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est. 1988

The University of Bristol’s Independent Student Newspaper

Preview on page 16

Fortnightly 3rd December 2018 Issue 333 Celebrating 30 years

Furniture enthusiasts unite behind new IKEA society •

• •

IKEA society has unexpectedly captured the hearts and minds of the Bristol student population, with a membership expanding to 250.

Road trips planned to go on furniture outings and eating the outlet’s famous meatballs Founder: ‘we don’t really know what it’s about to be honest’

Maddy Russell

Need to flush your loo?

Refill it yourself

Second Year, Politics and IR Student

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group of Bristol students have launched an Ikea Society, aimed at all lovers of the Swedish self-assembly furniture

brand.

The society, which describes itself as a ‘fun, friendly society for furniture enthusiasts’ has seen over two hundred and fifty members join its Facebook group within the last few weeks.

Members of the society are invited to join a monthly Ikea trip and to partake in a ‘cheeky’ lunch of the company’s famous Swedish-style meatballs.

An Ikea themed costume party has also been planned for the 6th of December, at the White Harte. Students attending the event are encouraged to come wearing the company’s signature blue and yellow brand colours.

In a statement to Epigram, Toby Maddock, president of the society said: ‘It all sort of spiraled really. It started after we had a Bristruth posted and that sort of kicked it all off.

‘We don’t know exactly what the society is about at the moment, to be honest. Initially it was a bit of a joke and now we have 250 plus members and a social planned for next week.’

IKEA Soc is one of a latest raft of new societies to request affiliation with the SU. Some of the new societies include ABBASoc, Bristol University Tea society, student mental health group Support our services. Women in Tech and Beat This together for eating disorders.

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Failed water supply in halls leaves students having to manually refill their toilets James Cleaver Online News Editor

Exclusive • •

New Bridewell students faced consistent water issues Students informed there was ‘no danger’ of the water being contaminated

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tudents at New Bridewell were forced to manually refill their toilets after having their water supply affected for the third time this term.

A major leak in the water pipes at B block caused all the water at the Unite-owned residency to be turned off for two hours on Wednesday 14 November. The management team at the Unite-

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owned residency provided unlimited water bottles at reception, and students were informed that they had to manually fill up their toilets with water in order to flush them.

The University refused to say how many plastic bottles were given out during this time.

While the hot water was restored that night, the cold water was not turned back on until the next day after the visit of plumbing engineers.

Once turned back on, the hot water was able to be used for cooking and washing. In emails seen by Epigram, students were advised ‘if you simply fill your toilet with water from the hot water system then they will still function as normal.’ Students were informed that there was absolutely no danger of the water being contaminated, and that a ‘major leak’ was the only concern.

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While the leak was being investigated, there was a loss of power for 15 minutes across the entire halls to avoid the obvious safety risk of mixing electricity and water.

This is the third problem New Bridewell has faced with its water supply this year. For over a week at the end of October, the latter also affecting B block specifically.

In that time, B block was without cold water for 24 hours, and there was a period of 90 minutes in which all blocks had their water turned off. Students were required to fill up their toilets with hot water and the management team provided refillable water bottles at reception again.

Students also had to use shower and washing facilities at the nearby Puregym.

Continued on page 2

Editorial Hello again! So soon? Yes, I am back for the second consecutive fortnight, though the reason for this ties well into what I want to talk about this week. I write this in during a difficult day in Epigram’s office, the reasons for which I am sure you will have read on our social media feed. If not, do take the time to look at it. We have had a very difficult few days, and for that reason I would like to step back and take an existential look at Epigram; who we are exactly, and what we really try to do. This will (hopefully) tie into a greater message about stress, social media and Uni pressures, though I am several cups of tea in and have just tried one of the SU’s new cookies (which are excellent by the way), so coherency is one thing I cannot guarantee.

Epigram is, first and foremost, a student organisation run for students, by students. Unlike many other student newspapers across the country, none of our 78-strong editorial team are paid. We give up, collectively, hundreds of hours a week to spend in an incredibly hot and stuffy office. I don’t want an award or acclaim for this, we volunteer and we know what we’re volunteering for. Being a part of Epigram is a competitive process and not everyone who wants to work for us can, simply due to the volume of interest we receive. It is hugely rewarding and good fun - but what is the point of a media organisation that does not put its readers at the heart of everything it does? We have no agenda, we have no desire to put our personal opinion on spin on the things we do, our first and foremost priority is this: stand up for the interests of students, provide information, advice and amusement and actually provide the students of Bristol with a voice.

We get things wrong all the time. What do you expect? This paper is run by third year students in the midst of deadlines and dissertations. Our finance is headed by a third year, our paper is run

by Ed and I (two third years) and our online is run by Hannah (a third year). Every single minute detail of the newspaper you are now reading is headed by students, from our advertising, to our content, to our images, to our finance and sales. I am immensely proud of the content we produce and so happy to work with such an intelligent, inspiring and creative team every day. But, in the end, I am a final year student in Politics, trying to craft Master’s applications, write essays and propose research: the work I am paying handsomely to do. If there is a spelling mistake on our front page, or a hastilywritten, poorly fact-checked article, that is simply proof to the pace at which we work.

The only thing I expect is that this information is taken into account when it comes to our all-too-critical online forums, meme pages and comment sections. Personally, my own mental health has taken a considerable dive since starting as Editor. I struggle when we do something wrong because I take everything personally. When I see someone criticise our team for being self-obsessed, or our brand as being right wing, or left wing, or too critical, or not critical enough, I see the work our team tirelessly put into the paper and get inordinately frustrated at how wrong all of these statements are.

It is, perhaps, a compliment that the standards we are held to are so high. But it is also a strain that we struggle to take up and, as a personal plea, I ask that you enjoy and actively engage with this paper. If you disagree with an article, that is great - write a response, a letter, or email us on editor@epigram.org.uk. We love constructive criticism; but we simply ask that you understand the following: We are run by part time volunteers who are also students who also have degrees. We get things wrong and want to be told when we do, but constructively. Epigram is not a brand you inherit, it morphs and changes year from year as editorial teams come and go. It does not have the consistency of The Tab nor the resources of a national paper. We try our best to succeed in the endeavour of holding institutions to account and conducting award-winning, brilliant journalism; sometimes it is a blinding success, sometimes we flounder. But we’re learning and developing year from year. Keep supporting us, and we’ll keep standing up for you.

I hope you enjoy this week’s edition; we have some cracking news stories, scintillating features and some really interesting discussions.

The Christmas period is beginning to hot up so, if you fancy getting away from Bristol, explore the Bath Christmas market!

See you in the new year.

Cameron Scheijde co-Editor-in-Chief

co-Editors in Chief: Ed Southgate & Cameron Scheijde editor@epigram.org.uk Deputy Editor: Nikki Peach

Online Editor: Hannah Worthington Deputy Online Editors: Kate Hutchison & Oliver Cohen Chief Proofreader Ethan Luc

Write for Epigram: Join our writers’ groups on Facebook by searching: Epigram Features Writers 2018/19 Epigram Comment Writers 2018-19 Epigram Science and Tech Writers 2018-19 Epigram Living Writers 2018-19 Epigram Wellbeing Writers 2018/19 Epigram Food Writers 2018/2019 Epigram Travel Writers 2018/19 Epigram Style Writers 2018-19 Epigram Film & TV Writers 2018-19 Epigram Arts Writers 2018-19 Epigram Music Writers 2018/19 Epigram Sport Writers 2018/2019

Sub-editors: Nina Bryant (News), Eleanor Holmes (Features), Phoebe Chase (Comment), Rebecca Scott (Science), Hendrike Rahtz (Living), Anna Hart (Wellbeing), Erin Lawler (Food), Eloisa Griffiths (Travel), Laura Mallinson (Style), Eleanor Gunn (Film & TV), Eleanor Tarr (Arts), Guy Marcham (Music), Kezi James (Puzzles) Managing Director Frankie McNab Director of Communications Tara Lidstone Director of Finance Ben Woods Head of Ads and Sales Joshua Varghese Head of Marketing Emily Lowes Epigram is the independent student newspaper of the University of Bristol. The views expressed in this publication are not those of the University or the Students’ Union.

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New Bridewell students face water problems Continued from front page One fresher at New Bridewell, speaking on condition of anonymity, complained: ‘There’s now been multiple occasions where we’ve been without water and it’s been a big inconvenience.

We’d expect better given the cost of yearly residence at New Bridewell.’

The management team have since carried out a ‘full-scale service and repair’ of B Block’s pipework, following a temporary fix earlier this month.

The University’s Accommodation Services stated: ‘We are

confident that the repairs to the boost system and the pipework has resolved all issues with the water situation at New Bridewell.

We ensured we got the best possible advice and engineering company to provide a detailed review and repair to the entire water pressure system as well as the damaged pipework. At present we do not have any further work scheduled over the Christmas period.

‘New Bridewell has been in regular communication with students about this issue and the University is satisfied that this problem, which was not the result of any action or inaction on their part, was handled well.’

Pic of the fortnight: A spookily-lit Bristol Cathedral on College Green Epigram Paper

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Editor: Imogen Horton Online Editor: James Cleaver Deputy Editor: Lucy Downer Investigations Editor: Louise Cripps Uni Management Correspondent: Laura Reid Student Life Correspondent: Victoria Dyer SU Correspondent: Zoe Crowther

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Disruption at ‘transphobic’ social theorist’s talk •

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Social theorist Dr. Helen Brunskell-Evans was kicked out of the Women’s Equality Party in February Students protested her presence at the Free Speech Society talk, hosted on a day of Transgender remembrance

Ed Southgate co-Editor in Chief

Analysis / Crime rates in student areas Will Charley

Comment Editor

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pigram has sought to understand the level of crime in Bristol through examining one of the biggest problems for students in privately rented accommodation: Burglary.

Using data from the Police.UK website, Epigram surveyed the number of burglaries between October 2017 and September 2018 in the student areas of Redland, Clifton, Cotham and an area the Police refer to as the ‘Old City Docks’ – the city centre.

In total, the city centre received most reports of burglary in this period, with a total of 201. The area with the next highest levels of burglary was Cotham, which received 139 reports between October 2017 and September 2018 inclusively. Redland came third with 96 burglaries, whilst Clifton proved to be the safest area with just 73 reports of burglary in the 12-month period.

Epigram’s survey revealed that earlyspring is the peak time for burglaries in these student areas.

The highest number of burglaries in the period studied was in January and April for Cotham, October and January for Redland, and in February and May for Clifton. In the city centre, the month with the highest number of burglaries

was in July.

The study also revealed that despite burglaries being a problem for students, they constitute a proportionally small number of crimes compared to other offences. Burglaries made up just 11.9 per cent of crime reports in Redland, 7.2 per cent in Clifton and 15.7 per cent in Cotham. In the city centre, burglaries made up just 4.3 per cent of all crimes.

Instead, the most common crime reported was normally anti-social behaviour.

In Redland, violence and sexual assault was the most common crime in a majority of months, coming top for just eight months of the period studied.

In Cotham and Clifton, ‘violence and sexual assault’ was the second-most reported offence, with ‘anti-social behaviour’ being the most commonly reported offence on a monthly basis.

This trend followed in the city centre, where anti-social behaviour was the most common crime every month from October 2017 to September 2018, with the exception of February 2018.

Nonetheless, the city centre had the largest number of crimes between October 2017 and September 2018, with 4,686 reports. Clifton had the second most crimes -1,014 reports- followed by Cotham -885 reports- and lastly Redland, with only 806 crimes being reported over the 12 months studied.

“We are aware that this coincidence may have caused hurt for members of the transgender community and we are sorry for that.”

Izzy Posen President, Free Speech Society

was kicked out of the Women’s Equality Party for comparing transgender women to children who pretend they are astronauts.

‘There is a particular focus from these groups on women who are transgender in particular, and very little mention of men who are transgender because apparently they view it as two completely separate phenomena.’

Dr. Brunskell-Evans covered academic freedom, how research funding is dominated by politics, and her opposition to the ‘transgendering of minors’.

The group are said to have been invited by the President of Free Speech Society to join the event and challenge her during question time at the end.

Bristol Free Speech society has so far hosted two gender-critical academics who have been accussed of transphobia. The students who disrupted yesterday’s event believe this is a protest to the motion passed through Bristol SU last year to ban TERFs from speaking on campus.

Izzy Posen said this ‘has never been an explicit motivation’.

Of the event, he said: ‘There were some nice questions from the audience, with people challenging her views and offering different opinions. Everyone in

attendance was extremely respectful and compassionate.

‘Overall the event was a huge success, showing once again that with good will we can talk respectfully about difficult topics, whilst empathising with those whose lives are affected on a day to day basis by these issues.

‘Ultimately, as long as we come from a place of empathy and discussion, we are really not on opposing sides of the argument. We all have the same goal. We just disagree on what’s the best way to get there.’

India Harrison Pepe

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prominent social theorist accused of transphobia was protested at her talk which coincided with a Transgender Remembrance Day vigil.

Five students marched into a Queen’s Building lecture theatre before Dr. Helen Brunskell-Evans, who had been invited by Bristol Free Speech Society, could begin her talk. One read out a list of names of those who had been killed, often violently, this year for being transgender, before six security guards escorted them out.

At the same time, Bristol SU were hosting a Transgender Remembrance Day Vigil to remember those who had lost their lives in the past year. This included a minute’s

silence, a selection of short speeches and poetry, and a candle lit at the front.

Izzy Posen, President of the Free Speech Society, insisted they were unaware of this until one day before the event, and apologised for any upset.

‘We are aware that this coincidence may have caused hurt for members of the transgender community and we are sorry for that. It is never our intention to cause hurt or offence’, he said.

A number of high-profile individuals branded trans-exclusionary radical feminists (TERFs) were in the audience, including Posie Parker.

In a video, Parker can be heard saying ‘for f*cks’s sake’ when the vigil was mentioned, insisting she would continue talking over them when the list of deceased people were read out.

One of the students disrupting the talk, Luke Tyers, told Epigram: ‘We were just upset as a group of people from the trans community, and [one of the students] was desperate to just go there and read out that list of names.

‘The reason we were there is that a lot of energy is being used up by these people to create the idea that being transgender is a mental illness, and the speaker of this event

City centre location has highest rate of sexual assault in Bristol •

The city centre, where some Bristol halls are located, has 950 reports of assault last year

Louise Cripps

Investigations Editor

Investigation

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n Epigram analysis of crime in student residential areas has found that Old City Docks, where many city centre halls are located, has the highest rate of violent and sexual assault of any student area in Bristol.

Police statistics have shown that there were 950 counts of violent and sexual assault in the Old City Docks area between October 2017 and September 2018. This number accounts for a substantial 17.62 per cent of all crimes committed in City Docks last year.

This statistic is more broadly located in the areas high crime rate, with a total of 4686 crimes committed last year alone. All other student areas had a crime rates below 1000 The reported number of violent and sexual offences in Clifton, Stoke Bishop, Redland and Cotham last year were significantly lower than that of Old City Docks. Clifton had 167 counts, Stoke Bishop 164, and then

17.6%

Of all crimes in city docks were sexual assault

slightly lower was that of Cotham with 147 and Redland with 144.

This brings to attention Bristol SU’s recent ‘Let’s Talk About Sex’ survey, which found that nearly a third of female students felt unsafe on campus compared to three per cent of men. While 60 per cent of female student said they felt unsafe walking home at night.

Most damagingly the SU found that 52 per cent of Bristol students had experienced sexual harassment and 16 per cent had experienced sexual assault or rape.

This comes with Bristol’s ‘Reclaim The Night March’ earlier this week. The march aimed to highlight gender-based violence and gender inequality in Bristol.

In explaining the impetus for the campaign, Chloe Lake, Chair of Bristol SU’s Women’s Network and the organiser of this year’s march, cited solidarity with the Irish rape trial campaigners. Calling on Bristol students to march in solidarity with Irish campaigners, Lake said ‘Bring your knickers; bring your banners; bring your megaphones, as we let the world know #This is Not Consent’.

Bristol is amongst a number of other British Universities which have held solidarity marches; including the University of Oxford, where students marched in their underwear earlier this week.

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‘You are not alone’: Bristol students march for mental health • •

Ed Southgate

organisers gave a speech. It had five demands, including more funding for student counselling, expanding specialist services such as SHERPA, and to combat the ‘hostile environment’ faced by international students.

Chants included ‘mental health not VC wealth’, ‘our health not for sale’, ‘power to the student, not to Hugh Brady’ and ‘people not profit’.

Prospective postgraduate students were trying to navigate through the chanting crowd, because the march fell on the same day as a University Open Day. The march was organised with SOS, Bristol Labour Students, Bristol Cut the

Ed Southgate

Over 100 students marched from Senate House to Wills Memorial Student societies announce five demands, including more funding for student counselling

co-Editor in Chief

Laura Reid

Uni Management Correspondent

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Ed Southgate

tudents at Bristol University were today encouraged to look out for each other’s wellbeing, at a ‘march for mental health’.

Grace Carroll, a member of Support Our Services, told a crowd of over 100 students that there are ‘incredible people working in our University to help you’.

Ed Southgate

She said that ‘you can’t see mental illness, which makes it easier for people who don’t want to see it to pretend it’s not there’, but assured her peers that ‘you are not alone’.

‘It is time to reverse the stigma around young people’s mental health’, she concluded.

Support Our Services is a student-led group that has been campaigning for improved mental health provision and pastoral care. The group have been in discussions with the University, and it is understood that these have been positive and constructive.

Ruth Day, from the campaign group, added: ‘There are staff at this university that truly truly care about us’.

The march started at Senate House, passed Beacon House and crossed through the Clifton Triangle before reaching Wills Memorial Building where

Rent, Bristol Green Soc, People and Planet, FemSoc and Bristol Student-Staff Solidarity.

This year, new initiatives have been introduced to support student mental health. It included providing an optin service for a named parent or carer to be contacted by the University if a student is thought to be at risk, and it is currently spending over £6 million on mental health.

Vice-Chancellor Hugh Brady has called student mental health a ‘sectorwide crisis’, and has been encouraging all higher education institutions to make it a strategic priority.

“There are staff at this university that truly, truly care about us.”

Ruth Day Support Our Services

Drug testing facility Over 2000 staff and students targeted by HMRC scam returns to Bristol • • •

Award-winning charity, The Loop, offer their second free drug testing service Over a third of 16-25 year olds have taken illegal substances The Loop have warned about Nethylpentylone being missold as MDMA

Ed Southgate co-Editor in Chief

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rug-users were able to test ‘substances of concern’ earlier this week as Bristol hosted the UK’s second city-based free and confidential drug-testing facility.

The Loop, a registered charity, provides drug and alcohol awareness and welfare advice. On December 1, its second ever popup service appeared at Hamilton House in Stokes Croft from 12-8pm.

Drug-users were able to have their substances tested for strength, purity and identification. As part of the service, users are required to have a 15-minute consultation afterwards with an expert who will explain the findings, the risks that the particular substance carries, and the individual’s drug-use.

In many cases, the tested substance is not

what the user believes it to be. The awardwinning non-government organisation is increasingly concerned about the rise in Nethylpentylone being missold as MDMA. Despite both drugs having the same appearance, N-ethylpentylone can cause anxiety, paranoia and insomnia for 24-72 hours after the effects wear off. In some cases, the drug has caused temporary psychosis.

The Loop first appeared earlier this year, again in Bristol, and received support from the owner of popular nightclub Motion and Avon & Somerset Police.

The testing facilities have appeared at UK festivals for four years, including Boomtown, Parklife and Bristol’s Love Saves The Day. Organisers say this is not to promote druguse, but recognise that despite security, illegal substances may still get into the event.

Boomtown this year saw a 25 per cent decrease in drug-related medical problems, which The Loop attribute to their presence.

Similarly, Bristol West MP Thangam Debbonaire told parliament in July that she believes there to have been no drug-related deaths at Love Saves The Day because of the drug-testing facility.

Over a third of 16-25 year olds are estimated to have taken illegal substances.

The Home Office minister, Nick Hurd, assured Ms Debbonaire that the government ‘would not stand in the way’ of harm-reduction schemes such as The Loop.

•

Staff and students at risk from scam looking to steal banking details and passwords from those on .ac.uk emails

Lucy Downer

Deputy News Editor

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niversity students and staff are being targeted in a new email scam, where fraudulent emails are being sent claiming to be from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), that state a student is eligible for a refund.

In a bid to steal students’ banking and personal details, the fraudsters are using .ac.uk email addresses that may easily be mistaken for genuine university emails.

Fraudsters send a message, complete with HMRC, Gov.uk or credit card branding, stating that a student is entitled to a tax refund, the email may also include the recipient’s name and email address.

Thousands of students across the UK have been affected, and after an investigation Epigram can reveal that 200 Bristol students have been targeted, and around 2000 staff.

In an email sent out to all students at the university, Matt Osborn from the University’s IT services stated: ‘we have been able to react quickly by blocking access to websites that support these scams and removing

“All members of the University need to be aware” Matt Osborn Uni IT services

emails from inboxes. Doing this dramatically reduces the effectiveness of these scams, but all members of the University need to be aware of the dangers to help minimize the impact.

‘In total we believe around 200 students received this message but most of those held dual status of being both staff and student.

‘Members of the University need to remain vigilant against these attacks.

‘For information on how to identify and deal with phishing emails please see our Information page on the subject.

‘If you feel you may have been a victim of one of these emails, please contact the IT Service Desk via email at service-desk@ bristol.ac.uk or phone on 0117 428 2100.’

The HMRC have said that this is the first time it has seen a tax-scam directly targeted at university students on such a scale.

Bristol has been called upon by HMRC as one of 16 particular universities in the UK who need to raise awareness of the dangers of the new scam. It believes cases of students becoming victims of the scam are under-reported.

HMRC has stated that it will never use email, text or voicemail as a method of communication for legitimate refunds.

Anyone who thinks they are being targeted should avoid clicking on any links in the email, and should report the incident to Bristol’s IT services.

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News 5

Student Council approves annual male mental health campaign • •

All motions were passed at latest Student Council The ‘Man Feelings’ campaign hopes to challenge masculine stereotypes and create an open space to discuss male mental health

Zoe Crowther SU Correspondent

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• •

Nina Bryant

he latest Student Council saw every single motion get passed, including a male mental health campaign to be run by Bristol SU every November.

The event on Tuesday, November 20, achieved record attendance for any Bristol SU democratic event. With 234 students present, excluding late-comers, each motion was passed with a strong majority.

