems that are associated with
being overweight or obese and some experts believe that obesity both kills and costs more than smoking does. It is worth remembering that statistics related to weight are mostly calculated by measuring Body Mass Index (weight divided by height squared), which does not distinguish between fat and muscle and is known to give inaccurate results for those at
the extremes of height. New methods of calculating BMI have been proposed over the years, one notably in 2013 by Professor Nick Trefethen of Oxford University. However, it seems unlikely that the medical community will move away from using the method in its current form as it is considered a useful way to make quick estimates that apply to the general population.
Flickr: Eric Parker
In England,most people are overweight. According to the Department of Health, nearly two thirds of adults and over a quarter of children have an unhealthily high Body Mass Index and these numbers are predicted to rise. The issue is particularly pertinent for new students who often find that the decrease in diet quality and increase in alcohol consumption upon arriving at university leads to weight gain – in the US this has been dubbed the “Fresher’s 15” (referring to the 15lbs that a lot of new undergraduates gain in their first year). The government even predicts that the number of people classified as obese is going to increase to levels as high as 60% of adult men, 50% of adult women and 25% of children by 2050 unless the issue of obesity is tackled effectively - and soon. Much research has been conducted into the reasons why people seem to be getting larger and larger as the years go by. Lack of education on healthy eating choices and the benefits of physical exercise are often cited as factors, particularly with regards to the alarmingly high number of children between the ages of 2 and 15 who are listed as having an unhealthy BMI. The NHS also asserts that unhealthy lifestyle habits are often passed down through families due to this lack of education. The government has responded to this by putting in place programmes such as their Change4Life initiative, publishing guidelines on sport and exercise and developing clear and consistent labelling systems
for food sold in supermarkets, but recent research has shown that people often choose to make unhealthy life choices in full knowledge that they may increase their risk of certain obesity-related illnesses. A 2012 study from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire showed that participants who were shown high-calorie, high-fat foods displayed increased activity in the nucleus accumbens – a part of the brain that plays an important role in pleasure and addiction. Simply put, people eat food that they know is bad for them because it brings them pleasure, despite evidence that links obesity with depression and a lack of self-esteem. An increasingly sedentary lifestyle and the rise in popularity of labour-saving devices are also thought to have had an impact on rising obesity levels. The human body stores excess calories as fat, which was necessary during our hunter-gatherer days as it was never certain if and when the next meal would come. Today, the abundance of cheap food and lack of exercise in most people’s day-today lives has meant that more of our energy is stored in fat and less of it is consumed in physical activity. So why are people being very overweight considered such a problem? The principle reason is the high number of health problems, some of which are potentially fatal, that are connected with obesity. Links have been established between obesity and a wide range of health problems, notably Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, gallstones, sleep apnoea and infertility. There is also evidence that a high level of body
UK achieves record-breaking internet speeds Nick Wood Science Writer
concern when increasing the amount of data being sent through fibre optics is that the channels interfere with each other causing data loss. BT and
Alcatel-Lucent, however, said that this connection was ‘stable and error-free’ Whilst we may still be some way from seeing this technology making an
impact on consumers, the prospect is exciting, and comes with a little bit of British pride.
Flickr: Laura Nagle
In a joint venture, BT and the French telecommunications firm AlcatelLucent have set the record for the fastest ever “real world” internet speed, sending 1.4 terabytes of information per second over a 255 mile stretch between London and Ipswich. That’s enough to transfer 44 uncompressed HD films or 1750 high-quality albums every second. Even more impressively, the feat was achieved using conventional fibre optics which have already been installed across the country and commercial grade hardware, rather than any of the experimental next generation fibre infrastructures being touted. The UK’s internet backbone is being stretched. The Internet is moving from delivering simple webpages to being a wholesale replacement of TV and radio. The huge popularity of services like iPlayer and Netflix has caused internet usage to increase by 35% each year, and this increase is only getting faster. There has also been a massive growth in mobile data usage to further complicate the situation. Overall, telecoms regulatory agency OFCOM is predicting the UK’s internet usage