Isaac Haigh, Co-founder of Support our Services campaign group (SOS), spoke in favour of introducing a ‘Man Feelings’ campaign to promote positive masculinity and openness surrounding male mental health problems. In his speech, he highlighted the stigma surrounding the issue: ‘Men must be stoic, unemotional, strong and powerful, but are unable to show weakness. We must challenge these stereotypes together. With the SU’s help I will set up a short trial campaign in February with the aim to get one started every year in November linking with Movember.’

Isaac Haigh, Co-founder of SOS The Undergraduate Education Officer

Nasra Ayub posed the question of how this campaign would consider intersectional identities, with Haigh responding that there would be collaboration with societies and SU Networks to ensure that a diverse collection of student voices would be heard.

Speaking to Epigram, Isaac Haigh of SOS offered his thoughts on the male mental health campaign being successfully pushed through: ‘I am really happy that this motion has passed. I can’t wait to get started and engage students. I’ve often felt I can’t get help and I know that other students have felt the same. I’m just trying to help students not suffer alone.’

Another motion passed was the support for the Movement Against Immigration Detention and the Hostile Environment.

The proposing speaker, Syirah Ami, said ‘There are currently international students in detention. The motion basically asks the SU to provide support for movements that are campaigning.’

“Men must be stoic, unemotional [...] we must challenge these stereotypes together.”

Isaac Haigh Support Our Services

There were some questions from voting members of the Council: Izzy Posen, President of the Free Speech Society, asked about the politicisation of Bristol SU policies. Similar concerns were raised surrounding the SU’s position in favour of another referendum on Brexit.

Active opposition to Brexit was listed

by Sally Patterson, Liberation, Equality and Access Officer, as one of the manifesto points that she is continuing to work on.

Each SU officer gave updates of their progress and their plans for the rest of the academic year.

Felix Manocha-Seymour, Chair of the Disabled Students’ Network, argued the need for improvement to the accessibility of societies for those with disabilities. The

‘Welcome to the patriarchy’: panellists discuss the future of women’s equality The event celebrated the centenary of women’s suffrage Both men and women ‘need to kick-start change’

Zoe Crowther SU Correspondent

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panel of activists and historians, including Baroness Shami Chakrabarti, explored the obstacles facing women and urged the audience to engage and participate in shaping the next 100 years.

The sold-out event, Women and Equality: the next 100 years, was part of a series celebrating the centenary of some women gaining the vote. Organised by Bristol Women’s Voice, each panellist introduced a particular problem facing women in the workplace.

Shami Chakrabarti, Labour politician and former director of Liberty, a human rights advocacy group, spoke about the unequal representation of women in politics.

She argued that both women and men ‘need to kick-start change,’ and discussed the growing problem of women receiving abuse online: ‘Whilst the internet is a wonderful democratising thing, it has its dark side.

It’s led to a lot of misogynistic abuse, and we need to get to a place where the ethics,

the politics and the law catches up with the technology.’

In a conversation with Epigram, Chakrabarti said that the younger generation are better at instigating reform and that she is pro-affirmative action: ‘I think one of the reasons why Labour is so much better for gender equality than any of the other parties is because of all-women shortlists.

This can make women or minorities feel more comfortable in spaces traditionally dominated by men.’

As the chosen venue, Wills Memorial building was adapted to counter the University’s historically dominant representation of men. The exterior was lit up in the suffragette colours of purple, white and green, and new female portraits have been hung alongside the exclusively male portraits in the Great Hall to celebrate the contribution of women in shaping the University.

Panellist Sarah Smith, Professor of Economics at the University of Bristol, was particularly concerned with the gender pay gap. She said that occupational segregation goes as far back as choosing subjects at school, and that ‘we’re viewing people by gender all the time and it’s not necessarily to the benefit of women.’

According to Sally Patterson, Bristol SU’s Liberation, Access and Equality Officer, ‘it falls on [women] to be dealing with things

“Something I would like to see is the complete eradication of sexual violence in every form that it takes.”

Sally Patterson SU Liberation, Access and Equality Officer

practically, listening to the concerns of others as well as their own.’ She also highlighted the importance of considering the distinct experiences of minority women.

The audience were invited to participate in online opinion polls and share their own experiences of discrimination. The questionnaire results were shown live, showing that a majority of those attending were generally optimistic for the future.

Patterson expressed her thoughts on the direction of women’s equality: ‘I, personally as a young woman, think there is still a long way to go. And something I would like to see is the complete eradication of sexual violence in every form that it takes.

I would like to see an erasure of a culture which promotes and allows such violence to happen.’

In response to an audience member’s question, Chakrabarti laughed and responded ‘welcome to the patriarchy.’ All of the panellists outlined their desire for men to participate in confronting current inequalities, with Smith saying: ‘We need men to be in the room and take ownership of the problem.’

With Bristol being one of the first Higher Education institutions to welcome nearly as many female students as male students in its first cohort, Gane proclaimed this as ‘the early commitment of the University to equality.’

motion passed to introduce mandatory training for one committee member of every society, who shall then take responsibility for ensuring that the society is inclusive.

Manocha-Seymour said: ‘Given how many disabled students feel excluded from societies at the moment, I think that the benefit would definitely justify the tiny amount of extra effort.’

Students also voted in favour of ratifying all the motions from the previous Student Council, including policies to confront transmisogyny on campus.

After the event finished, Stanford, Union Affairs Officer, said: ‘Best Student Council ever! So many people in the room, a really conciliatory environment, very relaxed, very positive.’

Anti-begging bollards condemned by Bristol Uni Help the Homeless Olivia Duggan Third Year, Theology

The University’s Help the Homeless society has slammed new Bristol bollards as ‘antihomeless’.

Bristol City Council installed the bollards in Trenchard Street car park after receiving a ‘sharp increase’ in complaints about aggressive begging.

Jamine Silk, Help the Homeless President, said they show ‘a clear lack of understanding to the problem of homelessness’.

He continued: ‘It will not stop begging, it will simply move it to a different location, putting the most vulnerable in our society at risk. This shows a serious lack of compassion, and as a society we must condemn it’.

A spokesperson for Bristol City Council denied the anti-homeless accusations. ‘There is a difference between anti-begging and anti-homeless’, they said. They added that they are working with the homeless in the area ‘to try and help them access support.’

Homelessness is one of the biggest problems Bristol faces. Earlier this month, a review from the charity Shelter estimated there are 2,774 rough sleepers in the city, while 11,300 are homeless in the South West.

epigram 03.12.2018

6 News

Bristol alumnus offers £1m for new Temple Quarter Campus •

The SLC have defended their actions saying they have a ‘duty’ ensure taxpayers’ funds are being properly disbursed

Nina Bryant News Sub-Editor YouTube / University of Bristol

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ristol Alumnus, Dr Bhikhu Patel, and his wife have donated £1 million towards the development of the new enterprise campus. The new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus (TQEC) will be a hub for scientific and engineering development, with a particular focus on entrepreneurship and digital innovation.

Dr Patel, who graduated from the University with a degree in architecture in 1973 said: ‘I am so grateful for everything education as given me in life. I want others to benefit in the same way - helping the next generation become entrepreneurs and

“If people have public sources of information about themselves then they must expect that will be looked at.”

Christian Brodie SLC Chair

innovators of the future.’

Both Steve O’Connor, Director of Development and Alumni Relations, and Hugh Brady, Vice Chancellor, have expressed their gratitude with regards to Bhikhu Patel’s generous donation.

Steve O’Connor said: ‘Bhikhu and Shashi’s belief in higher education…will be instrumental in realising our vision for the new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus as a beacon of digital innovation and enterprise.’

In addition to donating to the new campus, Bhikhu and his wife, Shashikala, have formed the Bhikhu and Shashikala Patel Student Support Fund, which will provide scholarships and bursaries to students in financial need.

The new campus aims to benefit the wider community, not just the University, by connecting local businesses, social enterprises, students and academics. To make sure their plans complement each other, The University are consulting Bristol City Council about their vision for the Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone.

Bristol University’s economics course number one in the UK for increasing male earnings • •

It was also found that women benefit more economically from a degree than men Women who study medicine, economics, maths, business and law will experience the highest increase in earnings

Will Charley Comment Editor

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study conducted by the Department for Education in conjunction with the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has found that men who study economics at the University of Bristol will experience the greatest increase in earnings compared to male non-graduates, nationally.

Men who graduate with an economics degree from Bristol University can expect to earn 179 per cent more than the average man without a degree in the UK. The study also found that on average women experience a greater increase in earnings by having a degree than men.

Across the UK, female graduates earn 28 per cent more than women without degrees, whilst men earn only eight per cent more than males without degrees.

Whilst a female graduate can expect to earn £6,700 more per year than a female non-graduate, the average male graduate will earn just £2,700 more per year compared to a male non-graduate.

Almost all universities and degrees were found to produce an increase in earnings for women, however some courses produce a decrease in the earnings of male graduates compared to non-graduates. A third of male students receive a ‘negative or negligible impact’ on their earnings despite attending university.

Women who study medicine, economics, maths, business and law will experience the highest increase in earnings compared

to non-graduates. In particular, those who study medicine receive the highest increase in wages, earning 78 per cent more than women without a degree.

However, it is the specific combination of maths at the University of Oxford, which secures the highest female increase in earnings of 270 per cent.

Women who study the creative arts, philosophy and English will experience the least increase in earnings compared to female non-graduates.

For men, the difference is less stark and some degrees lead to a loss of earnings.

Men with a degree in the creative arts will earn 14 per cent less on average than those males who have not attended university.

The universities that produce the highest increase in earnings are the London School of Economics (LSE), Imperial College London, Kings College London, the School of Oriental and African Studies and Oxford University.

On top of these, it is the universities of Bristol and Cambridge that produce some of the highest increases for male students.

Universities Minister Sam Gyimah has welcomed the study in bringing greater transparency to the “value” of degrees, enabling individuals to work out whether going to university is most beneficial for them.

Gyimah has also stated a desire to ‘shine a light’ on those degrees which seem to deliver a low rate of return for male graduates.

The study looked at the tax records of men and women who attended university in England, Scotland and Wales and compared their earnings to non-graduates at the age of 29 years old and sought to expose on the economic worthiness of some degrees.

Stuart Johnson, Director of the Careers Service at the University of Bristol, said: “It’s fantastic to see that our economics graduates have such success in their careers.

This latest analysis of earnings five years after graduation, which compare earnings of graduates to non-graduates and controls for family background and prior academic

performance, reinforces the value employers place on our high-calibre graduates.

“The University of Bristol attracts highly capable and engaged students and we’re tremendously proud that their education here enables them to excel in their chosen career.

“The analysis of earnings five years after graduation [...] reinforces the value employers place on our high-calibre graduates” Stuart Johnson

“University is of course about more than securing a high graduate salary and we pride ourselves on our proven track-record of producing well-rounded and independent students who are equipped to succeed in a dynamic world.”

03.12.2018 epigram

News 7

5

Beautiful Bristol named one of the best European travel destinations

When it comes to food, giraffes are just like us William Kerslake

First Year, Politics and IR Student

Elisha Mans

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First Year, Politics and IR Student

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Epigram / Cameron Scheijde

ristol has been awarded the Rising Star Award at the National Geographic Traveller Reader Awards, despite competition against cities like Valencia and Tbilisi.

The Rising Star Award aims to celebrates cities making a name for themselves. The judges from the prestigious awards noted that Bristol ‘has long been bubbling under as a must-visit mini metropolis’ but that before now it has not been given the ‘attention it deserves’.

Kathryn Davis, head of tourism for Destination Bristol said that Bristol looks ‘forward to welcoming new and returning visitors from across the world to Bristol’ and described the win as ‘incredible’.

As the National Geographic Traveller Reader Awards claims to be the definitive word on travel, Davis said that Bristol can now be considered ‘as one of the best European destinations for travel’.

Other award winners included Italy as a Return Ticket country and Bill Bryson for Outstanding Contribution to Travel.

new study by the University of Bristol has revealed that Giraffes like to dine with friends, a trait not too distant from humans.

Dr Zoe Muller, a UoB PHD graduate, spent two years observing the behaviour of giraffes in Kenya. Using, photo-identification technology she was able to recognise bonds between individual giraffes, particularly those which revolved around feeding.

The study found that giraffes would often seek out specific partners to forage for food, remaining with this partner when eating.

This behaviour was deemed beneficial, as companions within a herd ‘may be more reliable at alarming you if a predator is around’.

Some of the giraffes, with the same dietary preferences were also found to eat together, leading to friendship between the animals, an activity very similar to that of humans.

These findings provide new information about the social preferences of giraffes, also giving an insight into evolutionary mechanisms which have influenced current social groups.

Giraffes have recently been reclassified as ‘endangered’ and vulnerable to extinction.

The research, funded by zoos across the globe, is thought to be a significant development for future giraffe conservation.

Unsplash / Nick Fewings

Unsplash / Arthur Osipyan

Unsplash / Ryan Searle

Unsplash / Larisa Mamanova

Features

epigram

03.12.2018

Editor: Ollie Smith Deputy Editor: Tom Taylor Online Editor: Niamh Rowe

Swerving the scammers of E-ticket fraud

An in-depth look into the murky world of E-ticket fraud and some useful advice on how to avoid scammers First Year, History

W

hat is the fastest way to ruin a night out? Vomiting in the taxi or smashing your phone screen are relatively efficient methods, but few disasters trump getting to the front of a long pushy queue, brandishing your phone at the bouncer, only to be told to jog on as your ticket is not scanning. Welcome to the world of E-ticket fraud.

While ticket fraud; which typically involves a consumer handing over their money and receiving no ticket, a fake one, or a duplicate that has been sold to numerous others, is not a new issue, social media and the rise of e-tickets, has made the occupation of ‘scammer’ far easier.

Figures released by Action Fraud, the National Fraud and Cyber Crime Reporting Centre, in January this year, revealed that the number of reported incidents of entertainment ticket fraud recorded over a 6-month period in 2017 represented a 38% increase from the two years prior. IQ Magazine pinpointed the 20-29 Age Group as the most affected by this issue showing

Sarthak Navjivan / Unsplash

Freya Scott-Turner

why it is hardly surprising that stories of eticket fraud are common across the student community.

Social media is a huge facilitator for informal ticket sales and swaps. Trawl through the discussion page on any event and you will see strings of posts, often desperate, seeking or advertising tickets for sale. But these are not always genuine.

Something Miranda Shute, a firstyear student at the University of Bristol, experienced first hand when looking for a ticket for a soldout event at Crofters Rights last month: ‘I was scammed on Facebook for a clubbing event called ‘Viva La Disco’ by someone who I presumed to be a fellow student at Bristol.’ After promising to send the tickets following payment, she recalls that ‘as soon as I did, they ignored all my messages and blocked me on Facebook.’

This is especially common for sold out events, when pressure to find a ticket last minute often stops consumers taking the precautions they normally would to ensure the seller is legitimate or that their payment is protected.

But how to spot a scammer? Often, they are a wolf in sheep’s clothing; a quick glance at their Facebook profile suggests a student or member of your peer group. Sometimes they actually are. So if possible buy off someone with whom you have mutual friends, or skim their profile for activity. A lack of posts, likes or many friends can often indicate a fake account. Unwillingness to accept payment through PayPal is also a good red

“Often, they are a wolf in sheep’s clothing; a quick glance at their Facebook profile suggests a student or member of your peer group”

flag, as paying through Goods and Services guarantees Buyer Protection, meaning you will be refunded for fraudulent sales.

Another first-year student, speaking anonymously, explained that one scammer ‘claimed he didn’t have PayPal. I was reluctant to pay through a bank transfer as there is no protection, but he [the seller] kept saying it would be pathetic to scam someone for £5. But he did just that.’

With the anonymity that a fake social media account, or the ability to block someone, allows; it is perhaps inevitable that many have been tempted to earn a little disposable income this way, even if it is just a fiver. Yet, arguably, event goers would not feel driven to shop in unprotected channels if the more reputed secondary ticketing sites made their prices more affordable.

The practice of some companies of selling for a huge mark-up or adding large booking fees, mean tickets are often resold for as much as 500 per cent of the original price.

These extortionate prices leave buyers with little choice but to put their money and their night at risk, and shop around for a possibly fraudulent ticket.

But if the internet has assisted ticket fraud, then it also has the tools to curb it.

As mentioned before, PayPal offers Buyer Protection coverage for any payments made through ‘Goods and Services’, and as of 2014 this has included ‘intangibles’, or digital goods. TicketSwap, an online service started 5 years ago, vets the profiles of sellers, who must log in through Facebook. It also has a feature, Secure Swap, which allows the seller to contact the original vendor of a ticket listed and create a new barcode for resale, thus preventing duplicate barcodes being listed.

Many student communities also have Facebook pages dedicated to selling tickets, such as ‘Bristol Tickets Buy/ Sell/ Trade’, which improves your chances of buying off someone whose reliability you can establish through mutual friends. Undoubtedly, there will be a time soon when you find yourself ticketless for an event that all your flat mates are waxing lyrical about. So be sure to exercise a little street-smarts as you navigate the very Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels world that is ticket resale. Otherwise the only ticket you will be needing is the one for the bus home.

How do we choose our University Challenge team?

Epigram Features explores how Bristol’s University Challenge team is selected

Ollie Smith Features Editor

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“Anne explains that it is important to have a range of expertise when choosing the final team”

Image: ITV Studios

t is a show that has been on our screens since 1962. University Challenge is a staple of the quizzing world and remains a source of enjoyment and great competition among the student populace.

As a quiz enthusiast and someone who has tried and failed to make the team myself, I was keen to explore how we choose our own team and what makes a good quizzer. Thankfully, past Bristol contestants and organisers were more than happy to explain.

George Ferzoco is a former Mastermind contestant and now a Teaching Fellow in the Department of Religion and Theology at Bristol University and helps oversee the Bristol selection process. Anne Le Maistre was last year’s Bristol team captain who is currently on our screens. They explain that the first stage of the process involves a really tough written test which around 300 students usually take - this was the stage where I tried and failed. This usually takes place in October and is run by previous team members.

The next round takes place in early November and involves the top five to ten per cent from the first round which this year was the top 20. This involves answering questions with buzzers. The final round involves the last 10 candidates who are interviewed and given further written and buzzer tests. From these final ten, George

and past team members discuss who would form the most effective team and from this the final five are chosen.

Anne explains that it is important to have a range of expertise when choosing the final team: ‘Anyone who makes the final 20, let alone the final 10, would probably make a good team member but it doesn’t make sense to field a team with four scientists and no coverage of the liberal arts, or vice versa’.

Of these five, one is a reserve who is always on-hand in case of a situation where one of the main four cannot participate and of the four one is chosen as captain. They will practice every week for a few hours with buzzers whilst George tries to imitate Jeremy Paxman.

Anne says there are several factors that can get you to the final round of selections.

The first is luck as there is only so much they can be quizzed on and so some topics which some may shine in may not be covered. The ‘critical factor’ she says ‘is knowing quite a bit about more than one subject, whether through A-levels, previous degrees, or just personal interest’. A background in quizzing is also helpful but Anne points out this is not a necessity as she herself does not quiz regularly. The final important factor is being able to work out an answer or make an intelligent guess if you do not know it.

This is not the end, however, as once the team is chosen they then have to apply to be one of the 28 teams to appear on the programme. George explains that oddly they are interviewed by ITV, who make the show, despite the fact it is broadcast on BBC2. The producers interview around 130 prospective teams to choose the final 28.

For Anne ‘the common element among all the people I have met, hung out with, and

“There’s nothing like the buzz of getting an answer right while other people are still processing the question”

competed against was a pure enjoyment of quizzing. There’s nothing like the buzz of getting an answer right while other people are still processing the question, or producing an answer you did not know you had in you’.

George believes that University Challenge ‘is a showcase for our community - not just the University, but the city as well’.

Amazingly, Bristol is the only team to have appeared on the programme in each of the past five years and in that time has won the most matches. Bristol’s association with the show also extends into popular culture with the film ‘Starter for 10’ being set here.

As for the team members themselves George says this: ‘I think our team’s members, over the years, feel they have not only entered a fortunate and prestigious group, but they will have come to appreciate being in the company of other interesting and bright

students, making friends for life. They know they will for all time never be short of a story or ten about their appearances on the show, and need to resign themselves to endless questions about what Paxman is really like - most find him to be a decent person - what it’s like to buzz in to get a question - the combination of adrenalin, fear, and relief – or, embarrassingly, how they could possibly have got a particular question wrong’.

Despite previous successes in indivudal rounds of University Challenge, Bristol University has never won the competition.

Next year, the University hope to reverse this trend and they are on the look out for potential University Challenge contestants.

Anyone can apply to be on Bristol’s University Challenge team so for those of you keen to try next year and showcase your knowledge, be sure to keep an eye out and bring your best quizzing game.

03.12.2018

Features 9

epigram

Histories of Bristol: 1963 Bus Boycott As part of a regular series on Bristol’s past, Epigram Features investigates a boycott which transformed Bristol and the UK

Kieran Mielek

Second Year, History

Key Facts Bristol Omnibus Company operated a ‘colour bar’ in employment Paul Stephenson, Roy Hackett and Guy Bailey led a boycott movement Bristol’s black population recevied racist harassment and abuse ‘Colour bar’ lifted in August 1963

Image: Ollie Smith / Epigram

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n 27 March 1963, Paul Stephenson, a 25 year old social worker, contacted the Bristol Omnibus Company about a job opening on behalf of the young Guy Bailey. Bailey was told to attend an interview for the position of conductor in a few days time. When the day of the interview came around, Bailey, wearing his best suit, walked up to the front desk in the companies head-quarters. He explained why he was there to the receptionist who simply replied, ‘I don’t think so’.

‘You must be mistaken,’ replied a confused Bailey. ‘The name is Mr Bailey, check again’. After a brief discussion between the receptionist and her manager, she returned to Bailey and told him that all the vacancies were full, despite the fact that a friend of his had rung the office just an hour before and had been told there were plenty of jobs.

In reality it wouldn’t have made a difference whether Bailey was given an interview or not. He had been denied the job because of the colour of his skin. In 1963 it was legal to deny someone a job solely on the basis of their ethnicity. The Race Relation Acts that would put a legal end to this sort of discrimination wouldn’t arrive until

1965 and 1968, and whilst non-white bus drivers and conductors weren’t an unusual sight in other areas of the UK - London Transport had been sending recruitment officers to Barbados - the Bristol Omnibus Company had secretly been running a colour bar on its buses since at least the 1950s.

Bailey’s rejection however marked the start of a four month long boycott of Bristol’s buses, inspired by the Civil Rights Movement in America, particularly the boycotts in Montgomery. It ensured the veil was dragged off the racist policies of the bus company and the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) who had allegedly called for the colour bar to be introduced in the first place.

Bristol’s non-white communities had been forced to contend with racism for a long time. A lack of white property owners willing to host non-white tenants meant that roughly half of Bristol’s 3000 strong black population were made to live on a few streets in the St. Paul’s area – City Road in particular, with its overcrowded and dilapidated housing had developed a sense of notoriety in the eyes of white Bristolians.

Regardless, many of Bristol’s black citizens preferred to spend their time in St. Paul’s, where they could express themselves relatively free from assaults by Teddy Boys and the day to day racism such as the ‘No coloureds, no gypsies, no Irish and no dogs’ signs that were visible in other areas of the city.

As well as this, Bristol’s black population faced an unemployment rate of almost five per cent - a shocking figure at a time when maintaining full employment rather than controlling inflation was the main priority for the government - more than double the unemployment rate of Bristol’s white population.

One writer for the New Statesmen, after interviewing West Indian people around Bristol went as far to say ‘I was left with the impression… that Bristol was a more difficult city for coloured people than others.’

The fight against the colour bar served as a symbolic battle against the state of affairs in Bristol as a whole for a significant proportion of the Bristol’s non-white community.

The boycotters favoured more direct confrontation of racism compared to the gradualism that had been favoured by the West Indian Development Council before the arrival of figures like Paul Stephenson.

The protestors faced great opposition from within the Bristol Omnibus Company, a section of the TGWU and some members of the public. I. R. Patey, the company manager justified the colour bar claiming that ‘bus services which have employed coloured labour are the worse for it … coloured

“In reality it wouldn’t have made a difference whether Bailey had been given an interview or not. He had been denied the job because of the colour of his skin”

“Some students from Bristol University showed their support by marching from the bus station to the local headquarters of the TGWU on the 1st of May”

heckled at a trade union May Day rally for bringing shame on the movement.

In the end the Bristol Omnibus Company was forced to cave into the movements demands and on 28 August 1963, the same day that Martin Luther King delivered his ‘I have a dream speech’, I. R. Patey declared a change in company policy. This was the day before 500 TGWU workers had voted in favour of a motion ending the colour bar.

After 4 months the bus boycott had been successful. On 17 September the company hired Raghbir Singh, a Sikh who would become Bristol’s first non-white bus conductor. Bailey, put off by his rejection and the campaign that followed, never took up a job at the company; ‘I felt unwanted, I felt helpless, I felt the whole world had caved in around me. I didn’t think I would live through it… but it was worth it’.

For their part in the protest, Stephenson, Hackett and Bailey were all awarded with OBEs and the movement is considered to be a key influencing factor behind the introduction of the Race Relations Acts of the Wilson government.

Today the memories of the boycott have faded from the popular consciousness, despite Paul Stephenson’s continued campaigning against racism and injustice.

Records of the Bristol bus boycott are few and far between, the Bristol Omnibus Company destroyed its records every five years and the TGWU (now Unite) lost their records from the period although they have acknowledged their role, issuing a public apology in 2013.

The story of the Bristol bus boycott will always serve to rally and inspire those who battle against the inequalities that exist today.

The actions of Paul Stephenson, Roy Hackett, Guy Bailey and the countless other protestors who fought for change have not been forgotten.

Image: Ollie Smith / Epigram

Image: Ollie Smith / Epigram

men have become arrogant and rude, after they have been employed for some months’ and that employing non-whites would lead to ‘a falling off of white staff’.

For their part, the TGWU, despite openly preaching solidarity with black people in South Africa against apartheid and speaking out in favour of racial equality, was alleged to have voted in favour of the colour bar in the first place.

Whilst Ron Nethercott, the regional secretary of the TGWU claimed that people would have no problem working alongside non-white’s, he was consistently contradicted by members of the Union who claimed that ‘the wheels on the buses would stop moving’ if non-white’s joined their ranks and those who feared that the removal of the colour bar would lower their own economic status.

As well as this, the non-white community in Bristol didn’t make up a large enough proportion of Bristol’s population to do enough economic damage to force the company to stand down. Where the bus boycott found its strength, however, was in its ability to draw the publics attention to the problem and garner its support.

Paul Stephenson and Roy Hackett - a founding member of the West Indian Development Council - became leaders of the movement. Stephenson served as an articulate spokesman who could successfully win over the media. The mild mannered Guy Bailey, who was only 18 at the time, was a figure who people could easily look to with sympathetic eyes.

Despite initially facing heckling and racism from those who opposed the protests, those who took part in the boycott maintained a dignified public appearance, remaining nonviolent throughout and stuck to Roy Hackett’s mantra of ‘not one stick, not one stone’. This resulted in a gradual turn in public opinion, members of the public reportedly harassed bus crews, taunting them by saying things such as ‘if it was a black driver we’d be on time’ or ‘oh flipping heck, if you were a black conductor you’d know where I want to get off’.

Likewise, some students from Bristol University showed their support by marching from the bus station to the local headquarters of the TGWU on 1 May. A number of high profile figures also stepped in including Learie Constantine, the High Commissioner for Trinidad and Tobago and famous West Indian cricket player. Bristol MP Tony Benn said that ‘he would get a bike if he had to’, and Labour Party leader Harold Wilson, who would become Prime Minister in just over a years time, offered his support.

As support for the protest grew, those who spoke out in favour of the colour bar grew increasingly isolated, members of the TGWU for example were

Features

10

epigram

03.12.2018

Frontline: A charity ‘transforming the lives of vulnerable children’ I explore the work Frontline does to improve the lives of vulnerable children who do not have a safe or stable home Image: Frontline.org.uk

Catherine Burn

Third year, Psychology

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rontline is a social work charity committed to transforming the lives of vulnerable children. Over half a million children in England do not have a safe or stable home, which can affect their chances of achieving at school or getting a job and even increase the likelihood of offending. As Frontline Brand Manager, I talked to Lizzie who is currently in her first year of Frontline’s Leadership Development Programme in Birmingham.

Her career at Frontline began when she was the Brand Manager for Exeter University in her second year. I catch up with Lizzie after a busy day of family visits, and ask about why she applied for the programme after finishing her Brand Manager position: ‘You get a sense of Frontline’s ethos about protecting vulnerable children. This really stuck with me so that when I was applying for jobs Frontline seemed like the best option. I could make a difference and be challenged at the same time.’

The first year of the Frontline Leadership Development Programme is centred around building hands-on experience, with over 206 days in practice visiting families and working in groups with a consultant social

“It’s crazy to think that one moment you might be attending a court room and the next minute you’re dancing around a stranger’s living room!”

worker. Lizzie reflects on what her typical working day looks like: ‘A typical day for me can really vary.

Some days I can be office based and doing paperwork. When people say “paperwork” it’s hard to imagine what they mean, usually this involves me typing up case notes or recordings and having unit meetings with my consultant social worker. In these meetings you discuss your cases and come up with actions that can be carried out to help the family - we call this hypothesising.

Other than that, quite a lot of the time I’m out and about visiting families or going to schools.’

‘The case I’m working on at the moment has a lot of involvement with a probation officer so quite often I’ll go down to their offices and visit them. No day looks the same. This is one of the great things about it! Being out and about makes it a lot more fast paced and dynamic. When you’re doing tasks in the office it’s more interesting because you know the purpose behind it and you can relate it to what you did previously

in the day.’

Visiting families is done with a consultant social worker who guides the meeting.

Eventually, when trainees become more confident they are able to lead the meetings and get a feel for their own sense of style: ‘It’s hard to pick one moment which has been the most enjoyable because the nature of the job means that it is a massive emotional rollercoaster, but one thing that has been great for me is working with the consultant social worker. Hearing positive comments from her and feedback has made my confidence grow massively. I feel empowered with the knowledge that I can be in control of the situation.’

Lizzie shares a story of a particularly memorable family visit: ‘One time my task was to pick up a parcel from a foodbank and bring it to a family. I was slightly dubious about the visit because the mum had been previously resistant to having students involved so I was expecting her to be negative towards me when I knocked on the door.’

‘Completely to my surprise, she invited me in to play a board game and the children were excited too. It was essentially a game or truth or dare. When it was my go for a dare, I had to howl like a werewolf and waltz around the room humming a tune. It’s crazy to think that one moment you might be attending a court room and the next minute you’re dancing round a stranger’s living room! This is what I love about the job: no two days are the same, and you should always expect the unexpected.’

This is all sounds very exciting, but the job is not without its difficulties. Lizzie shares some of her worries before starting

the programme and how she’s working to overcome them: ‘One of the things I was worried about was working with people who are displaying harmful behaviours and specifically I was concerned about people who had harmful sexual behaviour or were perpetrating domestic violence. This has been a massive learning curve for me. When I met the father in a domestic violence case for the first time, I had a lot of emotions towards him and realised that I had all of these inherent biases.’

‘I blame some of these for the way these cases are often portrayed through the media.

Before entering the situation, I had already made up my mind that the couple should not stay together. However, I was really challenged. Through working with the family and listening to their unique situation I realised that people deserve a second chance when they are making positive changes in their life and given the right support to do so.’

‘Allowing them to be a blank slate before you is really important, because when you read a person’s case history – which can often date back years and years – it is difficult to not form stereotypes before you meet them. This was a big learning curve for me, because quite often the hypotheses you make before visiting a family can be wrong.

The challenge comes when you have to be able to adapt and realise that it’s okay to be wrong – we’re only training.’

The deadline for applications for the Leadership Development Programme is December 16th. You can find more information about Frontline on their website: https://thefrontline.org.uk/.

Comment Twitter and Instagram: @epigramcomment

epigram 03.12.2018

Editor: Will Charley

@willcharley1

Deputy Editor: Noor Evers Online Editor: Ffion Clarke

@ffionclarke5

Deputy Online: Maia Miller-Lewis

@maiamillerlewis

Epigram is an independent and neutral newspaper, aiming to publish opinions from across the student body. To respond with an opposing opinion, please contact comment.epigram@gmail.com or join our writers group on Facebook.

Is it time for arts students to pay less tuition fees than science undergrads?

Arts gradutes will initially earn less, so it is about time they paid less in fees The recent government review that STEM degrees should be raised to £13,500 a year, while arts are lowered to £6,500 a year makes sense considering what they get for their money Tim Bodey

Flickr/ GorCredit

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here is a huge pressure on most people to go to university.

With 162 higher education establishments receiving government funding in 2016-17, it is clearly a huge industry within the UK. However, the government certainly should not entirely fund them. Graduates earn more than non-graduates, so students paying for their tuition is only reasonable.

Yet at the moment, some graduates are ripped off to support a mad government ideal of the ‘modern STEM’.

If we are paying for any product, we expect to pay for what we receive. When the state gives incentives to buy electric cars, they do not put all cars at the same price to encourage buying a BMW over a Nissan.

The same logic should be applied to

Second Year, History

degrees, with STEMers getting basically 9-5 contact, lab time and resources- all in facilities thar are considerably more expensive than any seminar room.

This is a clear government policy that says ‘arts are useless, STEM is the future’.

By saying this, students are told that their contribution to society is less important if they are not good at maths. It says that people’s use is only in the bottom line.

Critics claim that a representative tuition fee will alienate budding STEM graduates, but at the moment the budding arts students are paying for those students’ degrees. Logic of a disincentive to STEM students should then be applied to the current system, where universities essentially admit that an arts degree is bad value for money. In doing so they constantly push arts to the fringes of relevance, perpetuating the myth that the only valuable way to spend your life is behind a screen. This is seen in careers fairs and in campus buildings.

In a recent ‘inter-discipline’ careers fair there were plenty of engineering firms, and yet there was a curiously low representation from any arts-centric disciplines.

The Government constantly pushes for more STEM grads, under the folly that this will give a modern state. Yet there are still hordes of arts undergraduates and the flow is not thinning.

“A clear government policy that says ‘arts are useless, STEM is the future’”

The Government should realise that the better way to modernise the state is to make vocational degrees into apprenticeships, make graduates pay for the facilities they actually use, then use the money saved to ensure that new apprentices lead to good jobs and give real opportunities.

This would give a more realistic modernising aspect to the economy, as people would be trained by companies for the jobs that companies require. Graduates then would be pushed intellectually at university and would pay for the privilege

- something entirely reasonable.

For a system of higher education that provides for a modern state’s needs, simply putting up posters that say ‘STEM’ all over sixth forms will not be enough. Make apprenticeships a viable option which lead to real potential and give arts the credit they deserve.

A huge part of this is making undergrads pay what the course costs to run, rather than making the people unfortunate enough to have a passion for arts pay for the government approved STEM students.

Variable tuition fees for arts and sciences would discourage students from studying STEM Philip Augar’s reviewordered by the Prime Minister- would discourage students from studying science by raising costs to £13,500. This cannot happen.

Elisha Mans

First Year, Politics and IR

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background, the likelihood of them choosing a degree with a higher tuition cost is lower because they do not have the financial stability to justify picking the more expensive option. So, they will pick the arts courses.

Yet arts courses result in a lower average salary, thereby perpetuating social inequality.

If the government is even trying to pretend to want to reduce inequality, then they would acknowledge that the idea of giving a financial incentive to pick an arts degree is, at best, ignorant.

The students who have financial stability will be able to choose the more expensive STEM subjects without worrying too greatly about the debt that they will be in, but the poorer students will not have a chance.

Obviously, the richer students then go on to earn more as they could pick the course that will likely ultimately result in a higher salary.

Here we are again, disadvantaging the disadvantaged.

Variable tuition fees are not a sustainable way to address the problems of graduate debt.

They will intensify far more problems than they solve.

Pexels/Emily Ranquist

“The idea of giving a financial incentive to pick an arts degree is, at best, ignorant”

Epigram/Beth Harris

ariable tuition fees have been proposed as a viable option for improving student debts - arts subjects use less resources, have less contact time and generally result in a lower graduate salary and so it has been proposed that tuition fees be lowered. That sounds fine.

Until we look at the gaping holes in this idea which would lead us to realise that in practice, this would counteract both a need for scientists and the problem of reducing social inequalities within the education system.

Scientists, doctors and engineers are lacking in the UK; 43 per cent of STEM

vacancies are hard to fill because of a skills shortage.

If we cut the costs of arts subjects so that science subjects cost more, then students will be less inclined to study STEM subjects.

There is no doubt about the fact that if a student was faced with a decision between two courses, one of which had a far lower cost than the other, the inclination would be to opt for the one that would land them in less debt.

With such a shortage of STEM skills can we really afford to risk this?

The government must realise that in order to fill this shortage they need to encourage students to study these science-related subjects and in creating variable tuition fees, they are doing the exact opposite.

Instead, they would be allowing UK science to slip into more dangerous ground than it already finds itself in.

The idea of variable tuition fees therefore seems unviable, even without considering the fact that disadvantaged students are going to be the ones who will get the worst of this proposal.

If a student comes from a disadvantaged

12 Comment

epigram 03.12.2018

Zero hour contracts have zero benefits and need reform Whilst zero hour contracts may help students, they too often disadvantage individuals, enable bullying and lead to stress. We need reform.

Benjamin Salmon Epigram/ Will Charley

Your weekly rant:

Christmas has come too early.

Again.

Lilly Hill

First Year, English

A

t the height of the 2015 General Election campaign, Labour’s Ed Miliband pledged to end the ‘epidemic’ of zero-hours contracts.

Since then, the issue has largely faded into the backwaters of political life as rather greater challenges have hit the nation. But what exactly are zero-hours contracts, why did Miliband call them an ‘epidemic’, and fundamentally, why must they be reformed?

Zero-hours contracts are agreements between employers and workers where the employer does not guarantee a minimum number of working hours and the worker is under no obligation to accept any work offered. This sounds like a fair, reciprocal arrangement and, for many in society, it is – especially well-off students without dependents like children.

Students can work, in generally low-skilled roles, for as many hours as the company will allow them and in return, they can maintain flexibility and be paid at least the minimum wage. They are also a great route for getting one’s foot in the door in industries like media, hospitality and events management.

“Insecurity also creates a culture of pressure to always be working”

problems and create and legitimate an institutional culture of bullying in the workplace. For example, the sexual harassment rate against people in zero-hours jobs is nearly one-third higher than those in fixed-term employment, yet they still have less real protection.

So should zero-hours contracts be scrapped, or at least heavily regulated as Mr Miliband would have liked?

There is no denying that they offer tangible benefits to many, including students. But their existence does not allow those on the edges of society much job security and, in many cases, the opportunity to break from a cycle of inequality and often poverty.

It is inherent in their make-up that these contracts will create employment uncertainty and a pressure to work. And this is no design flaw.

It is an active attempt to smooth out the unemployment rate through the creation of insecure, but readily available, work. In fact, Labour’s 2015 proposal, giving employees a full-time contract after working at least 12 weeks of regular hours, would have helped maintain employment figures whilst also supplying some form of job security to workers.

The continued growth of the gig economy, like it or not, will mean these jobs will become ever more ubiquitous, but scrapping them will not serve to help those looking for a better quality of life.

There needs to be a reform of the system and protections in place for those in lowskilled work; otherwise, there is a risk Britain could become a nation of crippling financial and occupational insecurity.

Barking up the wrong tree: Brispets does not make admins too powerful Bristruths, Briscrush, Brispets. Now confession pages are across the country. Has the rise of anonymous posting pages gone too far?

Jonny Fryer

First Year, Philosophy

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t its conception, Brispets created some controversy – does Bristol need yet another Facebook page to clog your feed? Would incessant pictures from overly proud owners get irritating? The short answer is no.

Anybody who looks at their phone or computer and sees a smiling dog, cat, goat or any other adorable animal, and goes ‘no thank you!’ is a sociopath.

The Brispets posts bring at worst a little bit of love into the lives of those lucky enough to view it. The only pain Brispets can cause is a bit of self-righteous fury when the faceless moderators refuse to post the bundle of light and joy you send their way- I am still not over it.

However, everybody knows that their pet is the best anyway, so the only reason one would feel bad was for the people who didn’t get to see your perfect pet.

The concern that Brispets represents is the precipice of a slippery slope into trivial sites

“‘Halls identity’ provide[s] common ground with flatmates”

for whatever people want – ‘Brisfood’ and ‘Brisnature’ are pages I have already heard be suggested a few times. We have, I believe, truly reached the pinnacle of content, and if the heroes that run all the Bris pages stop here, then we are faced with glorious years of just the right amount of content to remain enjoyable.

However, there are already worrying signs that an inevitable expansion may occur – more and more universities have confession pages now- trUWE being a notable example. Some people may not be aware, but ‘uni-truths’ as they’re known are responsible now for confession pages at Leeds, Loughborough, Lincoln, Newcastle, Bangor (which has a great name: ‘Bangfess’) and Exeter, as well as the Bristruths, Briscrush and Brispets pages.

This expansion into a national franchise makes me fear that soon this valuable part of university community could not only churn out meaningless new pages of drivel, but take the opportunity to turn a profit.

Running ads, suggesting nights out and selectively moderating posts are three easy ways that the growing influence this site holds could be used purely to make money.

This is undeniably against our interests, and any loyal follower of the Brispages should be worried about this prospect.

Despite this, I do not think that outcry is deserved, yet. Moreover, regardless of possibility, I find it highly unlikely that a page designed for students to unleash anonymous confessions would do anything

to turn its own support base against it.

Moderating hundreds of angry posts is not something anybody wants to do, especially if they are not getting paid to do it.

In the same way, the Brispages will be cautious of oversaturation, because if we university students are good at anything, it is complaining about people that annoy us.

So, to anybody that tries to tell you Brispets is bad, there is only one adequate response that I urge you to use: They’re good dogs Brent.

Epigram / Ed Jonny Southgate Epigram/ Fryer

Let me start by saying that I’m no scrooge; I enjoy the Christmas season as much as the next person.

The decorating the tree, the tacky lights, the carolling, the pretending to get on with your ‘old-fashioned’ uncle, the roast, the chocolate, the pigs in blankets, becoming the pig in the blanket: it’s all just a bit of merry fun.

But when I’m having Christmas ads shoved down my throat just seconds after I’ve thrown my pumpkin away, that’s when I have to put up my hands and say that it’s all just been taken a bit too far.

And by too far what I really mean is too early- much, much too early.

As I write this the date is the 22nd of November. Already, I’ve stumbled across the Christmas markets, been dazzled by fairy lights at every corner and had Mariah Carey stuck in my head for at least two weeks now.

In fact, I know someone who has already decorated their Christmas tree! Surely by the time the 25th rolls around there’ll be nothing left but a carpet full of pine leaves and tinsel?

To make it worse, someone played me a drum and bass remix of ‘The Fairytale of New York’ the other day; God forbid any clubs discover it- then there’ll be no escaping the premature Christmas chaos!

My proposal really is not that out there, I’m just saying that either we should start celebrating Christmas in December, or someone should be making advent calendars longer. Christmas music should not be playing as Guy Fawkes is still being roasted.

I am sorry to say I do not ‘wish it could be Christmas everyday’- sorry Wizzard.

So please, if you’ve got any sense, put your stockings away just a little longer, save that mulled wine for a later date, take back down that mistletoe, just until the 1st.

Second Year, Politics and IR

In fact, I am in two of these contracts myself and am very satisfied.

But away from these circles, zero-hours contracts mean unpredictable work, little legal protection from workplace harassment, often no paid holiday or sick leave and, usually, insecure income.

Those just getting by or those heavily burdened with dependents – single parents, new immigrants, home carers – often find the volatile nature of shift-taking, where employers may cancel one’s shift at any time, a barrier to sound financial planning and a hindrance to simply getting food on the table.

When one has children to feed, clothe, and educate, these sorts of jobs are not conducive to creating a settled environment, especially when one could be the sole breadwinner in the household.

Insecurity also creates a culture of pressure to always be working, which employers often exploit by side-lining workers from being asked to do future shifts.

If you are never given any other shifts, this is an employer’s way of saying they do not want your work anymore, leaving many effectively unemployed – even if, in point of fact, the law says you are not. This is perpetuated through exclusivity clauses that mean workers cannot work for any other company whilst in the employment of one.

These contracts also offer little protection from harassers and bullies.

Workers cannot complain about misconduct to the HR department as easily as a fixedcontract employee can because they risk losing opportunities for future shifts and thus, effectively, one’s job.

This can lead to long-term psychological

Comment 13

03.12.2018 epigram

The 93% Club calls for greater equality -at university and beyondand is still very much a necessity in our society.

Scarlett Sheriff

Publicity Officer of the 93% Club

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Mental health campaigning should not be diluted with left wing issues: it deserves better Last month’s mental health march conflated rent-angst, anti-capitalism and mental health. This undermines how important mental health is.