to increase by at least 80 times and possibly by up to 300 times in the next five years. All of these factors mean that new solutions to providing vastly more bandwidth are badly needed. Installing brand new technology across a nationwide network is incredibly expensive, especially as the sector is already going through the costly replacement of traditional copper wiring for new fibre optics. This trial marked the exciting potential for existing fibre optics to provide much greater bandwidth, extending the lifespan of our current infrastructure – ‘BT and Alcatel-Lucent are making more from what they’ve got. This allows them to increase their capacity without having to spend much more money’, said Oliver Johnson, head of analysis firm Point Topic. The new protocol employed by BT and Alactel-Lucent is called Flexigrid. To achieve such high speeds, seven 200Gbps channels were overlaid into one huge 1.4Tbps line known as an “Alien Super Channel”. Flexigrid is able to push these channels closer together than ever before, with the usual gap of 50GHz being reduced to 35GHz. This gives a 40% increase in spectral efficiency, the measure of how well a limited frequency range is utilised by a data transfer method. A common
Epigram
10.02.2014
51
Whipping up a storm: guide to tornadoes Ashley Hall Science Writer
“ Nature’s colossal power and its delicate beauty - perfectly, cosmically, sane
pressure near the surface. This pulls the mesocyclone down toward to the ground and creates a rotating column of air connected to the supercell above. As the core is powered by an inflow of warm air, the tornado grows in size and complexity as the process continues. The downdraft of cool surface winds wraps around the twister cutting off the supply of warm moist air ultimately starving the tornado of its food source. This weakens the vortex and leads it to dissipate energy. Depending on the environment tornadoes form, the actual colour of the storm can change. This is due to the often-unknown fact that a tornado is actually transparent and only appears a certain colour as a result of the debris and dust it picks up in its path. For example, those forming over water (waterspouts) can appear clear or even blue. A common misconception is that the water is made from sea water due to the ocean. It is actually condensation from the atmosphere
Flickr: Fadi Basymeleh
Tornado, an alteration from the Spanish word ‘tronada’ meaning ‘thunderstorm,’ is nature’s most dramatic phenomena and amongst nature’s most violent storms. With very little system of warning currently only 13 minutes’ notice, it is essential to be aware and prepared for the extensive and devastating damage these anomalies are capable of. The Fujita Scale was developed in 1971 by a Japanese storm researcher named Tetsuya Fujita. The scale is used to measure the intensity of a tornado, based on the amount of damage it causes. It ranges from a very weak F0 tornado with speeds ranging from 4072 mph to the devastating F5 tornado with windspeeds of 270 -320mph. An F0 cause minimal damage such as broken branches and has a short duration, lasting approximately 1-10minutes. Comparatively, an F5’s lifetime is much longer and has the ability to last for over an hour. The immense power of this storm can lift strong framed houses and reduce them to rubble. Cars, trains and lorries can be hauled long distances through the air. Tornadoes form from huge ‘supercell’ thunderstorms. These supercells contain mesocyclones, invisible columns of air rotating around a vertical axis from within a convective storm. This helps to lower the cloud base by taking in warm moist air from the downdraft region. The convergence of cool dry air causes a rotating wall cloud which begins the cycle. As the updraft intensifies, it creates an area of low
that provides this characteristic. Waterspouts are often a lot less intense causing less damage. Those forming over Great Plains in Texas often appear reddish due to the colouration of the soil. The most common appearance of a tornado can be a shade of dark brown or even black. Very weak rotating columns of air, named Dust Devils, are often mistaken for tornadoes. The distinction is that they are not connected to the clouds above and in reality form over clear skies. They occur due to strong convective updrafts near the ground on a hot day. Tornadoes have been reported on all continents apart from Antarctica. The majority are confined to ‘Tornado Alley’, an area in the United States of America consisting of 8 states: Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Nebraska, Colorado, South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota. This area witnesses approximately 1200 tornadoes each year. This is primarily due to the climatology and the flat topography of the area as cold dry polar air from Canada meets moist tropical air from the Gulf of Mexico. The most record-breaking tornado in recorded history was the Tri State Tornado. This actually occurred outside of tornado alley, tearing through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. It holds numerous world records including the longest path length and duration covering 219 miles in 3.5 hours. In addition, this tornado is the single most deadly tornado in United States history reaching a death toll of 695. As global warming is increasingly becoming a significant problem, it is reasonable to suspect that this
affects trends in tornado behaviour and activity. Due to evaporation, an increase in sea surface temperature leads to an increase in atmospheric moisture content. This fuels severe weather including tornado activity, particularly in the cool season when you wouldn’t normally expect them. This is supported by the fact that the three largest twister outbreaks in the past year have been in November, January and October which is outside of the usual tornado season.
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Alternatively, climate change is having a mixed effect on tornado activity. Although warm moist air creates instability – the driving force for rotation, it lowers the intensity of the jet stream which counters tornado production. Tornadoes are by far the most dramatic and scariest of storms. They have the ability to devastate a neighbourhood in seconds. Fortunately for us, only weak, short living tornadoes occur in Britain.
Remoulding your brain with electricity Duncan Ware Science Writer A transient tingling sensation on my scalp, accompanied by an equally fleeting phosphene (perceived flash of light) across my visual field, alerts me to the fact that 2 milliamps of direct current are now passing through my brain, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) to be specific. I haven’t been denied extradition from a proelectric chair state; I willingly made myself a component in the circuitry of a technology known as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). It is widely accepted that everything we do has a direct effect on the
‘wiring’ of our brains, a fact proposed most succinctly by neuropsychologist Donald Hebb, whose words are forever paraphrased as “neurons that fire together wire together”. This principle, Hebb’s Law, is now believed to rely on the mechanisms of synaptic plasticity; termed long-term potentiation and long-term depression. tDCS is believed to exert its effects through the enhancement of these mechanisms. The clinical applications of electrical current applied to the scalp have been known for years. As far back as 43 AD, in fact, one Roman physician used the shocks of electric eels to abate the pain of headaches! Today it is known that tDCS is capable of ameliorating a multitude of pathological afflictions,
Flickr: Ars Electronica
from stroke damage to schizophrenia, but also that healthy individuals, might derive benefit from the occasional zap! Attending to the former claim of therapeutic potential of electricity for the ill, the montage (electrode placement) with which I am experimenting with today has been found to remediate depression. Some studies have found that just 20 minutes of 2mA anodal stimulation over the DLPFC, as located by stereotaxic measurements, to reduce self-reported depression by as much as 10% for every week of daily use. Unfortunately, many of the studies I have come across regarding tDCS are ‘open-label’, science jargon denoting clinical trials in which both the researchers and participants know which subjects are receiving which treatments (in this case, the real treatment or a ‘sham’ control). Unlike its ‘double-blind’ antithesis, open-label studies are plagued by the expectancy effects of both the researcher’s overt enthusiasm, or lack thereof, for the treatment, and the subject’s expectations of its outcome. One might denounce these results to be a direct outcome of the placebo effect. This criticism has been largely dismissed by double-blind trials and studies investigating the relative efficacy of tDCS and established
2 milliamps of direct current are now passing through my brain
pharmacological therapies such as sertraline (an SSRI antidepressant). Such studies have found tDCS and SSRIs to be of equal efficacy, though a combination of the two was found to be of superior efficacy to either alone. With regard to the latter assertion, for those who refrain from the use of recreational drugs due to their deleterious effects or illegality, perhaps you might consider potentiating your own endogenous substances for a similar effect? A few weeks ago I came across a most intriguing montage which achieves just that. With the anode attached to the C3 Brodmann area, corresponding to the region of the scalp which lies above the primary motor cortex of the left hemisphere, and the cathode pressed against my upper right arm, effects reminiscent of those one might experience following consumption of a weak opiate such as codeine were
elicited almost immediately. This was a welcome experience I quickly sought to investigate and I found a publication released last year detailing the analgesic potential of tDCS, an effect they put down to the µ-opioid system. Opioid receptors are those which transduce the effects of opiates and opioids (substances of similar pharmacological profiles to opiates), like morphine and methadone respectively. But the body possesses its own painkillers, including enkephalins, endorphins and dynorphins and it is these substances whose production is upregulated upon stimulation of the motor cortex. What the paper failed to mention, however, was the euphoric sensations evoked by this montage. I amused myself with the idea of becoming a junky without stimulation by illicit chemical. And so, whilst I must urge you to take caution, should you proceed to plug yourself into the mains, tDCS is a wonderful medical development which, along with its successors TMS and tACS, I predict we will be seeing much more of in the coming years. Disclaimer: Don’t actually plug yourself into the mains. That would be silly. Also, if you have epilepsy or a pacemaker, passing any sort of electrical current through your body is a bad idea.
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Legal accountability for referees? Alex O’ Connor discusses why Football Officials must become more accountable for their mistakes
‘I never comment on referees and I’m not going to break the habit of a lifetime for that prat.’ Why Football Officials must become more accountable for their mistakes.