Max Langer

President, Bristol Lib Dem Students

A

The 93% Club/ Scarlett Sheriff

lmost two weeks ago, I marched for mental health along with hundreds of other students.

We marched to demand better from our university. We marched to show solidarity with students who suffer in silence every day, and for those no longer with us.

We did not march, however, to cut the rent, for free education or to get the Tories out. To bring in these issues not only muddies the waters, but also alienates people.

When I turned up to the march, I knew I would be in the minority. As a cardcarrying Lib Dem I usually am. But, I looked forward to an event where we could come together on an issue we all agree on.

However, within the first speech I knew it was not to be.

Of the five demands stated, only two are actually about mental health. For a march about that singular topic, this is blatantly ridiculous.

This is not me arguing that the other demands are bad, I support transparent governance of the university, cutting rent to a rate affordable to all and ending

a ‘hostile environment’ policy.

But, they are not about mental health.

Mental health is a complex topic and many issues feed in to it, I will not argue against that. But, a march for mental health should be about mental health itself.

It should be about better counselling provision and cutting waiting times; about increasing awareness and tackling taboos. It should not be something to hang other political issues off of. It should stand alone.

The march was most powerful when it lived up to its name.

Grace from Support Our Services gave a brilliant speech explaining their work with the university to provide better conditions for all students. I am sure their work with the University will bring real change and I will help them in anyway that I can.

But, waving Socialist Worker Party placards and complaining about capitalism will not achieve the change that we need. Neither will complaining about laws made in Westminster that the university have no say in. However, by uniting and marching with solidarity, focus and compassion we just might make things better.

In response to this, we were told by Support our Services: ‘We’ve taken on board the concerns some had with the political nature of the march and would like to assert that we are an apolitical group. In future, we will aim to be more inclusive of all views because we want to focus on mental health and nothing else. Everyone is welcome in our campaign.’

Epigram / Ffion Clarke

even per cent of the UK population are privately educated- sent to independent fee-paying schools.

Among the University of Bristol population the figure is 33 per cent. So while 93 per cent of people in the country went to state school, only 67 per cent of Bristol students were state educated.

It is much easier to get involved in sports societies like rowing if you have done it for years before. It is easier to do theatre if you went to a school with a top qualified drama teacher and a state of the arts theatre than if you went to an underfunded comprehensive considering cutting GCSE drama altogether.

All of those added extras are what add ‘character’ to a CV. It is true that academically, state school students are not at a disadvantage once they are at university- everyone got here.

So, to properly tackle inequality at and after university we have to talk about the unseen issues that people are scared to

bring up. Issues like who can afford to gather unpaid work experience, and who cannot.

After all the cost of privately renting in London- where most internships are- is over twice the national average.

If we continue to refuse to deal with the issue of unfair advantage then we are creating, not stopping class warfare.

We live in a country where too often your parents’ income defines your chances more than your abilities. The reality of poverty in Britain today is between heating and eating, only to be be threatened by bailiffs. In July, figures from Shelter highlighted that more than half of Britain’s homeless families were in work.

The reality is that the gap is likely to get worse.

That is why we need and have a 93% Society to raise the issue and to give people without an ‘old boys’ network’ the opportunity to improve on their CVs. We have all had advantages and disadvantages in our lives but we live in a society, and living in a society means helping one another out, not just being in it for ourselves.

The 93% Soc is a positive space where we get experts to give advice on job applications and informal networking.

We need it because it is un-intimidating and welcoming to everyone, and because we can no longer fail to acknowledge that Bristol is not a microcosm of the society we will be going out into.

Epigram / Ed Southgate

The 93% Club is still essential in society

“A march for mental health should be about mental health itself”

‘Angry react if The Tab has too much influence’: An editor’s thoughts Perhaps it is time to realise the genuine power of Bristruth admins or The Tab editors, maybe it would be easiest to be a sell-out instead.

Will Charley

Comment Editor

In this issue Jonny Fryer, a comment contributor, raises the question of

whether Bristruths and other national ‘anonymous’ pages have gained too strong a control over the student body.

It is a badly-kept secret amongst Bristol University’s media teams that Bristruths, Briscrush, Brispets, The Tab and the Wills Meme-orial Building memepage are all adminned by broadly the same individuals.

Last year, I spoke to the former editor of The Tab Bristol who confirmed this, whilst his fellow-admin told me that at that time- May 2018- one in four submissions were posted on Bristruths by a team of admins who carried out ‘shifts’

throughout the week. So, should we be worried?

The reality is probably not, and with that I might take my crazy conspiracist tin hat off. But it is nonetheless undeniable that these pages have a huge impact on student opinion.

I have been lucky enough to have a few shout-outs on these pages- on Bristruths, not Briscrush obviously- in which my role within Epigram and my section has been questioned.

Whilst these anonymous musings of bored students has amused me, when attendance at an Epigram Comment

“Perhaps it is time to call for no more pages to be established”

meeting fell soon after I could not help but wonder if these admins really do have the power to shape what we as students, think, believe and read about.

There is no denying that I love Bristruths, Wills Meme-orial and all as much as the next person. Okay, maybe not The Tab. But, with such shadowy admins having so much impact and shaping the course of debate at the University, perhaps it is time to call for no more pages to be established.

Unless of course, I get mentioned on Briscrush, or get my dog posted on Bristpets- in which case, long live The Tab!

Science & Tech

Editor: Bethany Harris Deputy Editor: Vilhelmiina Haavisto Online Editor: Caitlin Bromfield

Netflix’s ‘Maniac’: Science-fact or science-fiction?

The show explores using psychoactive drugs in clinical trials - but how close to reality is this practice?

Genevieve Clapp

I

Epigram / Genevieve Clapp

of research into psychoactive drugs, but this came to a grinding halt in the 70s when psychedelics became classed as schedule 1 (a class of drugs not considered for medical use). This was followed by the tough stance on drugs that the UK has today, and it is believed by many that if we medicalize psychedelics, their recreational use will also increase which might then endanger the

lives of the public.

Nevertheless, the times are changing and there has recently been a huge surge in campaigns for the reclassification of certain schedule 1 drugs, so that they can be used medically. It may not be long before we see ‘magic mushrooms’ and MDMA being prescribed in the same way that Cannabis oil can now be by specialist doctors.

Zemlickis

“the latest research is showing that psychedelics... could be used to treat mental disorders”

Unsplash / Kristina Flour

f, like me, you found yourself having binge-watched this recent Netflix series within a day or two of starting it, you will know that it is both incredibly addictive and ludicrous at the same time. I will never be able to un-see Emma Stone as a Lord of the Rings style elf with a British accent and an alcohol problem.

For those who have yet to see it, the series focuses on Owen (Jonah Hill) – a diagnosed schizophrenic who is being pressured to commit perjury by his wealthy family – and Annie (Emma Stone), an addict who is suffering from intense grief after losing her sister. They both enter a clinical trial for a drug that will supposedly solve all their problems. These two characters are guided by a supercomputer through a series of bizarre dreams and within each one they assume new identities, shifting not only between different eras of time, but also different universes. Every scene demands your attention, as even minute details, such as the name of a pet, contribute to the show’s message.

Although the idea of a drug and a supercomputer being able to take over the role of a therapist may sound far-fetched, the latest research is showing that psychedelics, like those taken by the protagonists, could be used to treat mental disorders.

Psilocybin is a class A drug being trialed to treat depression, however it is more commonly recognized as the chemical that

Epigram / Vilhelmiina Haavisto

First year, Medicine

gives ‘magic mushrooms’ their psychedelic properties. One study published in The Lancet Psychiatry in 2016 showed that depressive symptoms were ‘markedly’ decreased after just one week of high-dose treatment using psilocybin. LSD and mescaline have also been tested in similar studies, with the journal Trends in Pharmacological Sciences saying that they are “promising treatments for addiction, depression, anxiety and other conditions”. What is particularly impressive is that they appear to have an effect on those who are anti-depressant resistant, which is a growing problem amongst those who suffer from depression.

However, scientists are still struggling to explain how these drugs work. From looking at brain activity whilst under the influence of psychedelics, it is believed that they cause the ‘dissolution of the ego’ (our sense of self), which in turn allows people to view themselves objectively and disconnect from their emotions. In some ways Maniac reflects this idea, as when Owen and Annie adopt these new identities in the multitude of dreams they experience, they still suffer the same problems as they do in reality.

This allow them to objectively look at their problems and overcome them, suggesting that the series may be more realistic than it initially seems.

Admittedly the ethical issues raised by Maniac are more applicable to drug trials in general, as it looks at what happens when test subjects are pushed too far in an effort to benefit the wider population. In the UK, psychedelic research is threatened by different factors. Unfortunately, despite the promise shown in this field, researchers have been struggling to secure funding due to the stigma surrounding psychedelic drugs and potential ethical difficulties.

During the 1960s there was a fair amount

E

ugenics is the concept of ‘improving genetic quality’ through selective breeding, among other practices, and has firmly negative associations with European colonialism and Nazi Germany.

A spate of public intellectuals have bemoaned past criticisms of the practice, and have attempted to revitalise it as ‘liberal eugenics’.

An article in the Monash Bioethics Review, Australia’s oldest peer-reviewed bioethics journal, describes itself as ‘deliberately provocative’ for its title: ‘Defending eugenics’. Within, the author attempts to separate the principles of eugenics from its historical contexts, and counsels the ‘moral’ responsibility of parents to ‘produce people with traits that enable them to thrive’.

A backlash to this article followed, prominently from the Australian Critical Race & Whiteness Studies Association (ACRAWSA), which submitted an open letter condemning the article on multiple fronts.

Notable among these was ACRAWSA’s

“‘We seem to have entered a phase in academia and public life where debate for its own sake has trumped any commitment to the principle of protecting those most vulnerable’”

criticism that the article normalised a practice that was unavoidably discriminatory. Alana Lentin – ACRAWSA’s president – stated that ‘it is impossible to dissociate an idea from the context in which it emerged and the practices which it led to’. When the classic targets of eugenics have been ‘the poor, disabled and those considered racially ‘inferior’’, it is certainly ‘provocative’ to claim the practice’s benefits are for a liberal cause.

Further criticism of the article was found on Twitter from several writers and academics.

Some showed shock at the existence of contemporary defences of eugenics; others, such as the feminist writer Zoé Samudzi, laid bare the prevalence of pro-eugenics arguments within Neoliberalism and ‘much/ most of the field of evolutionary biology’.

This prevalence is mirrored within our political culture. The Conservative Party’s appointment of right-wing philosopher Roger Scruton to the position of Housing Tsar has faced controversy, due in part to his implied views on eugenics. In a letter shared with the New Statesman, Andrew Gwynne - Labour’s Shadow Housing Secretary - cites an older article by Scruton that appears to lament the fate of formerly-respected scientists who, having declared support for eugenics, suffered severe hits to their reputations. Scruton denies any association with eugenics; his accused sympathies appear to not have affected his posting or his

relationship with the Conservative Party.

A similar situation, though one that ended differently, was Toby Young’s short-lived appointment within the Office for Students.

Akin to the case of Roger Scruton, Young was accused of holding views on eugenics that raised questions over his suitability for a role, which in this instance was on the board of a higher education watchdog. Young was revealed to have attended a secret eugenics conference in London, where the apparent focus of discussion was on ‘how IQ is inherited between different groups and races’. Coupled with allegations of misogyny, homophobia and other offensive behaviour, Young’s association with eugenics proved enough to force him out of the role.

Within this revival of eugenics, and its pretence as a means for liberal utopia, one can detect certain tropes typical to these new eugenicists. They regularly cast themselves as rebellious or provocative, often explicitly naming themselves so, rendering them similar to right-wing media personalities such as Katie Hopkins or Milo Yiannopoulos.

Indignant at having their attitudes compared with historical evils such as Nazism or European colonialism, they often try to forge a distance between themselves and the past, regardless of the unshakeable ties between eugenics and the contexts that formed it.

They frequently hold discriminatory views: the author of ‘Defending Eugenics’ argued

that some races possess ‘low impulse control’ as a heritable trait, Roger Scruton has referred to homosexuality as ‘not normal’, and Toby Young implied that lower-income families are genetically pre-disposed to having lower IQs. They frequently decry what they see as academic censorship and pose as free speech advocates, arguing their right to a platform in spite of academic incredulity at their beliefs. Rather than being progressive in any sense, these ‘provocateurs’ prove themselves to be reactionary in every way that counts, offering a bogus science that operates as a front for their abhorrent ideology.

ACRAWSA’s open letter ends with the following criticism of contemporary society: ‘We seem to have entered a phase in academia and public life where debate for its own sake has trumped any commitment to the principle of protecting those most vulnerable and creating the conditions for a more just society for all.’ Modern regressives use the pretext of debate and free speech to normalise their toxic, debunked, dangerous attitudes, and to help them spread. We must remain forever vigilant in our opposition to eugenics and those who believe in it. Eugenics implies a genetic hierarchy that puts at risk all who commonly suffer discrimination, such as those in poverty, the disabled, women, the LGBTQI community, and people of colour. It is not and will never be progressive.

Unsplash / Mārtiņš Unsplash / Zoltan

A controversial ideology posing as science, that many assumed had been laid to rest, has undergone a recent resurgence.

Jake Porter Third Year, Ancient History

Tasi

Fear the rise of ‘liberal eugenics’

03.12.2018 epigram

Science and Tech 15

Bristol graduate designs maths app for teenagers The process of developing an app can be a rewarding experience, but it is not without its twists and turns.

Marcin Górny MEng, 2016

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Epigram / Marcin Górny

Unsplash / Elijah M. Henderson

from scratch. That was a key turning point, because by then I had already done plenty of testing and knew what the users wanted – and the golden rule of app development is to listen to the users. From then on, development went more or less in a straight line towards the objective, and the users who previously found only bugs were now positively surprised by the changes.

The only obstacle when working alone is that you must, well...do everything alone.

Since I am not a graphics person, the user interface was far behind the other aspects of the game. In short, it was ugly. Another turning point in the development process was when I was lucky enough to get input and advice from a hobbyist designer. A few weeks and minor tweaks later, the app was ready to be released.

When I showed the game to the girl from tutoring, she found it difficult to play. Sad, but expected, and for this I blame not her

“I wrote the first line of code on the December 31st, 2016, and got so engrossed that I had to rush to the New Year’s party.” Flickr /

but the schooling system. I believe teachers are too soft on students and let them rely purely on technology. What about using the brain a bit? That applies to university too.

If an exam is difficult, students complain and next year the university makes it easier.

But students are lazy by principle and will always look for shortcuts! In the end, the students do not learn half as much as their peers 20 years ago.

I called my game ‘Hard Math Game’. Are you ‘math’ enough to play?

What’s new in science? Diabetes screening and gorilla games

Flickr / Agência Brasil Fotografias

Glucose tends to stick to protein molecules in body tissues, which become glycated and are termed ‘advanced glycation end products’, or AGEs. Accumulation of AGEs is accelerated in people with diabetes as there is more free glucose in the bloodstream. AGEs in blood vessel walls make them stiffer, increasing blood pressure and the risk of heart disease – a leading cause of death among diabetics. High levels of AGEs occur even in the earliest stages of the condition, making them a useful diagnostic tool. In the skin, AGEs reflect fluorescent light differently to non-glycated proteins, and this difference is detectable by a small hand-held device which gauges AGE levels immediately and non-invasively. This could potentially become a new diagnostic tool for doctors screening patients for diabetes.

CIFOR

Researchers at the University of Groningen have devised a way of screening for diabetes by shining a light on skin. Type 2 diabetes is caused by body cells developing a resistance to the hormone insulin, therefore inhibiting the uptake of the sugar glucose from the blood. Type 2 diabetes is, therefore, characterised by high blood glucose levels.

Flickr / Mark Rosher

Emily House reports on how new research could change the way medical professionals screen for diabetes.

Vilhelmiina Haavisto reports on Bristol Zoo‘s recently unveiled ‘ground-breaking’ gorilla enrichment activity.

The “Gorilla Game Lab”, a collaborative project between the University of Bristol and Bristol Zoo, has given the Zoo’s gorillas a new high-tech toy to play with. The researchers involved wanted to find out whether cognitive play could better the wellbeing of the Zoo’s seven gorillas. The game, in which gorillas can solve puzzles for rewards, is designed to allow it to be set up in different configurations, which allows keepers to vary the difficulty of the game. All of the puzzle modules connect to one another; the ultimate aim is to move a red ball along a vertical obstacle course. The wall-mounted puzzle-system is also equipped with GoPro cameras and electronic sensing equipment, which are used to understand how the gorillas solve the puzzles.

Lynsey Bugg, curator of mammals at Bristol Zoo, says that it is “great to see the gorillas...receive a new challenge”. Dr Stuart Gray, researcher at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, says that the game “appears to be stimulating and rewarding” for the gorillas, and notes that “nothing of [the puzzle’s] kind...has been developed before”, which makes the project all the more exciting.

Epigram Scheijde Unsplash/ Cameron / Elijah M. Henderson

Unsplash Netflix / Sasha Freemind

ight after graduating with an MEng in Engineering Mathematics in 2016, I went to Barcelona to start a PhD. As everywhere, a PhD salary is enough to live on, but forget about having your own flat or going for crazy travels. I was okay with sharing a flat, but I am hugely into exploration and when you’re in Catalonia, there is so much within reach that it would be a shame not to go out of the city at least once a month. So, I needed an extra source of income.

Having a math degree from a top UK university, I quickly found students from English-speaking high schools (or rather, their parents) willing to pay good money for private tutoring. I was lucky in the sense that all my students were bright and quick to learn, even if they weren’t exactly obsessed with maths. What struck me immediately was how dependent they were on their calculators. One of the girls didn’t know her 10 times table - and we’re talking about a 16-year-old here! Sure, in the exams she will manage just fine with her TI-84, and I am not asking anyone to do integrals in their head, but these kids will no doubt struggle in their everyday adult life.

That experience reminded me of a game that my own high school teacher used to show to the class. If we finished an exam early, say, he would turn on the projector and put up a PowerPoint. On the screen there were four numbers – say, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Our job was to add and multiply these to get to 24. Easy, right? Just 2 * 3 = 6, then 6 * 4. The trick was to use all numbers and use each only once. The first person who

shouted the right combination would get a point, and the teacher would show another set of four numbers. The goal was always 24 and only addition and multiplication were allowed. See if you can find a solution here.

Yes, there is one (and the solution is at the end.)

Where I am going with this? I decided to build an app that would work like the game my teacher played with us. The idea was to help teenagers with their mental arithmetic by wrapping mathematics around a fun game. For me, it was the best part of math classes back then, especially because I used to get most points at the game! I wrote the first line of code on the December 31st 2016, and got so engrossed that I had to rush to the New Year’s party. It became my New Year’s resolution to turn the PowerPoint game into a mobile app.

Almost two years later, on the 8th of November 2018, I officially released the Android version. You are probably asking yourself, is writing mobile apps that difficult and lengthy? Yes and no. If you know a bit of coding, building an Android game will be fairly simple from a technical point of view. If you know Python or C++, learning Java (the principal language you need for Android) is not such a challenge. It took me maybe three months to make a minimal viable product, or MVP - something you can show to users and get their feedback on. Not bad for a side project, I think.

What took me two years though? Firstly, I quit my PhD and got a software engineering job, which certainly took my mind off the project for a good while. Apart from that, I had to rewrite my app a few times.

Thankfully, I got the game into the hands of users and they gave me feedback - they were not convinced. The mechanics of the game were difficult to understand, the graphics were, of course, basic, and they found it got boring too quickly.

So I listened and reworked my app. At one point, the code logic got so complex and badly structured that I decided to restart

03/12/18 a new epigram campaign on: microaggression written content from students and staff to feature on epigram.org.uk throughout the week panel discussion event: 06/12/18 the gromit room, 6-7pm

Wellbeing Living Food Style

Issue 6 / 3rd December 2018

Travel

Travel//

The art of being alone: why we should all try living abroad

Style// The dark reality of Black Friday

Living// 10 ways to be kinder this week

Wellbeing// Positive experiences with the Wellbeing services

epigram / The Croft 03.12.2018

Editor Jasmine Burke

Deputy-Editor Luke Unger

Online Editor Marina Afzal-Khan Epigram Wellbeing

@EpigramWB

@epigramwellbeing

Coping with the anxiety I never knew I had As part of our looking back series, third year student Grace Williams talks about her severe anxiety and how she copes with it

I

am a third year student and it is only now that I am coming into my element. First and second year for me were more difficult than I ever could have imagined. I found myself wondering why no one had warned me that university was not necessarily going to be the ‘best years of my life’? In fact, for a long time it felt like the worst years of my life. Why didn’t anyone tell me there were other options? Why wasn’t I ‘normal’ and having the time of my life?

I am so thankful that I showed up to my student counselling session, even though it took all the strength I had at the time to override the anxious thoughts I was having. The sessions I went to changed my life so much for the better. They helped me push myself to take care of myself.

I began doing yoga from videos on YouTube, meditation every night and forcing myself to get out the house and see my friends for coffee dates at Boston Tea Party.

I would walk down the street looking for people holding guns and knives, convinced that I was going to die

Unsplash/ @Hans Viek

These were all questions I asked myself multiple times a day for my first two years at university. I suffered from a severe anxiety disorder, which seemed to spiral out of nowhere. It started when I would spend more and more time alone in my room. Then I started missing lectures, convincing myself that I could focus more on my work by myself in my room. I have always put a lot of pressure on myself to succeed academically. Now, with no distinction between ‘work’ and ‘play’ I ended up spending all my time working and no time with my friends or doing things I love.

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But I still wasn’t quite there yet. I still had days where I didn’t leave my bedroom and cut myself off from my friends. I was so angry and frustrated with the world. I wanted to disappear. I just couldn’t see a way out of this awful hole I was in.

These irrational thoughts totally consumed me. A real turning point for me was when I nearly called an ambulance for myself because I thought I was having a heart attack. It felt totally real at the time but my boyfriend managed to calm me down and I went to the doctors the next day. They put me on beta blockers: a medication that reduces the physiological symptoms of anxiety. But, as a psychology student, I knew that I needed to seek therapy to reach a long-lasting solution. The one problem with this was that I was absolutely terrified of going to therapy.

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Unsplash/ @Marrisa

I began suffering panic attacks whenever I strayed from my usual routine. By the time second year came around I had constant chest pain, nausea and to be frank – the sh*ts. The scariest times were when I would walk down the street and be looking around for people holding knives and guns, convinced that I was going to die. I could not get in a car or a bus or a train without crying hysterically and thinking I was going to die.