wikipedia:thetelf
The wise words once uttered by Norman Whiteside, the former Manchester United, Everton and Northern Ireland striker, reflects the incessant criticism that surrounds football officials today. In the light of recent calls in the Premier League, the not so oblivious offside and penalty pandemonium is beginning to question how accountable football officials actually are for their decisions. One side of the argument claims that the demands made of officials are far too high; we cannot and should not expect referees to make the right decisions every single game. The job is difficult. We must appreciate that human error is always going to exist. But this is a facile point. We should certainly have high demands from match officials, as with all professions, especially when they are paid so handsomely. Basic salaries range from £70,000 to £85,000 with match fees taken into account. Howard Webb allegedly took home £120,000 last season. As with any profession, high salaries reflect the quality of individual ability. The consistent mistakes made in football call for some form of accountability to prevent them from recurring. Why should only the players get dropped for poor performances? The same should apply to match officials, ensuring that only those with a high quality record are considered for the
job, and not someone useless just because he looks like he sort of knows what he is doing. You may think I am overreacting. I probably am. But when placed into context, a football official’s error can have deep implications for a team. Liverpool have recently experienced a string of poor decisions that have cost them goals and potential points. Raheem Sterling’s disallowed goal against Manchester City on December 26th meant that Liverpool failed to equalise. If we assume that the goal had been allowed, and the result finished at 2-2, Liverpool would have gained a valuable point. With the current struggle for the top four, it seems likely that a small margin will separate those who do gain a Champions League place and those who do not. If Liverpool lose out on qualification by one point, they thereby lose the £7 million that is secured by all 32 clubs who reach the Champions League group stages. Why is it that the linesman responsible for this catastrophic mistake is not held legally accountable? In other industries, such as education, negligence
is absolutely unacceptable and someone is always held responsible, regardless of a situation’s severity. Therefore, the linesman should be made to pay Liverpool the £7 million. David Lacey argued in an article for the Guardian in 2011 that mistakes made by football officials were “honest ones” and cannot be subject to punishment. Instead, he suggested that we should accept them and carry on with our lives. I think he is wrong. What constitutes an honest mistake? Can a heart surgeon who makes an ‘honest mistake’ be let off? Others argue that legal accountability would diminish the numbers of officials in football. Would this necessarily be a bad thing? If only the best officials are rewarded, then it is hardly a poor state of affairs. In the Health profession, Doctors are put off serious surgery because of the responsibility that it carries. Only those who are competent enough carry out such procedures. Cricket provides a better attempt at tackling accountability. The Elite Panel of ICC Umpires ensures that every Umpire has at least a 95% success rate in their decisions. Not only are they paid more than other Umpires, but only this group can referee the top games where the stakes are at their highest. Although legal accountability may be a little over ambitious, I feel that a crackdown is desperately needed in order to prevent poor decisions counting against teams. Sepp Blatter, President of FIFA, maintains that we must keep the human aspect to football, and ensure we do not allow video replays to ruin the game. But let the human errors be confined to players like Nicklas Bendtner and Emile Heskey, Sepp. I do not criticise the institutionally corrupt heads of international sporting associations and I am not going to break the habit of a lifetime for that prat.
W h y England w e r e wrong to drop Andy Flower Edward Henderson -Howat Sports Writer
England were already battered off-course by the Aussie storm following Ashes whitewash, but with head coach, Andy Flower, now gone, the rudder is truly broken and they could be sailing through stormy waters for some time to come. The engine behind the English cricket team was not an immaculate machine suddenly shattered by a winter of discontent. It had
its battle-scars upon it and was unquestionably damaged by the Ashes humiliation but Flower still had the experience, attitude and knowledge to steer England towards calmer waters. Who can say what fresh hope his successor will bring but for now the future of English cricket appears rudderless as the powers that be have removed one of the finest cricket coaches England has ever known. The team is at its lowest ebb in recent years so who better to stick with than the man who knows how to bounce back from defeat? Flower’s reign did
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not begin in a blaze of glory: his first match in charge in 2009 saw England crumble to 51 all out against the West Indies. Yet six months later they had regained the Ashes and in 2011 they were crowned number one test team in the world. Flower had recently stated how excited he was to once again raise the team from the ashes of defeat but after years of success and only a few months of failure the ECB has tossed him away. Michael Vaughan and Jonathan Agnew have been quick to declare that Flower was past his sell-by-date: too mechanical, too focused on data and statistics to allow players to express their natural game. But his methods worked as he moulded one of the most successful England cricket teams of all time. They spent periods ranked number one in all forms of the game, won three Ashes series in a row for the first time in 32 years, defeated India in the subcontinent for the first time in 27 years and lifted the T20 World Cup - England’s first triumph at an ICC Global Event. Crucially, Flower never rested on the laurels of victory but equally, the former Zimbabwean captain who sacrificed his own career by standing against Mugabe, retained a sense of perspective. His humility in victory and strength in defeat was what fuelled his success and there is little reason why this approach could not have restored the team to former glories. The 2011 BBC coach of the year would have provided invaluable continuity for England moving forward. It is not ‘the old guard’ who will be scarred by Ashes defeat – they know what it is to thrash the Aussies. It is the newer players like Ballance, Borthwick and Root who will need a senior figure to drive them to victory. By replacing Flower and undermining five years of accomplishment, England run the risk of turning a single failure into a longer-term decline. The likes of Ashley Giles or Mick Newell may be able replacements, but finding someone as resolute, meticulous and successful as Flower? What a challenge that will be.
Ladies’ tennis secure third place in Premier League Hely Rose Phillips Sports Writer After a positive first term, and a convincing win over Bath’s second team the week before, Bristol ladies’ first team competed in their final match in the BUCS Premier South Division this week. Up against Bournemouth,-who desperately needed to secure a win over Bristol to avoid relegation
to the second division,- the pressure was on the opposing side, as the first’s performance last term meant only a draw was required to finish in third place in the league. The matches kicked off with the two doubles. Hetty Knox and Joanna Kondratowicz - Bristol’s first pair - marginally missed out on the victory despite putting up an undoubtedly strong fight throughout the match. The pair, who had not previously played together, lost 6-4 7-6 with their
opponents managing to snatch the win by only two points (97) in the second set tiebreak. After this extremely positive performance however - which included some impressive volleys and doubles play - Bristol were one rubber down. This meant it was vital that Bristol’s other doubles pair – first years Savannah Simons and Hely Phillips - pull through with a win in order to level the score with the opposition entering the singles matches. Easing into
some exciting plays and strong teamwork, the two secured the first set 6-4, narrowly missed out on the second 5-7, and continued their partnership to seal the win 10-2 in the final set. With the rubbers now at 1-1, the singles began with some controversy in the match between the teams’ number one players. After some great tennis and some heated discussions, Bournemouth came through on top, winning 6-2 6-4 against Bristol’s Hetty
Knox. Bristol then managed to retain the next rubber with their number two Joanna Kondratowicz comfortably defeating her opponent 63 6-3. With the playing field level once again, the ladies last two singles matches were imperative in determining the outcome of the match. Next off court was Bristol’s Phillips, who appeared to be unable to turn the match around against her Bournemouth opponent even with some valiant attempts
and was defeated 6-3 6-3. With Bournemouth now one rubber ahead entering the final match, it was all left down to Simons to equal it all out. A fantastic three-setter saw Simons come out victorious and complete the draw winning 6-4 3-6 and 4-1 in the abbreviated final set. This result against Bournemouth sees a successful finish to the season with the ladies tennis firsts ending in third position within the premier division.
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Editor’s Column The Greatest Show On Sports co-editor Jacob Webster searches for the solution to the sporting winter blues that seem to be hitting hard at the moment... and finds it in the shape of the RBS 6 Nations The sense of depression overwhelming the English sporting population is beginning to clear, and not a moment too soon. England’s Ashes capitulation did nothing to continue any feelings of Christmas cheer (the final mention of the festive season!) into the New Year, as first the Test Series, then the One Day International debacle, and finally the Twenty20 matches all went the way, rather too decisively and comfortably, of our fiercest cricketing enemies. My issue, then, is how can I possibly raise myself from the depths of this sporting slumber in order to be able to enjoy everything that makes sport great once again? The January transfer window did nothing to help, merely hammering home further the all-too-clear fact that football is so out of touch with the global economic situation that it seems to be beyond ridiculous. As the sums offered get higher and higher, and individual clubs’ record fees paid escalate further than could ever have been deemed imaginable, the previous excitement that was always generated by the mid-season transfer window simply turns to despair at the extortionate fees paid for some very average footballers. Sporting directors understand the desperation felt by the clubs struggling at the foot of domestic football’s top echelon, and accordingly inflate the prices of their commodities to take advantage. Crystal Palace signed 5 players as the final hours ticked down; Fulham brought in 6. Taking Fulham as a case in point, it baffles me how they can honestly justify paying £12 million for Konstantinos Mitroglou, a Greek striker with no proven track record in what may be termed a ‘quality’ league with no disrespect intended to the Greek Superleague. January is characterised by desperation – desperate attempts to bring in vagaries of quality in a vain attempt to maintain top-flight status, desperate attempts to demonstrate some signs of activity to appease fans foaming at the mouth in their search for evidence of transfer activity, and desperate attempts to sign squad players to cover for the increasing number of injuries resulting from the harsh nature of the English football season.