But each time I fell down I somehow picked myself back up and kept pushing. I stopped taking my medication after I realized that it was actually flattening my mood and numbing me way too much. I also came off the hormonal contraception I was on; I had no idea how much this was affecting my mental health! Ladies, if you are on hormonal contraception and are feeling extremely anxious, I would urge you to give your body a break for a bit.

when people are really struggling they may not be able to inititate a converstaion about it

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Now I have been practicing self-care and been off my medication and hormonal contraception for about 5 months and I have never felt better.

The biggest test for me was when my Grandpa passed away a month ago.

I was so scared that my anxiety was going to come back. But with great relief I realised that all my feelings about his death were rational and it gave me the push to live my life like my Grandpa would have wanted. He was a man of intelligence, but also an extremely sociable person that enjoyed entertaining his friends and family so much. He had the balance so right and I know he would be so proud of the balance I have finally achieved.

I can now say for the first time since starting university that I am HAPPY. I found a way out with a lot of hard work and support from my friends, family and the team at the university. Reach out to someone. But also, it is so important to check up on your friends because when people are really struggling they may not feel able to initiate a conversation about it.

Please never ever give up because all things are temporary and no matter what state your mental health is in, it is possible to recover.

Epigram/ @Jasmine Burke

You can contact Student Counselling on bristol.ac.uk/studentcounselling. They have a variety of resources available, including selfhelp resources for anxiety, access the Big White Wall and contact with the Student Wellbeing Service.

Student Wellbeing: 0117 428 4300 West Villlage: 0117 428 3301 East Village: 0117 428 3301 North Village: 0117 428 3300

Grace Williams Third Year, Experimental Psychology

A phone call with the Samaritans

A

t the beginning of the year, I was in a terrible place. I had just gone through a breakup, I did not really like my house and two weeks into the term I was already behind on work. I had friends and family and yet I felt completely alone. Lying in the bed that I hadn’t left in four days, I thought that was it. My brain was telling me there was no point anymore.

I wanted to cry for help and talk to someone, but I didn’t want my friends to pity me and I didn’t have the energy to leave my room. Then, I remembered a talk I’d been to about the Samaritans helpline. I’d never done anything like it before, but I was desperate and alone, so I googled the number and gave them a ring.

The man that answered was calm and collected. I didn’t know how to start and he guided me into the conversation, asking me how he could help. ‘I feel really sad and I don’t know what to do’ I managed to spit out in a tear-filled outburst. He asked me if I knew why and before I knew it, I began telling him the details of my failed relationship and current mental state. He asked me questions, he made it clear he was listening and, while he didn’t give specific advice, he made me feel like I wasn’t alone.

There was something about the anonymity of it all that allowed me to come clean in a way that I hadn’t been able to with my friends or family.

It was comforting to have someone patiently listen to me.

The Samaritans clarify on their website that they don’t tell you what you should do. They are not there to provide specific advice, but rather there to listen and help you explore your own feelings. That’s exactly what the volunteer on the phone did for me. In the twenty four minutes we spoke, I was able to explain why I was so upset, how much of my uni course I’d missed and why I felt so alone despite having people around me. It was judgement free, soothing and a great stepping stone out of my sad bubble.

I won’t pretend that after the phone call I was immediately cured; mental health is never as simple as that. However, I strongly believe that that phone call was what pushed me to getting the next steps I needed. Once I had spoken to the volunteer, it made it easier to do the same to friends. Though he didn’t give any specific advice, I left the call feeling like I would eventually get through it all. After those twenty four minutes, I realised that sometimes something as simple as talking things through and having someone listen can make a world of difference.

I had never sought help like this before. A part of me had always felt like I was never ‘bad enough’ mentally to deserve any sort of professional help.

However, the Samaritans clarify that they are there for anyone and everyone. They stress that they offer a safe place for all; you don’t have to be suicidal to come to them. I didn’t know what I was capable of when I rang them, I just knew that I needed to talk to somebody and in the moment they seemed like a good solution.

Epigram/ Luke Unger

I could not recommend their service enough. If you are struggling and you feel like there is no way out in the moment, give them a ring! They obviously can’t solve all of your problems, but they were a great first step for me. If you feel the need to contact the Samaritans, check out their contact number here: 116 123 (UK), 116 123 (ROI)

Anonymous

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03.12.2018 epigram / The Croft

Positive experiences with the Wellbeing Services

I have never felt more comfortable and welcomed in a room where I have been so vulnerable.

Unsplash/ @Frame Harirak

I

turned up to university, on the most part, mentally healthy.

However, by Christmas my mental health had deteriorated massively. Anxiety hit me like a sledgehammer and it was taking over my life. For example, I would often ask my friends if they wanted to watch a film in the evenings and one night they all said they were too tired or busy. My instinct was not to just accept it as normal, but to lock myself in my room for a number of days, experiencing numerous panic attacks, adamant that they all hated me and that they were watching a film without me.

My anxiety started to affect my long-term relationship, which became consumed with me constantly needing reassurance that I was loved and that I was not a burden. Understandably, my girlfriend, after 3 months of that, found it hard to deal with. I went through a period where I did not sleep for 3 days on account of staying up, worrying that my friends hated me, that my family did not love me, that I was ruining my relationship. I would spend evening upon evening in my small room shaking, crying and fearing the worst possible scenario for every single friendship and relationship that I had formed over my lifetime.

I had become suicidal, feeling like release from this kind of existence

A

round a year ago I had my first appointment at Student Counselling and it did not go well at all. In an article I wrote about my experience and why I did not think I would ever go back. It took another year until I had the courage to seek help again, bringing it to at least 8 years that I have suffered with my depression, body image and the whole range of issues that come with the two.

I finally decided (again) that I didn’t want to live life feeling as if I was being tortured and, worse, believing that I deserved it. Once again, I referred myself for student counselling. My telephone appointment for an initial assessment was a few weeks later and I was nervous, skeptical and terrified of what it would be like after last time. The man I spoke to could not have been nicer; I felt able to be open in a supportive, nonjudgmental environment. It was what I wanted my therapy experience to be the first time.

A few weeks later I was offered an appointment with one of the counsellors. I was nervous in general, but also because of the last time.

She sensed this and instantly addressed it; making it clear I was in control and didn’t have to talk about anything I didn’t want to and stressed I was absolutely free to leave and request a different therapist if I wanted.

I am so thankful that these sessions have made me comfortable thinking and talking about my own anxiety. I know I won’t always feel great but I know that’s okay and that I am more than my weakest days. Most importantly, I know that there are other people with similar experiences and I’m not as crazy as society can make me feel.

I have never felt more comfortable and welcome in a room where I have felt so vulnerable

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In speaking to other students, I was told how the University Wellbeing Services had allowed some to feel genuinely happy for the first time, or that it even saved their lives. While, for some, the counselling experiences did not directly help them to improve their mental health, the counsellors’ acceptance and encouragement to talk comfortably about their mental health allowed them to recognise that having these difficulties is okay, which is a huge step in itself.

People’s positive experiences came following a range of mental health experiences, like phobias, eating disorders and suicidal thoughts, despite the fact that a lot of these people didn’t expect relevant specialist services to be available. They also came from a variety of programmes, like free gym access and guidance via ‘Healthy Minds’ or one-on-one counselling

was better than combatting it. I refused to go to the doctor because I had become adamant the doctor would tell me I did not have any kind of mental illness. I had hit crisis point. My friends and my girlfriend had tried their best to urge me to get help and I avoided it. One evening in particular sticks in my mind. I had not slept for 3 days and I had an episode on account of my sleep deprivation: I blacked out and was roaming my friend’s flat karate chopping things, speaking gibberish and shouting about how I hated old people and people who used Zimmer frames, all of which I don’t remember. It sounds somewhat funny, but it was scary.

At this point I realised that I needed help. My girlfriend organised a doctor’s appointment, my friend sat down with me and made me fill in an application for Student Wellbeing Services.

”

My counsellors have been nothing but professional and kind, while offering practical advice about dealing with my anxiety. They encouraged us to engage with our experiences with anxiety and feel comfortable sharing openly, while also understanding that this may be difficult.

Even when I could not make it to a session they were understanding and would send an e-mail to check that I was okay. Clearly, they understand that while spots on these sessions are in high demand, it is tough for people with mental health issues to consistently be on form.

Recognising and accommodating this is so important in making space for improved mental wellbeing.

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T

hroughout my life I’ve experienced severe anxiety and panic attacks. But at university I have been pushed into distinct crisis points that made me realise this was not the way I deserved to be living and that I needed to get help. The courage it took to fill out the online Student Wellbeing form paid off. After getting a response within days, I was booked for a consultation session within the next week to see which of their services would be of benefit to me. This time, it would be group CBT.

the reason I am still at university and - most importantly - am still alive, is because I sought help from the Wellbeing Services

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sessions. Many also expressed how helpful and accessible the new Wellbeing Advisors have been. These have been introduced this year in every academic school and if you go to your school office you should be able to get a same day meeting with them.

Granted, it is heart-breaking when you are in a bad place and go through the online application just to get rejected. It could make you feel more alone than you ever thought you could be.

But, they are doing the best they can.

It is impossible to gauge to the fullest extent how someone is doing from their online application. But it is equally impossible to find a more efficient or accessible way for a large amount of people in crisis to seek help. Trust me when I say that it is a massive step to even work up the courage to fill out the online application. You have recognised that there is a need to actively make an effort to take care of yourself and your mental health. This outcome isn’t reflective of people not caring or the quality of service they can provide once you get through.

If you haven’t been able to get through for a consultation session but feel you would benefit, please talk to your Wellbeing Advisor; they are the easiest point of access to wellbeing help. It may feel impossible to talk about it. Shutting down is a common part of the struggle with mental health. But, filling out the online form is a step in this direction which has proven to you that you can and need to talk about. The presence of all these services is proof that your experiences are valid. A few moments of what may initially seem like impossible discomfort could give you access to so many of the services that you need.

Fion Clarke Online Comment Editor my anxiety. After signing up to Student Wellbeing Services, I started on a group CBT session, where I became aware that I was not alone in my issues. I began to establish mechanisms for rationalizing my thoughts, for preventing panic attacks and for clearing my mind before sleep. I also began one-to-one counselling, which helped me talk through my issues in a deeper, more intimate setting. I started on medication both for my anxiety and my insomnia.

Fast forward to third year and I can honestly say that the reason I am still at university and - most importantly - am still alive, is because I sought help from the Wellbeing Services. I needed professional help and treatment. I now have mechanisms for calming myself down and rationalizing my thoughts. I have panic attacks once every few months, as opposed to every day. I come out of my room. I go to university. I feel comfortable in my relationship. I am on a first in my degree. I rarely think that everyone hates me and, when I do, I rationalize it. I feel comfortable in myself and I want to live and I am happy to be alive. I cannot explain how important going to the Wellbeing Services is. I, for one, would not be here without them.

I was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, insomnia and obsessive tendencies. I was experiencing extreme sleep deprivation as a result of

Although apprehensive, throughout the session I found myself being more open and comfortable than I have been with anyone except my closest friends. It was everything I had wanted my therapy experience to be, everything I had given up hope of when my first session went so badly.

While I do not feel like I made a mistake in refusing to see my therapist from last year again, if I had only known that it wasn’t going to be like that again, I may have persevered and asked to try a different therapist. At least, I may have tried again sooner rather than later. Hindsight is 20:20, and a big part of me regrets putting myself, and more importantly, those close to me, through another year of mental breakdowns, panic attacks and the depression that plagues my everyday life. That is why I wanted to write this article. Plenty of people last year told me it would be ok, that other counsellors were great, that I should go back. But it was hard for me to believe because they had not experienced the things I had; they didn’t know how terrible it felt to be belittled and completely broken as a result of one session.

So, if you are thinking about asking for help for any mental health issue, please do ask Student Counselling, Bristol Wellbeing Therapies or the Students’ Health Service. If you have or had a bad experience,

Anonymous do persevere. Take it from someone who had a horrible experience, personality clashes or just absolutely hating the therapist you were assigned is not worth sacrificing your opportunity to get support. Ask to see someone different (email if you don’t want to call) and if you need to see 3 different people before you feel comfortable, do so. It’s your health and it’s you that’s important.

Epigram/ Luke Unger

Ultimately, I am relieved and thankful that I returned to Student Counselling. I had thought it was futile; surely all the therapists would be the same within the same organisation, but I am not afraid to admit that I was wrong. It was a hard lesson to learn but one thing going wrong does not mean that all hope is lost. I still have a long way to go, but I am finally moving forward with my recovery.

Bobbie Cattani Third Year, Biology

03.12.2018 epigram / The Croft

Editor Hope Riley

Deputy Editor Imogen Rogers

Online Editor Josie Roberts

Epigram Living Writers 2018-19

Christmas date ideas in Bristol!

Stuck for ideas of where to go with your significant other? Or going on a nerve-wrecking first date? Living Sub-Editor Hendrike Rahtz talks us through some of her favourite spots!

The Christmas Market at Harbourside

Clifton Suspension Bridge

Epigram / Imogen Rogers

19 The Mall, Clifton Village, Bristol BS8 4JG

Flickr / stevekeiretsu

Saturday 24 November – 16 December, 11am – 5pm every weekend.

1 Canon’s Rd, Bristol BS1 5TX

I know the bridge is not just for Christmas, but a brisk walk to enjoy the stunning views of Bristol is definitely romantic. Perhaps even more romantic when everything is frosty and cold, begging for warm hugs whilst taking in Bristol’s beauty. I suggest going to Bar Chocolat, which is a family-run café in the heart of Clifton that makes seriously good hot chocolates (and other beverages).

Unfortunately, seasonal drinks are not displayed online, but perhaps that’s part of the excitement.

The main attraction that stands out at this particular Christmas market is the ice rink! Ice skating is a very obvious winter date, but it only comes around once a year, so why not? It can initiate some cute hand holding, and if you fall over, you’ve gotten over the hurdle of embarrassing yourself in front of your date. Catch your breath at the Apres Bar, then head over to the Big Wheel (cheesy first kiss moment?)

Spice up your Christmas shopping with some mulled wine at the conveniently located winter market in the heart of Cabot Circus. Browse for Christmas gifts in the highstreet stores, or the market stalls that line the streets – meaning that present shopping can be completed in one trip! This Christmas market

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Flickr / Byrion Smith

Cabot’s Christmas Market

Millennium Square’s Winter Fair

This Christmas market is probably the best last-minute idea

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is probably the best last-minute idea, as it is easy to get to from all parts of Bristol. Also, drink stalls close at 10pm, so no need to rush the shopping!

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17 November 2018 - 6 January 2019, every day.

Millennium Square, Bristol BS1 5DB

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Flickr / shrinkin’violet

If you fall over, you’ve gotten over the hurdle of embarrassing yourself in front of your date

The renowned Everyman cinema on Whiteladies Road is showing classic Christmas film Home Alone on 5th December; and they have blankets! From Friday 7 December, Watershed is showing Anna and the Apocalypse, a ‘Scottish Christmas zombie musical’ which seems to encompass a few genres all at once, which could make for an interesting date. Bristol Film Festival is showing The Holiday at Bristol Museum, which is a romcom where a British woman and American woman swap homes for Christmas holidays. This feelgood movie is only showing on 19th December. Finally, if you are looking for a less costly date, try the all-time favourite Love Actually free outdoor screening at Millennium Square on 6 December. Don’t forget blankets/jumpers/coats/hats/scarves/gloves.

1.

Phone a relative, whether that be a grandparent, sibling or a long-lost cousin they will love to hear your voice and have a catch up.

2.

Be there for your friends, listen to what they have to say, give them a genuine compliment, offer a hug. Kindness is contagious!

3.

Bake a cake for your housemates. Firstly, baking is a great stress reliever, and secondly who doesn’t like cake? Cheer up your friends and fill your house with the great smell of baking.

4.

Give without expectation. Donate some money to a charity (this could be through a charity shop!), purchase some extra food during your lunchbreak to offer to someone homeless, or leave a positive review for a café or restaurant.

5.

Be kind to yourself. Take a while to relax and do something you enjoy. That may be painting your nails, reading a book, meditating or even heading to the gym.

Going without meat for just one day of the week can still make a huge difference, and save you some money!

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6.

Be polite. It sounds so obvious, but it is so easy to forget, or overlook the simple things. Hold open a door for someone, thank your tutor after an interesting seminar, or give up your seat on the bus. .

7.

Care for the environment - recycle, pick up litter, turn the lights off when you leave the room and turn your heating down.

Broadmead, Bristol BS1 1UX

Christmas Films in Bristol

In light of World Kindness Day on the 15th of November, Deputy Living Editor Imogen Rogers has come up with 10 easy ways to be kinder this week!

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Why not stroll hand in hand along the harbour and explore Bristol’s finest artisan businesses that the Christmas market, starting 24 November, has to offer? Live music is also offered as a way to enjoy the festivities, and there are many places serving up alcoholic Christmas favourites, including mulled wine (obviously), cider (keeping it Bristol) and alcoholic hot chocolate. The backdrop of Bristol’s historic harbour makes this particular Christmas market that little bit more romantic…

10 ways to be kinder this week

Hendrike Rahtz Living Sub-Editor

8.

Talk to someone new - a shy person in a lecture, the person behind you in a queue, a supermarket cashier- ask them how their day is going to brighten up their day. You may even make a new friend!

9.

Plan to have one meat-free day a week. Although becoming vegetarian or vegan may not be suitable for everyone, going without meat for just one day of the week can still make a huge difference, and save you some money!

10.

Attend the Humanitarian Fundraiser on the 15th November at the Attic Bar! Organised by the University of Bristol societies STAR, Jacari, Amnesty International, Oxfam and Friends of Palestine it will be an amazing night of live music and fundraising!

Imogen Rogers Deputy Living Editor

6

03.12.2018 epigram / The Croft

Location, location, location...

Can’t decide between the bright lights of the Triangle, the vibrant student community of Redland and the peaceful tranquility of Kingsdown? Here’s a run-down of the most popular housing locations for second and third-year students at Bristol.

Redland

is blessed with being a stone’s throw from uni, Cabot and Stokes Croft. The only downside to living in Kingsdown is the horrific challenge of walking back up St Michael’s Hill. Unless you are some sort of Olympic triathlete, walking up this hill will turn you into a sweaty weeping mess and leave you wishing you hadn’t popped to Primark for some new socks.

The closest Bristol will get to the social buzz of Leeds’ Hyde Park and Manchester’s Fallowfield, Redland is the favoured home of second years. However, other than lots of students living there, Redland has little else to offer. I’d also watch where exactly in ‘Redland’ you choose to live. Whilst roads such as Brighton or Waverley are reasonably close to uni as well as the nice cafes and shops on Chandos and Cotham Hill, some parts of Redland are flung up towards the top end of Whiteladies. If, like myself, you lived in Stoke Bishop during your first year, give yourself a well-deserved break from miles of walking and crammed bus journeys, and do not live near the Downs. However, if you live on Hampton Road you will

The Triangle

Epigram / Zoe Crowther

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be blessed with the petrol station as a local shopping hub! No but, in all seriousness, Redland is actually a lot of fun in second year.

Clifton

If you want to pretend you are living in David Nicholl’s Starter for Ten, look no further than Clifton. Lovely houses, views from the suspension bridge and sweet pubs make Clifton a top choice in particular for third years and those looking to live the wholesome Bristol life. Pembroke Road is arguably the focal point for student living, but there are lots of houses behind the Victoria Rooms. This

area is also home to the Lido. So if you have a spare £20 ( :O ) you could even treat yourself to a cheeky dip!

Kingsdown The Kingsdown area is, in my humble opinion, the cream of the crop!

Despite the fact that it nearly burnt down a couple of weeks ago, there are few flaws to this sweet location. And don’t fret! The (reasonably) wellstocked Co-op is still standing amongst the rubble. Boasting four pubs on St Michael’s Hill alone (!), the infamously cheap and tasty Parson’s, and the delicious Chris and Jo’s Kitchen, this is an oasis for third years. It

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If you live on Hampton Road, you will be blessed with the petrol station as a local shopping hub!

Home to one the most expensive Sainsbury’s in the country as well as a Waitrose, living on the Triangle might eat up your money at a scary rate. A small area, but crammed with cafes such as Eat a Pitta, Pret and Boulangerie, the Triangle is ideal

Unless you are some sort of Olympic triathlete, walking up this hill will turn you into a sweaty weeping mess

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for those who are too lazy to walk more than 50 metres to buy food. It also has some well-known gems, such as the Greek haven Taka Taka, as well as the lesser known Rocotillos, who make mean breakfasts and milkshakes. This is the perfect location to live if you are a religious follower of cheesy nightlife.

You can simply open your front door and find yourself amongst a myriad of classy establishments, whether it be Lola’s, Bargs or La Rocca.

Laura Reid University Management Correspondent

Aunt Aggie: ‘I haven’t made friends for life’

” ut on sed o e mis friends. It’s ie, v g I’ g A e t k un eel li ke lifelong r me?

Dear A nd I f ear, a ised to mait too late fo y d ir th om is I’m in ce I was pr me down g an h in t c t e e h g t been really mous Anony From

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All they have in common is a shared penchant for a Flat White and a Waitrose seeded loaf

”

I’m in third year, and I feel like I’ve missed out on the chance I was promised to make lifelong friends

My de a

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r Ano nymo us, First Count of all, le t y ’s time r girls fro be hon face it ight now inm Unite Hoest. That 15 look in - come g their two use migh -strong g a shar the mirroraduation, -storey Ret be havingroup of Ho In thised pencha r and reali they’re g dland man a whale me Who life, Anonnt for a Fla se that all oing to tak sion, but leof a of Str else is goin ymous, o t White an they have e a cold h t’s chip ifictly while g to reme ne must b d a Waitros in commo ard yours you go f you’re at mber to pre one’s ow e seeded lon is Hugh elf matter or a dinne Zumba? Noe-record t n best frie af. else’s Brady didns, Anonymr date by y one can s he semi-fi nd. n te best f o ourse riend ’t get to wh us - and lo lf. Tak al your lasal , now, ere he in v in g g care t All m did he yo is now ? by be urself showof Aunt y love, in s Aggie g eve ryone.

Dissertation planning got you down? Or is one of your flatmates grinding your gears? Aunt Aggie is here to answer all your problems, however big or small.

Get in touch with us at livingteam.epigram@gmail.com, or submit your problem on our Facebook group: Epigram Living Section 2018-19.

All submissions will be published anonymously.