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Earth (and Bruno Mars) Benj Cunningham Sports Writer As a Philadelphia Eagles fan, I found myself bizarrely indifferent to the outcome of Super Bowl XLVIII, which saw the Seattle Seahawks face the Denver Broncos in East Rutherford, New Jersey. However, as an American Football fan, this was a mouth-watering prospect. The best offense in the league was to go up against the number one ranked defence in the NFL. Amid concerns of the cold weather affecting the game, the spectacle promised to be as red-hot as we have come to expect from the showpiece event from across the pond. Peyton Manning was too old. He had severely hurt his neck, forcing him to leave his beloved Indianapolis Colts, and would apparently never be able to cut it again in the NFL. Never before has anyone in any sport been quite so underestimated. He threw the most passing touchdowns (TDs), and for the most yards, ever in a single season. The Denver Broncos in the regular season scored the most points ever (606), scored the most TDs (76), and had five players with 10 or more TDs in a season, shattering the previous record of three. This was some offense. On the other side of the football were the Seahawks legendary “Legion of Boom” (the most American nickname I
have ever heard) defence. Their secondary, led by the arrogant but brilliant Richard Sherman, prided themselves on hitting harder than the opposition and scaring them into submission. It is almost impossible to write about them without sounding gushing. The first snap of the game flew over Manning’s head, into the Broncos’ endzone, and chalked up a safety for Seattle. 2-0 after 12 seconds. The Seahawks then drove down the field, using the outrageously quick wide receiver Percy Harvin to oh-so-nearly score a touchdown. Seattle only managed a field goal, but Denver were rattled. 5-0. Then stepped up Manning. A wily veteran, this old pro was nowhere near as likely to crumble under the pressure as his opposite number Russell Wilson. This is why they brought him out of retirement. Although Manning is known for his laser accuracy and ludicrous intelligence, he is also famous for being a choker. He cannot perform on the big stage. And, while I detest labelling people as such, there is no smoke without fire. He has now lost the most post-season games - 12 of 23 - of any NFL player. On his first drive, Manning overthrew Thomas, right into the grateful arms of Kam Chancellor, who was exceptional. Seahawks marked up another field goal and Manning’s postseason demons were not to be exorcised.
January is characterised by desperation
Enough has been said about the farce of the Winter Olympics for me to know, in advance, that it will do nothing to alleviate the sporting darkness. No amount of genius by Shaun White, Lizzie Yarnold or Maria Riesch can dissuade from the setting in which it is taking place – warmer temperatures than here in Bristol, a short walk away from the beach, and in the context of baffling homophobia. No, Sochi 2014 can’t do it. What can do it then? What can banish the winter blues, blow away the cobwebs and splash colour on a canvas of grey? The Super Bowl is a just short-term fix, a night of outlandish entertainment that grips the entire Western hemisphere, but only for a 4 hour period, at the end of which everyone remembers why American Football can lead to a certain degree of tedium. But there is a solution, a magnificent spectacle that captures the hearts and minds of nations all over Europe, characterised by passion, atmosphere, and frightening rivalry. As Eddie Butler said, ‘The best of our friends are often our greatest enemies’, and nothing demonstrates that more than the RBS 6 Nations: a rugby tournament of such majesty that I struggle to find sufficient words to adequately convey the combination of joy, excitement, nerves and sheer delight that I, and countless others, feel.
The next two months of rugby are a painkiller to our sporting headaches
It is this that shall open the curtains that have been firmly drawn all winter, pouring in light that shall then continue apace through a summer of Wimbledon and the Football World Cup. The 6 Nations is the starting point, the moment at which we all realise what sport is all about – the agony and the ecstasy, the success and the defeat, the overwhelming pride and passion that simply cannot be contained. Weekdays become a countdown to match day, a lengthy build-up to the moment at which the national anthems are belted out with such gusto that grizzled 18-stone men are reduced to tears. Oh, what a joy the 6 Nation is! So here is a little bit of advice from the Epigram Sport Editor: make an effort on a Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Forget about doing work for the afternoon, get some friends together, and find yourself somehwere where you can watch the rugby. Immerse yourself in the passion. You will love it. That is the solution, the medicine for the pain. The next two months of rugby are the painkiller to our sporting headaches.