03.12.2018 epigram / The Croft

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Instagram pictures of the fortnight...

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A collection of colourful Clifton houses!

The perfect christmas party nails from Galaxy Nails on Cotham Hill

ÂŁ4 pizza at Convivio on Cotham Hill

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Royal Fort Gardens preparing for Christmas

Find out about the differences between American colleges and UK Universities!

Wills Memorial celebrates 100 years since Women won the vote in style

Life Science #BristolBigGIve

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supporting

A beautiful shot of the Christmas steps

Editor Laila Freeman @lunchingwithlaila

Deputy Editor

Online Editor

Olivia Critoph

Nicole Abou-Abdallah

Epigram Food 2018-19

Campus food guide Packedlunchgotyoudown?DeputyFoodEditor,OliviaCritoph,offers aguidetothebestplacestograblunchnearuni White Rabbit Regardless of their lunchtime deal, the White Rabbit has great pizzas and I would recommend going there even without the deal.

However, during lunchtime (12-4pm) on weekdays they have a 2 for 1 deal!! All you have to do is check in on Facebook, and you and a friend can essentially get a half price pizza.

White Bear The White Bear is situated on Saint Michael’s Hill, less than a five minute walk from the ASS. On Wednesdays they offer a lunch (123pm) and dinner (6pm-9pm) deal, this deal includes a delicious burger (of which there are many to choose from) and chips for only £5.

Beerd Beerd is also a short walk from the ASS, offering a cheap pizza deal, where you can get ‘The Blueprint’ (a.k.a a margherita) for just £5 between 12-4pm. You can add more toppings but they do cost extra… Beerd also offers a similar deal to the White Rabbit, of 2 for 1 on pizzas, however this deal is only available after 5pm on Mondays.

Parsons If you are in a bit of a rush, with no time for a sit-down meal, Parsons is another great spot on Saint Michael’s Hill. Parsons offers the more standard meal deal you find in supermarkets however, all the food is far fresher. Their meal deal includes a sandwich, cake, and hot drink, for just £5! Not to mention, if you are feeling in need of extra sweetness, you can get four donuts for a measly £1.

Mocha Mocha Mocha Mocha offers a similar lunch deal to Parsons but for even cheaper. For only £3.95 you can get a freshly made sandwich, crisps and a drink!

Instagram / @beerdbristol

Vincenzo’s If you are in need of a huge lunch on a budget, Vincenzo’s is the place to go. You can find this gem of a restaurant just off Park Street.

Vincenzo’s has existed in Bristol for many decades now (even my dad went there as a student 30 years ago), charging incredibly low prices for large amounts of food. You can get chips or salad, with pizza or pasta, for only £5. Not only is this brilliant value for money but the restaurant itself feels authentically Italian inside.

Boulangerie Boulangerie (across from Wills) may not offer any specific lunch time deals, but they are worth a mention as their food is very good value for money. For example, you can get a huge brie baguette for only £2.20.

@epigram_food

Seasonal eating for Winter

VirginiaCampbell,tellsuswhattoeatnow the weatherisgettingcolder

Winter food is wonderful. With Christmas on everyones mind, the world goes mad for warming flavours and classic dishes - and exciting new ones. Intense aromas of mulled wine and roasted chestnuts follow you around markets and there are limited edition bites in every eatery. This time of year truly is a feast for the senses.

As you may have noticed, it is also freezing outside. So, if you do not fancy going out to experience the festive feasting, fear not - you can bring the feasting to you. Seasonal eating is the best way to do this. You can make authentic Winter dishes that will satisfy even the most hardcore Winter fans among you.

Seasonal eating is the idea of eating foods that are in high production during a particular season. They are almost always of better quality than when not in season, they are fresher because they rarely have to be imported, and they are also cheaper! There are some obvious players in the Winter seasonal eating game - namely Brussel sprouts, parsnips and all manner of traditional Christmas dinner vegetables. But some lesser known contenders can also take top spot when it comes to taste.

Beetroot, artichokes and kale are all in their prime, whilst apples, cranberries, pomegranates and pears also shine at this time of year.

Game such as pheasant and partridge (as well as the traditional turkey) are popular, as are walnuts, almonds and chestnuts.

These are just a few examples; if you want to find more just ask in supermarkets or look online!

Or what about pumpkin and squash? Halloween may have come and gone but these root vegetables are sticking around a bit longer and make the perfect, warming addition to any meal.

Olivia Critoph

Deputy Food Editor

Thai Green Curry recipe

FoodSubEditor,ErinLawler, sharesheradviceonhowtoperfectthismuchlovedrecipe • Thai curry uses coconut milk, making it available for vegans as well as vegetarians, meat or fish eaters. If you are vegan/vegetarian you can pop chick peas and sweet potato in as your source of protein along with any green vegetables for more freshness.

Method: 1. Add the oil to a wok/large frying pan and when heated add the curry paste and fry for a minute before adding the coconut milk and sugar. Bring to the boil.

2. In a separate saucepan bring some water up to the boil and par boil the sweet potato for 5 minutes then drain.

3. Rinse the chickpeas from the tin and along with them add the sweet potato, mushrooms, beans and broccoli.

4. Turn down and simmer for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.

5.Just before serving add the spring onions and chopped coriander.

6.Serve with rice and enjoy.

• It is a great option for students as you can use whatever vegetables you have in your fridge in the sauce, be they baby corn, mushrooms, broccoli, peas, green beans or potato.

• Instead of chickpeas you can use chicken, beef, salmon or cod.

• The variation of pastes available is incredible and each is slightly different: the red Thai curry paste is spicy and perfect for those cold Winter nights; Panang curry is similar to red but more fragrant; Massaman curry is very sweet making a nice change to the spiciness of the others; Thai green curry is the most fragrant of all – good with fish.

• TIP: Instead of buying your pastes from the jars in the supermarket (in Whiteladies Sainsbury’s a 190g jar of Panang curry paste costs £1.20) buy them instead from any Oriental supermarket (in 168 Oriental on Park Street a 400g tub of Panang curry paste costs £2.10)! The tubs from the Oriental supermarkets last for longer as you only use teaspoons at a time rather than tablespoons (like you would with the supermarket jars).

Erin Lawler

Food Sub Editor

Instagram / @crumbykitchen

Ingredients: •2 ½ tsp Mae Ploy/Oriental supermarket Panang curry paste •2 tbsp vegetable oil •2x 400ml tins coconut milk •1 tsp sugar •400g tin of chickpeas •1 sweet potato- chopped into small cubes •Handful of shiitake mushrooms- roughly sliced •Handful fine green beans- topped and tailed •A few broccoli florets •1 spring onion- finely chopped •Handful fresh coriander- roughly chopped •Rice

So, now that you have saved money and stocked your fridge with healthy and tasty seasonal treats, the next step is to make some delicious dinners! Think refreshing beetroot and kale salads with walnuts; a turkey sandwich with homemade cranberry sauce; or a cinnamon apple and pear strudel with warm, flaky pastry and generous helpings of custard. If you are in further need of inspiration, websites such as bbcgoodfood.com and delicious.com have really useful seasonal recipe collections. Be kind to your wallet and treat your taste buds - celebrate seasonal eating!

Virginia Campbell

First Year Religion and Theology

9

03.12.18 epigram / The Croft

Thank goodness it’s Thanksgiving AlthoughrarelycelebratedintheUK,OliviaTapperdemonstrateshowThanksgivingcanbeafoodie’sdream As a Spaniard, the closest I have ever come to celebrating Thanksgiving was having dinner at home whilst watching Rachel serve her iconic Beef Trifle at Friendsgiving or watching Barney get slapped on Slapsgiving. Considering how much I love both holidays and food, Thanksgiving has always seemed like a brilliant idea, serving delightful classic Christmas treats a bit earlier in the year.

However, there are plenty of standard Thanksgiving dishes that are completely different to the ones usually enjoyed at Christmastime; dishes I have never fully understood but have always been intrigued by (Rachel’s Beef Trifle is obviously excluded from this).

I have compiled a list of traditional Thanksgiving dishes and desserts that generations of Americans swear upon, and although at first glance they appear confusing or just simply wrong, they can often turn out to be delicious.

Frog eye salad Possibly the most unappetising and misleading name for this dish imaginable, the frog eye salad is neither a salad nor does it contain frogs eyes. In fact it bears no resemblance to its name whatsoever.

This is a sweet dessert made of a bead-like pasta known as acini de pepe which is combined with a sweet custard (or vanilla pudding) followed by mandarin slices, pineapple chunks and dried coconut.

Marshmallows are often added and the “salad” is topped with whipped cream. The name is apparently based on the similarity between a frog’s eye and the appearance of the pasta when covered in the creamy topping. Confusing? Yes. Delicious? Debatable.

Sweet potato casserole This casserole is one of the most recognisable sides on the list and is quintessentially American. The basic recipe is simply mashed sweet potatoes which are further sweetened by maple syrup or brown sugar and are often spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. They are then topped with mini marshmallows and baked until golden brown. The trouble with this dish is that it is sometimes considered sickly, however, if you reduce the amount of syrup or sugar added to the mashed potatoes themselves the marshmallow topping can make it a great addition to the dinner table.

Thanksgiving staple. Pumpkin pie is more widely recognised as the traditional holiday dessert however, the debate about which is the better of the two is still ongoing. The pie is made of a buttery pastry crust which is filled with a mashed sweet potato combined with condensed milk, custard and eggs, possibly flavoured with cinnamon. The confusing part of this dessert is that I cannot imagine it would taste too different from the casserole above, either way it sounds delicious and autumnal.

Although there appears to be an undeniable confusion in regards to the difference between desserts and savoury dishes at the traditional Thanksgiving table, plenty of these deserve a chance to be added to this year’s Christmas celebration. Although Thanksgiving is gaining popularity throughout the UK it still has not quite caught on. However, the attitude of gratefulness that this holiday is meant to embody is definitely worth adopting this year even if you do decide to pass on the Frog’s eyes.

Olivia Tapper First Year English

Mac and cheese

Instagram / @thecookierookie

Instagram / @dailycheesedelight

Mac and cheese is a classic nostalgic dish that actually originated in the UK although it has now been adopted and, arguably, perfected by the Americans. Although some Thanksgiving variations of mac and cheese just seem to pack it full of random ingredients like chopped pecans, candied bacon and leeks others have, in my opinion, elevated the original. For example, by making a classic mac and cheese and topping it with bread crumbs mixed with herbs such as sage, thyme and rosemary it suddenly becomes age-appropriate to have my childhood favourite as a side dish at Christmas dinner.

Sweet potato pie The idea of a vegetable in a dessert is not unheard of (for example in a classic rhubarb crumble) and this dessert has long been a

An ode to soup this Winter SkyeOnley,explainswhysoupistheperfectwinterfoodandsharesoneofherfavouriterecipes It’s beginning to look a lot like Blitzmess: Winter soups to warm the soul.

As we hurtle into the darkest days of term, with uncertainty over how we are going to meet our mounting deadlines and a general air of confusion over whether it is socially acceptable to start blasting out Bublé’s Christmas album and guzzling mulled wine, one thing is certain: it is truly the advent of soup season.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup V, VE, GF This is my all-time favourite, a gorgeously silky blend of melt-inthe-mouth caramelised squash, nutty garlic and warming ginger.

I love it with cheese scones, hot out of the oven and falling apart in your hands.

Method: 1. Cut the squash in half, scrape out the seeds and remove**, drizzle with olive oil and put two peeled cloves of garlic in the dip of each half. Roast on a medium heat for 40 minutes or until the squash is soft and caramelised on the edges. Whilst the squash is still hot, scrape the flesh off of the skin and discard the skin.

2. In a large saucepan, sauté the onion in olive oil. When it is translucent, add the ginger and sauté for one minute. Add the squash, carrots and stock and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the carrots are soft. Leave to cool slightly and then blitz with a stick blender (which you can buy in Wilko for £6!) and season to taste. You can add more water or even cream if you want to lengthen the soup.

*If like me you can never have enough garlic, simply take a bulb, turn on its side and cut one end off so the cloves are exposed, then roast it unpeeled alongside the squash, making sure you check on and remove it after 15 minutes or so to make sure it does not char. When it has cooled, you can squeeze out the gorgeously sweet roasted garlic and add it to pretty much any dish to make it taste that bit more amazing. **You can turn these into an easy snack: simply coat in oil, salt and smoked paprika and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes or until they start to pop!

Skye Onley Third Year English

Epigram / Alex Stevens

Soup is also an ideal student food as it is forgivingly easy: it is perfect for batch cooking, it can be made at your own pace, it will not hurt it to stop-start the cooking process, and you really do not need to worry about measurements or specific ingredients. A pot of soup bubbling away on the stove will also make a whole house smell fantastic, whilst tending to it will make you feel like you are a glorious hybrid of potions-whizz, in manner of the Half Blood Prince, and a Nigellaesque paragon of domestic bliss, which I think we can all agree is a fabulous combination.

Ingredients: -Butternut Squash -Onion -4 cloves of garlic -2 carrots, chopped -Stock cube -Inch of fresh ginger, grated -1.5 pints water -Stock -Salt and pepper Optional- extra garlic*

Editor India Harrison-Peppe

Deputy Editor Jemima Carr-Jones

Online Editor Ruby Gleeson

@epigramstyle

@e2style

epigram / The Croft 03.12.2018

Epigram Style 2018/19

The dark reality of Black Friday Style Editor India Harrison Peppe expresses concern over our willing participation in sales-culture and explains Black Friday’s contribution to the Fast Fashion epidemic.

I

t’s a given that the ongoing winter months are a time of consumption. We gorge on foods, glug down gallons of alcohol and, in recent years, splurge all of our student loans on Black Friday Sales. A typically American holiday, Black Friday is an annual day of shopping. In an attempt to get stock out before the Christmas purchasing period, Black Friday has become a ‘holiday’ -in the most operative sense of the word- where retailers flog their items for sometimes up to half of their original value.

issue, brands like these need to change their marketing strategies altogether. Black Friday sales mean that the already cheap clothing eventually comes up at around next to nothing, which inevitably, leads to more waste, with people like me and you buying things we really don’t need. The promise of cheap and cheerful deals speaks to us on a very subliminal and dangerous level, and profit incentive for these retailers means that abstaining from the Black Friday sales is a no-go.

Undoubtedly, this has meant that Black Friday has amassed a kind of consumerist frenzy in recent years, with some brands sending out emails regarding Friday sales as early as a week before. In America, it’s viewed with a kind of uncontrollable compulsion.We hear horror stories of hoards of people being crushed in their attempts to gain entrance to a store and anecdotes of people who wake up at the crack of dawn, desperate to get their hands on the seasons best bargains.

Though originating in the US, this is no longer an exclusively American treat. In recent years, we Brits have also been privileged enough to participate in Friday’s festivities.

With online shopping gradually becoming our most popular way to

This is the exact kind of problem with Black Friday. It is needless holidays like these that are fuelling the ongoing cycle of Fast Fashion.

Brands like Primark, H&M and Urban Outfitters are capitalising off of our unnecessary desire to own things. Though these brands have committed to reducing their stock to avoid waste, Greenpeace argues that these targets are not ambitious enough. To eradicate the

”

And it’s not just about the uselessness of it all. Black Friday, surprise surprise, is having an absurdly adverse effect on our environment.

Greenpeace recently released an article confirming that events like Black Friday are indeed destroying our planet. Not only does the quick turnaround in making these clothes result in toxic water pollution, it has meant that the life cycle of consumer goods has decreased by 50 per cent between 1992 and 2002.

India Harrison Peppe Style Editor

Spend less and gain more, both in head, heart and habitat

Epigram/India Harrison Peppe

Unfortunately, I have witnessed the kind of hysteria it routinely provokes in students at University. Black Friday becomes a thing of anticipation, a ceremonial event that people speak about with wideeyes and bated breath. In our First Year, we treated it almost as if it was a bonding experience. A group of us flocked out of halls and trundled down to Cabot Circus, frantically messaging one another when we thought we had found something worthwhile in another shop which, the week before, we had all confessed to being bored of.

the statement that relentless consumerism leads to a lesser sense of satisfaction with life. Spending without thinking can lead to aggression, depression and a depleted sense of self-worth. So let’s all get a bit more zen and a little less zealous this Christmas, spend less and gain more, both in head, heart and habitat.

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shop, the ease with which we can purchase, return and get hold of our desired items means we are buying disproportionately more than we used to. Accessibility means constant availability, and continuous availability means that buying something online requires the minimum amount of exertion and effort. Combined with ridiculously low prices, the amount of packages being shipped residentially is enormous. This increases exponentially around Black Friday and arguably does not abate until after the Christmas Period.

It would seem logical, that after the hype generated around Stacey Dooley’s recent fast fashion documentary, these retailers would make an effort to criticise these commercial campaigns. But no, I’m sure I’m not alone in being subject to hundreds of GIFs jumping all around my newsfeed and emails flooding more participation in the Friday Frenzy.

As the Christmas Period encroaches upon us, I ask us to be mindful. Not only are we destroying our environment, but we are affecting our mindset too. The Guardian confirms that with studies carried out across a diverse set of demographics, their is validity to

Would you like to feature in our SPOTTED section? Either wait to be sought out around campus or send in submissions @epigramstyle on Instagram or through our Facebook Group.

Our favourite submission wins a surprise prize at the end of the term!

Epigram/India Harrison Peppe

SPOTTED Second year Maths & Philosophy Student, Tallulah Jenkins, gives us the low-down on her Winter Warmer.

Q: So, we love your coat, and we were wondering where you found it?

A: I actually picked it up from a random vintage shop in Paris. It was quite an impulsive buy, but I reckoned it was worth it. I never buy myself clothes, so I thought that a coat would be a necessary investment. Besides, it’s one of those things you can keep forever.

At least, that is if I don’t lose it!

Q: Tell us more about the colour choice?

A: So, obviously my hair is bleached, and most people would say yellow on yellow isn’t a good look. In this case, I would disagree. I think if you’re going to wear a fur coat, you should wear something a bit more ‘out there’, especially considfering how popular faux fur is at the moment. I’ve seen quite similar ones being sold on the Topshop and ZARA winter sales at the moment if you want to go out and find something similar.

Q: And how would you describe your style in three words?

A: Oh- that’s really hard. I’m mostly quite functional to be honest.

Anything that’s easy and comfortable is good for me. Especially when it’s this cold outside, I really try to layer up. This is honestly the most lavish thing I own. Even if I throw this on over trackies and a t-shirt, then somehow I seem more presentable, which is reason enough for me!

Q: And last question, what item of clothing would you say do you find most meaningful or memorable? Can be anything you like, we just want to hear the story behind it.

A: Ok, well, I guess my heelies. I wanted them for so long when I was younger that when I finally got them I refused to wear them.

I kept them in the box and wouldn’t let anyone touch them. One day my dad got so angry that he made me go out and practice on them. I was so scared of ruining them that I wouldn’t really use them properly, so I slid around everywhere scared of scuffing them up. As I got more confident, I started picking up pace and fell over, and got dirt all over the shoes. After that I literally refused to wear them again and they stayed in my cupboard, untouched.

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03.12.2018 The Croft / epigram

Finding Frida Kahlo : Self expression through style Deputy Editor Jemima Carr-Jones discusses the legacy of Frida Kahlo in response to the recent V&A exhibition.

A new generation of women who

”

were able to express themselves satorially and visually.

”

Fashion centered around youthful energy - women found they were gaining increased autonomy over their bodies and their image, there was a new-found freedom to experiment with makeup and clothes which allowed a form of self-expression that was previously condemned.

Channeling her physical and emotional vulnerabilities into an expression of strength and power.

”

As Kahlo was infertile, her ostensible abandonment of these attributes corresponding to femininity is vital to our understanding of her as an individual. She admits that she knew her paintings to be ‘the most frank expression of myself’, and her frequent choice to depict herself in the traditional apparel of a man confirms that Kahlo understood the massive potential for true expression through choice of clothing.

Kahlo’s infertility was caused by riding in a bus that collided violently with a trolley car, rendering her handicapped for most of her life being highly prone to physical weakness. Additionally, having suffered from Polio as a child she had one leg much longer than the other, her right leg amputated at a later date. Her status as an icon, amongst other things, is often associated with her choice to use fashion as a means of channelling her physical and emotional vulnerabilities into an expression of strength and power. Her fashion choices, therefore, became testimonies of her heritage, beauty and beliefs.

Her identity was communicated through art, both on canvas and her own body, two examples of this: her wearing customised prosthetic devices and also traditional Tehuana garments. The incorporation of Tehuana apparel, a municipality in the southeast of Mexico, was a statement. Reputed for being a matriarchal society, through donning the clothing of a society of empowered women, Kahlo implicitly advocates the resistance of patriarchal domination and pioneers female liberation. The pattern of the material consists often of cosmic symbols mixed with myths of creation, placing women at the centre of the fabric, as she is the creator of life.

Frida’s identity can be seen to be wrapped up in every facet of her being. The symbolic importance of her clothing demonstrated Kahlo’s own views, it operated both on a personal and a public level, speaking for both Kahlo’s own identity and how she felt about the wider world.

Her clothing, however, was also hugely functional. The vast majority were made from cotton and silks, so as to be light enough for her body to carry and sustain. She also wore long skirts as she desired for her outfits to focus on her torso upwards, adorning herself with jewellery and magnificent floral headpieces so that the eye would not be drawn to her legs.

”

A woman born on the cusp of the Mexican Revolution, her identity is inextricable to this momentous event. This was apparently something Kahlo herself had the foresight to recognise, insisting her birth year to be 1910 rather than 1907, actively changing the date to mirror that of the revolution. 1920’s Mexico City post-revolution was abundant with energy and vibrancy - it was a time and a place that was rife with inspiration for an aspiring artist. European and American department stores were sporadically popping up along Mexico’s streets, bringing aspects of cultures from all over the world that had been previously untouchable. Increased ease of accessibility to different cultures and perspectives meant that the world began to open up; what might, before, have been unknown was now open to the masses. A product of the zeitgeist, Kahlo quickly became a part of a new generation of women who were able to express themselves sartorially and visually.

These were las Mujeres Modernas: the women of modern Mexico.

For the first time, women could wear loose fitting clothing such as the shift dress and have cropped hair while remaining assured in their sexuality. Kahlo herself went as far as wearing conventionally male or androgynous clothing, on occaision relinquishing entirely fashion items traditionally female. This is evidenced in a family photograph taken in 1924 and later in her Self-Portrait with Cropped Hair 1940.

Kahlo’s hair is cut in locks, strewn across the floor behind her; and she sits, oozing conviction in spite of her cropped hair. Mexican tradition meant long hair was associated with femininity and womanhood, and womanhood was traditionally synonymous with the bearing of children.

”

J

uly 13th 1954, Frida Kahlo left this world, writing in her diary: ‘I hope the exit is joyful - and I hope never to return - Frida’. Following her death, her belongings, clothing and accessories were all stored in the bathroom of her iconic blue house and locked away for fifty years. With the ‘Frida Kahlo: Making Her Self Up’ V&A exhibition presenting an array of items from this secreted collection only recently brought to light, it seems now, more than ever, apt to discuss how Frida Kahlo moulded her sense of fashion and style to curate her individual and renowned form of self-expression.

Her identity is wrapped up in every facet of her being.

”

At a time where fashion is often inextricable from the political, Kahlo appeared to strike a balance between the personal and the political with brilliance. She is undoubtedly an emblem of fashion being intertwined with all aspects of life: her style choices allowed her to exude a sense of self, to publicise her opinions and to give her body the greatest sense of ease in a time of terrible pain. The V&A exhibition is an extensive insight into both the life, art and style of Frida Kahlo and, though an artist, it proposes an almost indisputable argument for Kahlo’s heralding as a fashion icon way ahead of her time.

Jemima Carr-Jones Style Deputy Editor

Diversity For Dummies- What’s holding Victoria’s Secret back?

Despite her obsession, Second Year English student, Daisy Farrow, explores the pitfalls of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and explains why the fashion industry still needs to champion inclusivity.

I

love the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and take it upon myself to watch it every year. It is, true to its name, my little secret. However, when I recently found out that my flatmate was as obsessed as I was, it quickly led to a series of intense discussions about our favourite models, the most stunning looks, which performers performed best on the runway, and various other little things provoked by our infatuation with the show. Until one night the controversial topic that has been on everyone’s minds breached our usually harmless chatter.

It is a discussion, however, that I believe should be had more; why isn’t the Victoria’s Secret Show more inclusive?

In a society increasingly pushing for inclusivity across all industries; -racially, sexually and physically- why is it that this isn’t represented in the fashion industry that we witness today?

This discussion of representation isn’t limited to weight and ethnicity; although seeing a plus-sized model or a model of an ethnic minority

things that I have bought from Victoria’s Secret or from PINK. But isn’t that part of the problem? In other aspects of my life, I have been more stringent, like when I found out that some of my favourite makeup brands tested on animals and subsequently stopped using them.

The issue of animal cruelty and testing mattered to me so much that I decided that I could not reconcile my desire for these products with my morals. These days, it seems like clothing choices are beginning to hold the same gravitas. I am not necessarily advocating a boycott of all Victoria’s Secret products. I am aware, however, that to see real change, we, as the consumers of the product, need to become more vocal.

I am being somewhat hypocritical. For feeling so passionately about this lack of inclusivity, I still ardently watch the shows every year. In fact, if you were to look in my wardrobe, you’d probably see several

Protest shows such as the one held by Robyn Lawley and Simply Be, as well as various models like Barbie Ferreira, are speaking out from within the industry and demanding change to lead the movement towards better inclusivity. Diversity comes in all shapes, all sizes, all abilities and all sexualities. To see this represented more in the fashion industry and from the very businesses we patronage, we should be aware of the power we hold as the target audience for these companies.

It is then imperative that we demand change and more improvements; without complaints from us, the consumers, can change ever really take place? With the success of various brands like Rihanna’s Savage X FENTY debut, which also featured two pregnant models and a host of women of all sizes and colours, it is not unreasonable to request that similar steps should be taken by other brands. It is not a matter of Victoria’s Secret being unable to change, it is a matter of being unwilling.

Instagram/@BellaHadid

If I were to tell you to close your eyes now and picture a Victoria’s Secret Angel, she’d probably be enviously tall, almost-dangerously thin, and probably blonde. In fact, considering that in 2016 only 30 per cent of models were from non-caucasian backgrounds, you might even picture somebody white too. There is, of course, nothing wrong with being thin, tall, and blonde. Every model who walks the show is beautiful, and that is not something that can necessarily be argued with. It is an industry that capitalises off of peoples looks, to have an issue with the models being aesthetically pleasing would be pointless.

The problem with Victoria’s Secret, however, is not about who is walking the runway, it’s with who isn’t.

is always revelatory, it also includes models with disabilities or who aren’t cis-gendered. With an estimated audience of around 5 million, and the average woman in the UK being a size 16, what Victoria’s Secret parades down the catwalk is entirely disjunct from what we see in our day to day lives. Of course, it would be unfair of me not to mention the advances Victoria’s Secret has made towards inclusivity in the past few years. In 2017, they had their most diverse show yet, with almost 50 per cent of models being Black, Asian, or Hispanic. Yet, this begs the question as to whether this is enough; surely a show as prolific and revered as Victoria’s secret can afford to be making the most radical statements in the industry?

Daisy Farrow Second Year English

Deputy Editor Editor Rachel Evans Amelia Edgell-Cole

Online Editor Amelia Shoebridge

epigram / The Croft 03.12.2018

@epigram_travel

@EpigramTravel

Spotlight on... Prague Jasmine Norden tells us the top five places to visit in the Czech capital as part of our ‘Spotlight on...’ cities series

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well clear of anyone holding a snake because they will try to put it on your shoulder. Take photos of every aesthetically pleasing building until your camera storage runs out. Get a Pilsner from a bar in Old Town at least once and marvel at the price.

rague is the ideal city for students; it is incredibly affordable and has a staggering variety of things to do, which you can attempt to cram into a long weekend, depending on your stamina.

The Czech Republic is now 25 years old, and has straddled the divide between Slavic and Western culture whilst managing to become one of the most popular city destinations in Europe. Ranging from history to nightlife, here is an (entirely subjective) list of the top five things not to miss in Prague.

The Jewish Museum

Epigram / Jasmine Norden

Prague Castle No doubt you will notice the imposing building rising above the river fairly soon after arriving. Office to the President of the Czech Republic, the castle can easily be reached by bus/tram for those daunted by the hill. A range of ticket options are available depending on how thoroughly you want to investigate the castle, but the cheapest circuit is more than worth it. If your budget is really tight, you can enter the castle and parts of the Cathedral for free. The highlights include the high gothic towers of St. Vitus Cathedral and its intricate stained-glass windows; the historic royal palace, from which the entirety of the city can be seen; and Golden Lane, the residence of Czech novelist Franz Kafka in the early twentieth century. If you are there in the summer, enter through the Royal Garden to avoid the crowds.

Vinohrady Take the metro to Náměstí Míru or Jiřího z Poděbrad (JZP) for one of Prague’s lesser known neighbourhoods and the longest escalator in Europe (if that sort of thing excites you). This is a great area to stay in, especially on a budget. The beauty of Prague’s architecture is no less outside the Old Town, filled with lines of pastel buildings feauturing ornate window frames. Rising above the elegant buildings, in all its Soviet glory, is Prague’s TV Tower, proud recipient of second place for the ugliest building in the world in one poll. However, its more recent decoration by

In the Old Town you can also find Josefov, an old Jewish Ghetto that now functions as Prague’s Jewish museum. Again, the cheaper ticket gives you access to plenty of the museum, including multiple Synagogues, the cemetery and the Ceremonial Hall, though you will miss out on the Old-New Synagogue, which is the oldest active Synagogue in Europe. The Jewish Museum gives you a fairly in-depth history of Jewish life in Prague and Bohemia, accompanied by wonderful architecture, especially in the Spanish Synagogue. The Pinkas Synagogue is particularly sobering - bare of decoration, inhabited only by the thousands of names of Czech Jews who were victims during the Holocaust.

Nightlife

Czech sculptor David Czerny’s large crawling babies, have turned it into an important part of the Prague art scene. This area is also particularly strong for food, with a multitude of independent cafes and regular farmer’s markets throughout the year on the square at JZP. Also, for those not particularly enamoured by regular goulash or pork knuckle, a modern Czech restaurant just off Náměstí Míru, Vinohradsky Parlament, offers a slightly more accessible, though more expensive, take on Czech cuisine.

Old Town It has to be done, regardless of how ridiculously busy it will be.

Struggle your way down Charles Bridge and through Old Town Square at least once. See the Astronomical Clock, which I personally cannot attest to the value of, as it was under repairs both times I was in Prague, but it is the oldest astronomical clock still operating in the world apparently. Get Trdelník, which is not a Czech delicacy, though no one seems to have told them this because it is everywhere. Steer

Prague’s nightlife is one of its main draws, and there’s something to suit every kind of mood. Two of the best places are Lucerna and Chapeau Rouge. Lucerna is located in the centre, just off Wenceslas Square, and is just the spot for anyone looking for cheese and 80s music. Entry and drinks are reasonable, and its full of both year-abroad students and actual Czech people.

For those looking for something slightly more sophisticated, Chapeau Rouge is barely a minute from Old Town Square. The ground floor is a bar, open day and night, and downstairs there’s the Dance Club, occupied by DJ’s of both international and local fame, and the Underground Club, where independent bands play.

We were told specifically to avoid the five-storey club, Karlovy Lazne, due to it being overcrowded, but your mileage may vary on this one.

Jasmine Norden Third Year, Psychology

Epigram / Jasmine Norden

Flickr / stefanjurca

03.12.2018 epigram / The Croft

13

Travel & mental health Mental health on the road

Olivia Rutherford discusses the impact of travelling upon her mental health

After my first year at university and a host of part-time jobs throughout the year, I travelled again. The journey was beautiful and I was lucky to experience it. From trekking in the Pyrenees to sunset guitar sessions in rural Spain, from close encounters with brown bears in the Polish Tatras to meeting locals by couch-surfing and hitch-hiking across Romania, it was incredible. However, this time anxiety was not absent from my trip; it was very much present.

I will not omit it from the story or frame the trip as rose-tinted, void of struggles with mental health. Indeed, it was during this particular trip that I fully faced what I was dealing with. My body reacted in a different way, with tension in my neck and upper back meaning that I had to take some days out. My anxiety became heightened during the process of travelling.

However, as a result, I began to understand my mental health in a way which I was not able to through my life in Bristol. I connected more strongly with people and places because of the anxiety which made me more vulnerable; I learned to share and open up, and the friendships I formed became so much stronger because of this. We jokingly tend to ask ‘did you find yourself?’ whilst travelling. In some respects, it was through struggling with my mental health whilst travelling that I did. I broke down barriers to my feelings and it was through these journeys that I became able to understand it so much better.

Olivia Rutherford Third Year, History

Think like Santa!

Make a list, and check it twice! There is nothing more stressful than thinking you have forgotten something, from the all-important to the trivial. I always make a preliminary list of what I need, and once I get packing and remember other things, make a second list.

Make one for coming home, too! Even make a list of tourist attractions or activities you want to do, to make sure you don’t come away feeling disappointed or passport-less.

Fight or flight Sometimes the mode of transport itself can be anxiety-inducing. When you think too hard about sitting in a plane above the clouds, or on a little half-sphere floating on an ocean of unknown, it can be scary. If, like me, you are prone to over-thinking, that sentence was not too nice in itself.

The key is to distract yourself.

Bring something immersive headphones, a book, a game you can play - and let yourself be completely distracted. Remember the deadline, and keep in mind that the end goal outweighs any worry.

Pay attention to safety warnings so you can tell your anxiety that at least you know what you are doing, and if worst comes to worst, let a flight attendant or crew member know how you feel - they are trained and happy to help.

Pallette panic I suffer from extreme and complex anxieties regarding food, eating, and etiquette. Throw being vegan into the mix and it’s enough to make Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson cry like a baby. While you will find yourself spontaneously out for a meal, or stumbling across somewhere unplanned that looks a dream, often on a holiday you will plan your meals out. I would recommend taking a few extra minutes out of your day just to scan a menu, then you will know if there is something to your tastes and requirements, or if you will have to fiddle with the

menu, you can mentally prepare.

Hints, tips, and tricks of the taxi It can be so easy to roll up at the airport and realise that now you have got from point A to B, you have still got to navigate all the way to Z. I have always been lucky in that when I have been unprepared, I have always stumbled across shuttle buses, trams, tubes, or cheap taxis, but if you are prone to travel stress, check in advance! Find out about potential travel passes, night-buses, availability, and anything else that could catch you out. I would rather be the tourist with a ten page travel proforma than the one stranded at the airport, after all.

Parlez-vouz anglais?

Learn key phrases in the language. I cannot stress this enough.

Butchered attempts are always better than suffering in silence, or worse, shouted, broken English. If you’re worried about memorising phrases, keep a handy note on your phone - anything from ‘where’s the toilet’, to ‘sorry, I get anxious’. And for the love of Adiona, if you have an allergy, learn how to tell people!

Cover your back We all hope our holidays will be plain sailing, but in the case of something untoward happening, you will thank yourself for preparing for emergency situations. Have your insurance provider’s number saved, and satiate the niggling voice in your head that something is going to go wrong with the knowledge that if it does, you are ready. Side note: it can be tempting to go for cheaper cover by ignoring the everpresent ‘pre-existing conditions’ box. If you have a mental health condition that may affect you, for your own sake, declare it.

Unsplash / Tomasz Ganclerz

Returning from a summer spent fresh-faced with shining memories, university initially disenchanted me as I leapt from the outdoors to drunken student nights out - not finding my feet in the whirlwind of first term. I was confused and infuriated at how anxiety, which had seemed so absent during my trip in Spain, had now resurfaced. Travelling had put me in situations which were physically and emotionally challenging, and yet I now found myself in university, finding day-to-day tasks extremely difficult.

ravelling is an exciting time, full of adventure, exploration, relaxation, and fun.

It can also be one of the most nerve-wracking experiences possible.

I am prone to serious travellers’ anxiety, so I need a lot of hints and tricks to keep me mentally grounded whilst I am physically a thousand miles from home.

Epigram / Olivia Rutherford

For me, I thought travelling was a fresh start - a break from struggles with poor mental health, which seemed to be increasingly difficult towards the end of sixth form, which I’d kept hidden. My first trip was the Camino de Santiago in the summer of 2017, made up of a 500mile, five-week-long walk across Spain. I was filled with hope as my routine was broken and my anxious thinking seemed to be knocked off course.

Strangely, I found stability in the whirlwind of instability.

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Leah Martindale shares her top tips for an anxiety-free trip

Unsplash / John Matychuk

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ith Instagram photos of sunset smiles, postcards arriving from far-flung destinations and messages home to family and friends giving no indication of being anything other than wonderful, mental health is not something we discuss in connection with travelling. Moments of anxiety are mentioned at times, the panic when the passport was forgotten, the missed train connection, the feeling of loneliness in a hostel bunk when travelling alone. But discussion of struggles with mental health, which play a role in our daily lives, seem to be simply left out as we tell our stories and share them on social media platforms.

Looking after your mental health when abroad

Livin’ on a Prayer

If you are a person of faith and are unsure of how you will be received or how comfortably you will be able to practice your faith, research ahead. Make sure you will be comfortable and will have provisions available to freely practice. A holiday should never impede on your moral imperatives.

If you are not of faith, research ahead.

You can avoid some nerve-wracking situations of judgement and, worstcase, bannings from places if you know how to navigate the culture. Saint Peter’s Basilica is beautiful, but only if you are covered appropriately.

If you cover all bases and plan ahead, you can generally quash the most irrational of anxieties; and if you make lots of memories and keepsakes, you will always have something to remind you why you put yourself through it all. Happy travelling, and remember the mind’s rest is as important as the body’s!

Leah Martindale Third Year, Film & Television

Epigram / The Croft 03.12.2018

14

The art of being alone: why we should all try living abroad Topaz Maitland shares her excitement about working in a new country, the journey it takes you on and the wonderful experience of having a new culture to embrace

Despite our different backgrounds, nationalities, mother tongues and ambitions - we share much in common. We all chose to work and live for an extended period of time, alone, in Kathmandu.

My companions are quietly self assured - an essential quality for this type of adventure. None of them hesitated to join an impromptu hiking trip with several strangers. Living alone in a wildly different culture means making friends quickly and recognising every opportunity for discovery. With uncertainty and new experiences being the daily norm, anxiety over impulsive decisions or changing plans becomes something of the past.

Epigram / Topaz Maitland

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hree Spaniards, a Nepali, an Austrian and an Italian join me around the table. We share our stories while waiting for our dhal bhat, the national dish of Nepal. That morning, the seven of us had met for the first time at a chaotic bus stop in Kathmandu to embark upon a spontaneous weekend trek to the Himalayas.

I am spending this year at a small NGO, focusing on small hydropower turbines to provide power to remote off-grid communities.The organization runs projects to help communities sustainably develop, often via renewable energy projects. I create fluid dynamics simulations, assist with lab testing and final design modifications, while acting as a link to researchers back at UoB.

Here, I learned that to be alone is not the same as being lonely.

Now that I am unafraid to leave everything I know behind, I am truly free to follow my ambitions and interests wherever they may take me. Understanding the beauty of being content alone is the root of a deeper personal stability. With an ever-increasing number of mental health problems in our society, such stability is not to be underrated.

Perhaps what we all need is to try living abroad. To challenge ourselves in such a way is to understand exactly how fearlessly we are capable of living. Such an abrupt disruption to the stress-laden conveyor belt of Western life can lead us to new understandings of how to live life whilst enjoying it.

Around the table, similar understandings are expressed. All of us have found, to our surprise, that we have no regrets about coming out here. Our dhal bhat arrives. It is delicious.

Topaz Maitland Third Year, Engineering Design

Unsplash / masinutoscana

Unsplash / hansoulo_sink

Contentment can also be found from living differently, which is a necessary part of living abroad. Although Western culture can offer luxuries such as washing machines and running hot water, it is riddled with pressures that are proving to be toxic for younger generations. The Nepalese lifestyle involves eating well, dressing colourfully and dancing often. During festival season, there is a Hindu festival almost every day. That is not to say that Nepal is without its own problems - it is still a developing nation after all, but living in such a way can dislodge the unhealthy habits of a Western routine.

Epigram Maitland Flickr/ /Topaz Mark Fischer

Despite leaving behind my family, friends, culture, and a long term relationship, I already know that choosing to do this year of work experience has been the best decision of my life. In the busy bubble of university life, I found it very hard to juggle the workload and the strain of a long distance relationship. It was not until I experienced a truly stress-free lifestyle out here that I realised how stressed I had been.

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Film & TV

epigram 03.12.2018

Editor: Patrick Sullivan Online Editor: James Turnbull Deputy Editor: Luke Silverman Student Film Correspondent: Miles Jackson

How film and TV have highlighted specific, diagnosable mental illnesses

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a hidden gem of TV that irritatingly deserves more praise and recognition. Currently on its fourth and final season, the musical-comedy has traversed countless social themes, including homosexual relationships and adultery.

The pillar, however, is the main character’s journey with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Rebecca is not actually diagnosed until the third season, where BPD is explained in more depth. I was personally uneducated on it before watching Crazy Ex and now feel I have a grasp on what it is and how to act around somebody who lives with it. The musical numbers weaved in serve as a self aware look into the characters’ thoughts as much as they respectfully provide humour, whilst dealing with potential BPD symptoms, like fear of abandonment and impulsive behaviour. If you want to educate yourself more on BPD, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend will teach and entertain all at once.

Flowers (2016-) Milo Clenshaw

Second Year, English & Film After a successful first season in 2016, Flowers returned to Channel 4 this June. A dark comedy about mental health, it is both a heartfelt and - at times - painfully funny take on rural family life, with stars Olivia Coleman and Julian Barratt taking the lead.

A shockingly low key opening of a botched hanging sets the scene; and Mr Flowers (Barratt) trudges back home through the mud

Ellie Fernyhough

Second Year, History

Second Year, Psychology Unashamedly frank from the opening scene, showing protagonist Rae Earl (Sharon Rooney) preparing to leave a psychiatric ward, My Mad Fat Diary shines a light on an illness consistently kept in the shadows.

Binge eating disorder fills the sufferer with shame, the result society still failing to relinquish body-shaming and stop equating thinness to goodness.

Yet in this dramatisation of a teenager’s diaries, there is no shying away from the reality of living with the illness, the stigma and self-loathing which shadow Rae through her coming-of-age years. Not that the discussion of mental illness in the show alienates any mentally well viewers - Rae struggles with boys, self-confidence, A levels and friends. Her life is normal - weekly visits to her unorthodox therapist Kester (Ian Hart) fit into the routine of school and pub trips.

This is the show’s greatest credit: depicting the problems mental health presents to young people, but also problems unavoidable in growing up. It is a comfort for those who feel alone in their pain, and demystifying for people confused by the hidden torment of mental illness. Though tough to watch on occasion, the empathy Rae learns to show to her own body is a lesson sorely lacking in much of our cultural zeitgeist. to his below-average life. Flowers is one of my personal favourites; just the right mix of humour, weirdly wonderful characters and an authentically sensitive approach to mental illness. What sets it apart, too, is its exploration into the many ways mental illness can express itself; apathy, anger, obsession and substance misuse all show their face. Flowers makes you question what might really be meant by ‘I’m fine’, and to me that can only be a positive step towards a more frank discussion of mental health in the media.

Little Miss Sunshine (2006) Sophy Leys Johnston Third Year, English Literature

“A positive step towards a more frank discussion of mental health in the media”

Shame forces an audience to face the realities of addiction. In this case, the central character, Brandon (Michael Fassbender) is pathologically addicted to sex. Shame is harrowing to watch, and one leaves the film feeling rather more distressed than when they arrived. This is, however, testament to the film’s success: sex-addiction is portrayed as very real and very serious, and Brandon’s evident distress forces you to grapple with the concept of dependence. His addiction has such a strong-hold over him that he feels intimacy with no-one, seeking sexual gratification as remedy, but remaining emotionally unfulfilled throughout. The unsettlingly graphic depictions of Brandon’s sex-life are entirely unsexy, as Shame makes you question Hollywood’s too-often glamourised portrayal of addiction, and too-often romanticized depiction of sex.

Brandon’s fraught relationship with his sister, ‘Sissy’ (Carey Mulligan) herself suffering from what is likely a personality disorder, reveals how the isolating consequences of his addiction translate into his every day. Shame thus bares the extent to which addiction can take over one’s existence completely. Shame represents sex-addiction as a mental health issue which has frequently not been taken seriously, and in doing so, is one of few feature-films to portray addiction as it really is.