Starting the second quarter with the ball, the Seahawks drove down the field for that man Marshawn Lynch to barrel into the end-zone from short range. And, on the next Denver drive, the Super Bowl was lost. Facing 3rd and 13, Manning dropped back in the pocket, looking for the receivers who had come up time and time again for him in these situations. But, under huge pressure from Cliff Avril, Manning threw the ball up in the air. Malcolm Smith rose, caught it, and cantered back into the end-zone. 22-0, and the game was lost by halftime. Matching Beyoncé the year before, Bruno Mars stormed onto the stage, performing the ironically titled hit single “Runaway Baby”, before being joined by the topless, maniacal Red Hot Chili Peppers. The Americans never do things by half, and the fireworks display after the final note of “Just the Way You Are” faded away was nothing short of jaw-dropping. Twelve seconds into the next half, Seattle were 29-0 up. The much-maligned Percy Harvin had caught a bouncing kick off, shrugged off some ordinary Broncos tackling, and scorched his way into the end-zone. Jason Kearse then grabbed a Wilson pass, spun around two tired Broncos and waltzed to another touchdown. 36-0 and this was turning into a rout. Denver fans switched off. Manning did eventually find Demaryius Thomas for a TD but it was little consolation, especially when men from the Pacific North West marched back up the field to notch another score through Doug Baldwin. 43-8, and utter humiliation for the Broncos, and Peyton Manning. It is never nice to see a legend falter. But it is nice to watch a legend made. This Seattle defence can now be justifiably mentioned in the same breath as the ’70 Steelers and the ’85 Bears. A bunch of misfits and rejects, this team had a serious collective chip on its shoulder. Even their coach, Pete Carroll, had been fired twice in his NFL career. A special mention should go to Russell Wilson, the young quarterback who once attended a coaching session led by the great Peyton Manning, and had now beaten his idol in a Super Bowl. The Broncos were not ready for this. The Seahawks were. And they will go down as one of the all-time great sides.
The good, the bad and the ugly
Good... ...bad... ...ugly
For Chelsea fans it will be painful to see their 2013 player of the year in United red, and a rare complaint by Arsene Wenger (it’s difficult to convey sarcasm in a newspaper) made sure everyone knew what he thinks of the move. But for anyone who is a pure football fan, or a United fan, it is a pleasure to see the silky smooth play maker back in action and already linking up with United’s frontline.
‘The Thorpedo’, Ian Thorpe, is most famous for being one of the greatest swimmers of his generation and scooping three gold and two silver medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, followed by two more golds at the 2004 Athens Olympics. However, following some recent odd behaviour around a car in Sydney which resulted in a call to the police, he has now been admitted to rehab for depression. He was already on anti-depressants prior to the event.
A city where there ‘are no gay people’ according to its mayor. Add to the mix corruption, workers cheated out of wages (then arrested on trumped up charges if they complain), press restrictions despite promised freedom and a blatant disregard for the ‘environment friendly’ games that were promised and it is easy to have a sullied opinion of the games before the sport has even begun. Roll on the 2018 Football World Cup…
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Gladiators of the sporting amphitheatre The week that was... Piers Morgan @piersmorgan
Kallstrom injured in 1st Arsenal training session and out for months? This has to be a wind-up, right? Everyone’s favourite Twitter personality sums up the general feeling about Arsenal’s deadline day signing nicely, echoing the disbelief felt by Gooners everywhere at the situation. Can you bring in cover for cover?! Here is Kallstrom, showing no ill effects of the back injury that has caused such mirth in the footballing world.
We’ve hit £1k on our @Hambofoundation fundraiser. Whilst the 6 Nations may be dominating the rugby headlines, the tireless work done by the Matt Hampson Foundation to help those seriously injured and paralysed in sporting incidents continues apace. Were it not for his neck injury, Matt may well have been playing for England this winter. Overall, a truly magnificent cause. You can donate to the Foundation at: https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/
Nasser Hussain @NasserHussain13
5-0 England, you absolute genius @beefybotham Sir Ian Botham may once have been the world’s best cricketer, but his powers of prediction were not up to scratch this winter. For 5-0 England, read 5-0 Australia. Oh dear - I think Nasser might have come out on top here.
Alistair Haggis Sports Writer The recent final of the Australian Open produced one of those moments which sportspeople the world over stand to applaud and admire. Rafael Nadal, superhuman athlete personified, has been having some issues with his fitness lately (all rumours that Novak Djokovic put kryptonite in his tennis bag have been proven to be unfounded). But after Nadal battled through four sets against Stanislas Wawrinka with a back which, to say the least, looked like it might have been causing him some discomfort, it makes you wonder: is he alone in the sporting battler’s hall of fame? Nadal has certainly had an unfortunate few years with injury, slipping down the rankings before his comeback last year. The power and strength of the 27 year old Spaniard has never waned though, with many describing his performances on his return to fitness as even better than they were before. Rafa seemed back in business. His back issue doesn’t appear to have left him though, which for most players would prove to be a
handicap. As Pat Cash said afterwards, it is hard to beat Rafa at 60%, if simply for his pure persistence and power. If the big left hander had walked off the court the world would have been denied a spectacle and a certain aura would have been lost. Nadal has always been a never-say-die player and it would signal his injury was winning if it made him retire in an Open final. Wawrinka knew he would have to play to the end. The world was treated to a massive struggle between a man looking for his first major title and a man looking to overcome the odds due to his back severely limiting his movement, a classic display of strength and commitment. Despite it being an impressive achievement, Nadal has a way to go before he matches the sheer balls shown by Wayne Shelford in the colours of New Zealand in 1986. No horrific, heroic, playing-through-an-injury tale would be complete with a long nod to the tough All Black number 8. In a match against France he found himself at the bottom of a ruck, as every good number 8 will often in their career, when a stud ripped through his scrotum. Yes gents, you read
that right, and I hope there is a hedge nearby for you to lean over. Where this fine fellow excels himself though is in his dignified response… After jogging to the touchline with one testicle dangling out, he got it stitched up on the side line by the team doctor and proceeded back out onto the pitch. You read that right. He finished the game. I think modern day footballers need a long look in the mirror next time they go down clutching their neatly combed hair in pain. For me, that was the outstanding example of going beyond what would normally be asked of you by a reasonable manager. Every manager or coach wants their player to put their body on the line for the cause, or so the cliché says at least. Very few can expect such a literal interpretation and steadfast tough attitude as Mr Shelford gave on that fateful day. Let’s hope these sort of players don’t die out, for the world needs more Nadals and Shelfords to keep the public believing that our sports stars are indeed more physically outstanding than we could ever be.
y.caradec
BT Sport Rugby @btsportrugby
The modern sporting giants that would make even Maximus Decimus Meridius think twice in the sporting Colisseum.
Epigram
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Sport Men’s water polo on target for third title Editor: Hetty Knox
Editor: Jacob Webster
sport@epigram.org.uk
jacob.webster@epigram.org.uk sportonline@epigram.org.uk
Online Editor: George Moxey
Alice Trocellier
Clement Rames Bristol Water Polo After last Thursday’s crushing 19-9 of Southampton, Bristol Men’s Water Polo team won yet another resounding victory against Imperial College on Saturday 1st February. Goalkeeper Diego Lara only conceded 3 goals to Imperial, thanks to Bristol’s impeccable defence. Wingman Charlie
Harbot and center forward Tom Dean were especially successful, with 4 and 3 goals scored respectively. After a tight first quarter, where Imperial scored two goals, Bristol asserted their superiority by scoring 13 goals in total. Undefeated so far, Bristol Men’s Water Polo are now looking forward to the BUCS semi-finals in Leeds and finals in Surrey. Expected to be Bristol’s fiercest
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opponent in the group stage of BUCS, Imperial were ruthlessly sent home with a dazzling score of 13-3. This confirms Bristol’s undisputed position as leader of the Premier South league. Bristol boys, led by former GB coach Mark Taylor, have been unstoppable throughout the first term, following the tracks of last year’s undefeated BUCS season. The Bristol Alumni Foundation, by providing brand new goals,
contributed to Bristol’s success, and the team is very grateful for their support. The first few minutes of the game were especially intense, with two goals in row scored by Imperial. Yet this illusion did not last long, with Imperial’s hopes destroyed as Bristol’s Kieran Whittle, Charlie Harbot, Matt Jenner and Tom Dean scored four goals between them in the first quarter. Bristol’s positioning
and strategy were impeccable, in contrast with Imperial’s sketchy defence. Several man-ups were conceded by Imperial, providing even more goal scoring opportunities for Bristol. Keeper Diego Lara was rarely solicited, as Bristol’s tight defence did not allow the London men to come closer than seven or eight metres from the goal. Four goals were scored during the second and third quarter, killing the game off. This game once again showed the perfect cohesion between the freshers and the most experienced players and victory rewarded the training commitment of the team. Bristol comfortably qualified for the knockout phase of BUCS, and can look forward to facing the leaders of the Northern Premier league, Edinburgh and Durham. As captain Joe Worland told Epigram before the game, ‘we’ve got a strong squad of players that have produced great results so far. If we can perform at the level we expect of ourselves we should win our final group matches. The real challenge starts in the knockout rounds; we expect to win BUCS so we can’t afford any hiccups.’ Bristol Water Polo is among one of the only Bristol clubs to ever retain a BUCS gold medal. Winning BUCS for the third consecutive time would be a milestone in the history of Bristol University, and of British sport in general.
@epigramsport
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