Dysfunctionality is at the heart of Little Miss Sunshine. After a recent suicide attempt and without the insurance to cover any further health care costs, Frank (Steve Carell) is reluctantly thrust into the midst of his sister’s chaotic family. Any acknowledgement of his mental illness remains unaddressed until Olive (Abigail Breslin), the innocently oblivious eight year old, whose unapologetic curiosity brings the topic to the forefront of dinner table conversation. Olive remains unfazed, but it is Richard (Greg Kinnear) whose categorisation of Frank as a ‘loser’, as opposed to a ‘winner’, because he has ‘given up on life’, that is highlighted as damaging, almost to point of absurdity. And it is this scene that resonates throughout the film.

Also touching upon topics of body positivity, toxic masculinity and drug addiction, alongside depression and the damage of a capitalist based health care system, it is an impressive feat that Little Miss Sunshine is able to find such optimism and humour within such dysfunctionality.

Frank’s depression is not the focal point of the narrative nor at any point does the film attempt to ‘cure’ him. But we are ultimately presented with an unexpectedly positive outlook; in the face of depression family proves the ultimate support system,in whatever dysfunctional form this may appear.

IMDb / Little Miss Sunshine / 20th Century Fox

IMDb / Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Third Year, Film & TV

Shame (2011) Laura Turner

My Mad Fat Diary (2013-15)

IMDb / Shame / Film4

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015-) James Saunders

Leave No Trace portrays mental trauma The film, released earlier this year, shows the complexity of PTSD Ewan Bissell Second Year, History

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n 2012, the New York Times published an article detailing post-traumatic growth, interviewing veterans and exploring their ideas of how they have developed as a person since their trauma.

This idea that you become stronger from your prior trauma is an appealing one. However, pitting this idea of post-traumatic growth against a backdrop of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) creates a greater picture.

Leave No Trace (2018), directed by Debra Granick, grapples with these ideas with its war veteran protagonist Will (Foster), whose arc explores the dualism of post-traumatic experience, in a portrayal of the complex human spirit. While the primary dynamic of the movie is Will and his daughter, Tom (McKenzie), and the inevitable car crash they

approach, Will’s change since the war is further contextualised during the events.

The leading pair live in a forest just outside of the city, developing a campsite into a home.

Tom, no older than 11, has learned a lot from this simple life. She engages in exercises like identifying organs, foraging, and inspecting wildlife. Will, one way or another, passes on learning and traits which ultimately strengthen Tom. Their understanding of the natural world, adaptability and trust in one another gets them through the situations they face. At one point Tom is noted as being further ahead in school, but crucially school develops both academic and social skills.

So we are introduced to this world where post-traumatic growth has made a character stronger and their daughter stronger by proxy. Over the course of the film, this world is challenged and brought to a tragic conclusion. It slowly reveals to the audience that Will has been suffering from PTSD and struggles with night terrors. He receives medication which he then trades away due to its ineffectiveness, and his old military

unit has been haunted by suicides. Despite his struggles in the park, it is relatively comfortable compared to when he and his daughter are forced back into traditional society. The second act of the film challenges the first, and shows the flip side of the earlier post-traumatic growth.

Forced back into the traditional world, Will struggles to cope. It becomes apparent that despite his post-traumatic growth in some aspects of life - especially when in the park - day to day life in traditional society is near impossible for him. After a long struggle trying to somehow break into a traditional life, he and his daughter leave again to return to the wild. In this decision to return, more light is shed on Will: he is more than a simple non-conformist living on national ground, he is a troubled veteran who can’t live the way he is expected to. He has to live where his post-traumatic growth is at its strongest and the stress is at its weakest. The second act looks forward to an inevitable collision between Will and Tom, which occurs in the third. They are inextricably linked but Will’s

“Day to day life in traditional society is near impossible for him”

and Tom’s needs are so different. When they encounter another settlement, Tom stays and Will goes, not because he wants to, but because he has to. This moment of synthesis is Will’s realisation that for his daughter to ever be fulfilled, he must go. Will chooses a life where he can try to avoid his haunting PTSD, and hopefully give his daughter a better life. The portrayal of Will, as a man whose experiences affect him in many different ways is a testament to the human spirit and experience. The confusing nature of how we react and change - or don’t change - to the occurrences of our life is what makes us human. His troubled mental health is the focal point of this, and by taking the tough choice to leave his daughter, he could find some peace and maybe so could she.

Leave No Trace is an outstanding work in relating the human experience to its audience - that you can have differing and barely reconcilable feelings about your relationships, your home and yourself. Will’s mental health is an extension of this, Leave No Trace succeeds in its portrayal.

03.12.2018

epigram

Film & TV 19

Film & TV Online Editor

G

rief is a complicated thing, and if you’ve lost somebody close to you, you’ll know exactly the sort of emotional gauntlet you go through.

Bristol-based filmmaker Ben Akers has been there – he lost his best friend to suicide four years ago. But now, full of motivation to make a difference and do something to keep more men from taking their own lives, Ben has directed STEVE, a documentary exploring male depression and suicide. I had the privilege of talking to him about his film, mental health and how to support the people in our lives.

The conversation turned first to the documentary itself, which Ben reflected on as a way to help deal with the grief of losing his childhood best friend, which still has an effect on him. ‘I’d just returned from Australia - I’d been [there] for six years, and it sort of hit me pretty hard,’ he said. Indeed, as he opened up to students in a Q&A discussion on mental health held after the interview, he admitted that he was choking up a little just talking about it.

‘Being a problem solver [and] being a documentary maker, I decided to use what I know and use the skills that I have [...] and try and make that awareness out there. [...] The most important bit about my film is looking at the solutions.’ There are some pretty distressing statistics surrounding

male mental health, including that suicide is the biggest killer of men under 45 in this country. As Ben put it, ‘I’m more likely to kill me than anyone else’.

Ben was keen to stress that the message of his film is optimistic and asks us to look forward instead of being paralysed by our pasts. ‘STEVE is not a film about why, it’s a film about hope if you like, moving forward, [...] what we can do to look after ourselves.’

Ben’s outlook is refreshingly optimistic - and necessarily so.

Ben says that one thing he’s learned from working on his film is how to take care of his own mental health. ‘Demand more out of your own mental health, like you do for your physical health. [...] You don’t expect to sit there and get fit, you have to go for a run.’ Therapy, for him, has always been a preventative measure. ‘People say, when you say you’ve got a therapist, “Why what’s wrong?” Nothing, I’ve got a therapist.’

“Demand more out of your own mental health, like you do for your physical health”

Epigram / James Turnbull

After losing his best friend to suicide, the Bristol based filmmaker addresses the issue through his film James Turnbull

Photo credit Ben Akers

Ben Akers on his documentary STEVE mental health should be like fitness Eventually of course, I had to address the elephant in the room: student mental health.

Ben understood the struggle a lot of students are facing nowadays. Every generation has had its difficulties, but ours seems to be in a unique bind. ‘To be a student nowadays I think you guys have got it fucking harder or [...] you are far more aware of this stuff because we never talked about mental health when I was at university, but you’re under far more pressure than we were financially and [...] we didn’t have social media growing up either.’ So, in this climate, how do we take care of ourselves and those around us? Well, we need to think about what we’re actually asking people when we talk about mental health. ‘If they do start moving further down the line and you might be worried about them, confront it, ask them properly. Don’t say, “Are you going to do something silly?”, because you’re not respecting where their brain’s at [...] “Are you feeling suicidal?” [...] that’s a confronting question.’

Plenty of good work is being done by those who share Ben’s passion for tackling this mental health epidemic. ‘I think the stuff that CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) do is very good, the boys there are good friends of mine and have been very good supporters of the film,’ Ben says, while

praising the likes of Heads Together and Movember. But he still, quite rightly, wants more to be done. ‘I think there’s lots of talk, if I’m honest [...] a lot of it feels like we need a bit more action, actually getting people to look after themselves.’

When I asked him how he felt about the future of the conversation of mental health, he responded with a smile: ‘I’m always optimistic. I think you have to be.’

As depressing as the wider subject matter of his work may be, there’s something inspiring about the optimism fuelling this mission to save men’s lives. It’s a mission that sees us as truly capable of making a difference not just to ourselves but the people around us, and reaching out in ways we haven’t done before.

The next time you ask your friend, ‘Are you okay?’, ask them again: ‘No, really, are you okay?’ Start the conversation, and don’t stop.

The full interview with Ben is available to watch on Epigram’s website, Facebook and YouTube channel.

Editors’ Picks

IMDb / New Line Cinema

IMDb / Focus Features

IMDb / MGM Studios

IMDb / Large’s Ark Productions

This issue, we showcase films which personally enlightened us on mental health

Patrick Sullivan

Luke Silverman

James Turnbull

Miles Jackson

Editor

Deputy Editor

Online Editor

Student Film Correspondent

Garden State (2004)

Rain Man (1988)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

Scrubs (2001-2010) star Zach Braff was in his This 1988 classic follows Charlie Babbitt (Tom twenties when he wrote, directed, and starred in Cruise), a selfish car salesman. When his father dies this flick. It follows a failed wannabe actor, Andrew but leaves almost his entire estate to an estranged (Braff), returning to his mundane hometown for his brother, Raymond, the story really begins to take off. mother’s funeral. Andrew had been misdiagnosed Raymond, played exceptionally by Dustin Hoffman, with anger issues as a child by his psychologist father is an autistic savant. The film, whilst follows many and by taking more ownership of his mental health, obvious tropes, is shaped by the inclusion of this Alicia Wakeling he rediscovers his sense of adventure. Childhood severe mental condition which is portrayed expertly Year, Film & Television friend Mark (Peter Sarsgaard) drags AndrewSecond on a by Hoffman, who quite rightly won the Oscar for sketchy search for a rare trading card and plenty Leading Actor. Whatever preconceptions you may of the film’s success is owed a supporting cast of have of Cruise’s work or lifestyle, he really is on form oddballs, including a young Jim Parsons cameo, here as well and, with Hoffman, delivers some truly as well as the quirky, well developed romantic moving moments in the film. The pair’s relationship interest role of Sam, played by Natalie Portman. The develops over the course of the film in such a natural memorable moment comes when the trio scream way that whilst the ending is foreseeable, it does not into a huge chasm - bring on the infinite abyss. feel forced at all.

Though Eternal Sunshine might not be explicitly about mental health, it still deserves to be mentioned in this issue. Protagonist Joel (Carrey), an anxious, isolated man who finds comfort in routine and little else, learns that his girlfriend Clementine (Winslet) has undergone a procedure to erase every trace of him from her memory. What follows is a stunningly inventive and exquisitely anxious chase down memory lane, as Joel questions his memories of the relationship. This film, ultimately one that questions how human beings approach and move past trauma, is at once uplifting and deeply melancholy, and the acting combines with Charlie Kaufman’s typically brilliant script to create a masterpiece that cuts deep into your soul, leaving wounds that will take a long time to heal.

When Paul Thomas Anderson said the follow-up to Magnolia (1999) would be a 90 minute romcom starring Adam Sandler, most assumed he was joking.

Yet two years later he made good on his promise with Punch-Drunk Love, potentially one of the most sensitive, delicate little romantic comedies ever made.

Sandler stars as Barry Egan, a socially anxious toilet plunger salesman who finds love in the similarly lonely Lena (Emily Watson). Genuinely bizarre yet bizarrely genuine, the film’s stroke of genius is in the presentation of anxiety, which suffuses every aspect of the film from its clickety, erratic score to the use of colour to emphasise just how prominently Barry hides from the world around him; the bright blue of his suit sinking into the stunning ceruleans of the world around him so as to render him invisible.

epigram 03.12.2018

Film & TV 20

What we watch to get us in a good mood Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

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Initially something of a dark horse in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Guardians of the Galaxy proved to be one of the franchise’s most successful films. The opening scenes are among the best of introductions, with the direction, music and titles all giving an early indication that the audience can expect a fun time. The excellent soundtrack is feel-good in itself but when combined with the ragtag band of wacky characters and colourful visuals it all comes together for some top notch comedic moments and a deeply enjoyable experience. The casting of Chris Pratt in the lead role was a brave but excellent decision and the chemistry he brings to his co-stars is clear. Vin Diesel’s one line repeating tree, Bradley Cooper as a loudmouth racoon, Zoe Saldana’s badass assassin and Dave Bautista’s literal talking Drax complete the band of misfits and showcases the film’s fun absurdity. This is a film I know I can put on at any time to bring a smile to my face.

Starring Matt Berry as a hapless actor struggling to make ends meet, Toast of London is a ridiculous comedy and the perfect medicine for anyone feeling blue.

Our irritable protagonist, Steven Toast, reluctantly lends his voice-over talents in a plush studio overseen by hipsters Danny

Bear and Clem Fandango. The pair routinely grinding Toast’s gears never fails to put a smile on my face. I also garner comfort from the theme song, written and performed

by Berry himself. In the 19 episodes, the pessimistic actor tries erotic historical literature, develops an infatuation for ‘the Madman’ (Jon Hamm), and regularly butts heads with his nemesis – Ray ‘bloody’ Purchase. The quirky but gentle feel means I regularly revisit to lift my mood.

IMDb / Almost Famous

To say The Only Way Is Essex is my guilty pleasure is a lie. There is not one part of me that associates guilt with perfectly produced, heart-warming Sunday night entertainment.

It is one of the few TV shows I watch where, if interrupted, I actively and insistently shush people. It is reality TV at its finest: relatable, reliable and ridiculous. What distinguishes TOWIE from others in the genre, for me, is its unapologetic unpretentiousness. Every time a phone is answered with ‘Yeah, I’m alright, you alright?’, a top 40 chart topper immaculately merges one scene with the next or a couple breaks up at their engagement party, I just feel content. Lest we forget it is also the birthplace of Gemma Collins’ career as a pop-culture icon and national treasure.

I can testify that despite shameless scripting, fake tan the colour of a ripe easy-peeler and clumsy nightclub ‘bump ins’, the quality has done nothing but soar over the years. It is the single greatest mood lifter on a Sunday night.

Ollie Smith

Marvel Studios / Guardians of the Galaxy 2

Nikki Peach

Toast of London (2012-) Henry Edwards

Almost Famous (2000) Ethan Luc Chief Proofreader

“This is a film I know I can put on at any time to bring a smile to my face”

There is a scene midway through which so defines ‘feel-good’, you will sing with joy.

Fictitious rock band Stillwater, a baby faced 15-year-old journalist named William (Fugit) and the enchanting Penny Lane (Hudson) head to their next tour stop following a band argument. As the coach trundles along in somber silence, Elton John’s classic ‘Tiny Dancer’ shifts from non-diagetic to within the bus itself. Someone takes the plunge and starts singing; the rest follow. William, feeling he has long outstayed his welcome, turns to Penny to confess: ‘I have to go home.’

Omniscient, myserious and angelic, she replies, ‘You are home.’ Well then, altogether now: ‘Hold me closer, tiny dancer . . . .’

IMDb / Mulan / Disney

The Only Was is Essex (2010-)

Mulan (1998) Leah Martindale Third Year, Film

Ever since I was a little girl, Mulan has made my dullest days bright. When I was young and poorly I would watch it on VHS and when it ended I would rewind it and put it in for another go round. Maybe it is the strong message of female empowerment and a willingness to do whatever is necessary that always uplifted me. The message of camaraderie and friendship despite people’s differences that gave me hope. The message of love for one’s family and an evercaring afterlife that gave me an existential hope. Or maybe it is just pretty. The music is rousing and the songs are fun and Eddie Murphy is a dragon, ‘Dra-gon! Not li-zard!’. What about that wouldn’t make anyone happy?

The much idolised star struggled with the complicated private life of her fame Leah Martindale Third Year, Film

M

arilyn Monroe is one of the most iconic faces to grace the silver screen. Starring in just shy of 30 movies in a 14 year film career, she was a prolific leading lady with an image that would reach iconographic levels, and a status that has only grown exponentially since her untimely death 56 years ago, at the age 36.

Born Norma Jean Mortenson, Marilyn’s relatively short time in the limelight was strewn with scandals, sexualisation, and sensationalism, from the press to the President, and everyone in between.

Lifetime’s The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe (2015) gave many of us a never before seen insight into the blonde bombshell’s psyche.

From a child spending stints in foster care while her schizophrenic mother was institutionalised, to a pin-up girl gawked at by millions, to a star whose films had grossed the contemporary equivalent of $2 billion in just over a decade.

This explosive trajectory could not have come without a cost. Her bubbly screen persona was noted by many as simply that, a persona. From a lifelong battle with depression to the alleged miscarriage of Tony

Curtis’ child during the filming of Some Like it Hot (1959) alluded to in his memoirs, the woman suffered in the public and private eye alike. A life spent caring in the shadows for a mother with a burning indifference to her left Monroe, understandably, burnt out.

It is widely theorised that a fear of mental illness being hereditary plagued Monroe, with her mother’s eventual suicide being the final kick in the teeth.

Clark Gable’s death a short while after they wrapped on The Misfits (1961) allegedly sent Marilyn into a deep depression, especially after his widow’s speculation that the stress of working with her had somehow influenced the heart attack which killed him. Her three divorces all took their toll on her, both mentally and socially, and of course were ravaged by the press. Legend has it that after her separation from Earl Wilson a reporter was so keen for her side of the story that he jostled his microphone into her mouth, chipping her tooth. It is no surprise that her life, so violently thrust into the limelight, had a damaging effect on her mental state. Constantly objectified, type-cast, and mistreated, it would send anyone into a headspin. Monroe even momentarily spent time institutionalised at the Payne-Whitney Clinic in New York, in which she wrote a letter documenting her time. She discussed even being infantilised and patronised by her doctor, who called her ‘a very, very sick girl [who] had been a very, very sick girl for many years’.

Science journalist Claudia Kalb has

IMDb / Some Like It Hot

Mental health and Marilyn Monroe

speculated in her best-selling book Andy Warhol Was a Hoarder: Inside the Minds of History’s Great Personalities that Monroe suffered from borderline personality disorder, a condition still now deeply stigmatised and shockingly underrepresented. The thought of people, half a century after her death, debating over her mental state probably makes Norma Jean turn in her grave. I’m sorry, Marilyn.

Monroe played a constant stream of charming dumb-blondes, consistently glibly manipulated à la Some Like It Hot, girl-nextdoor love interests like in The Seven Year Itch (1955), and deeply talented but ultimately sexualised babes, like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). Her role in Don’t Bother to Knock (1952) represented a turning point in her personal view, establishing her as a more serious actor with an unrealised potential.

We have retroactively accepted the gross mistreatment of many of the Golden Ages’ female stars - such as Judy Garland’s noted mistreatment on the set of The Wizard of

“It is no surprise that her life, so violently thrust into the limelight, had a damaging effect on her mental state”

Oz (1939) - and contemporary Hollywood’s failings. See the #MeToo movement for a damning indictment of what happens when men gain power. To me, Monroe is a shining example of why retroactive is not active enough. Monroe is a precursor to the Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and Amy Winehouse’s of contemporary society: the world saw her decline and, ultimately, let it happen. The press continued to feed the beast that bit her and those close to her, through negligence or ignorance, allowed her to spiral further into dependency and depression.

After her untimely death, blamed in its day on a sleeping pill overdose, Monroe was characterised by the LA Times as ‘a troubled beauty who failed to find happiness as Hollywood’s brightest star’.

Monroe will always be a hero of mine, not for her undoubtedly impressive filmography or high-profile affairs of the heart, but for the strength of character it must have taken to be Marilyn in a world that expected everything and nothing of her.

Arts

epigram 03.12.2018

@epigramarts

Editor: Alina Young Online Editor: Avital Carno Deputy Editors: Anna Trafford & Gabi Spiro

@epigramarts

Have yourself a commercial little Christmas

Charlie Harrison gives the run-down on the successes and failures of 2018’s battle of the Christmas ads, in all their shameless marketing glory

should feel good about stretching our bank accounts to breaking point just to feel like we’ve done enough for our families to feel loved. And He was played by Elton John.

Youtube /McDonalds

“It’s impossible to ignore the fact that the word on the herald angel’s lips this year is materialism”

advert I have ever seen, with a level of imagination roughly equivalent to the nutrition in their food. The word generic doesn’t come close to covering it.

This is all getting terribly sad, isn’t it?

It can’t all be lazy corporate shenanigans, right? Well, there are a few nice ones to melt our frozen hearts. The Sainsbury’s advert, for instance, depicts an oddly extravagant Christmas school play, complete with adorable singer and proud mum. I loved it more than is at all reasonable; it’s immensely cheesy, but breathlessly cute and impossible to watch without smiling. Boots’ advert was nothing too special, but lovely regardless, and that’s all that I ask for.

Meanwhile, Heathrow... alright. I don’t know what it is about those bloody bears, but they’ve been doing the same thing every year for the past three years and it gets me every single time. There is something about small teddy bears wandering around an airport that is so heart-achingly endearing, and Christmassy, and yet somehow doesn’t feel manipulative as an advert. Maybe they’ve got the pitch-perfect balance between cuteness and brand recognition, or maybe I’m just a sucker for a teddy bear in a hat. I don’t know.

However, despite the best efforts of the Heathrow bears or Sainsbury’s singer, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that the word on the herald angel’s lips this year is materialism.

This year, Christ was laid in a manger constructed from an IKEA flatpack, and wrapped in designer swaddling cloth. He turned water into Coca-cola, and fed the five thousand with Big Macs. He gave the blind man lipstick and the leper an iPad. And all the while, soft piano music played in the background to make it seem like the whole thing was terribly wholesome, and that we

Youtube / Sainsburys

anyone could actually relate to getting their first instrument, this advert could have been something special.

From one controversial advert to another: Christmas came early for Iceland’s PR team this year when their advert was ‘banned’ from being broadcasted for being ‘too political’. Except, it wasn’t ‘banned’ in the edgy, pushing-the-boundaries way that word implies; it was simply impossible to broadcast it because it was made by a political group (Greenpeace).

That is the law. That didn’t stop the noble Iceland from taking to Twitter to let everyone know how heroic they are, though, before branding the ordinary working people of ClearCast as a pack of Grinches, simply for doing their jobs and obeying the law.

The advert is beautiful, doubtlessly; the animation is wonderful and the message inspiring and well-delivered. But it has become so overshadowed by the controversy surrounding it that the artistic merit of the advert is hardly worth commenting on. At least it is drawing attention to an important issue, even if the whole thing feels like an expensive way for Iceland to self-five.

Then, we move on to those adverts that make no effort to be something nice and that might as well have a flashing sign saying ‘CONSUME’ over top of them. Littlewoods apparently challenged themselves to see how many products they could shove in our face in the space of twenty seconds, and the resultant advert looks like it was designed by a magpie on crack and edited by Iceland’s orangutan.

TK Maxx features a family whose lives are vastly improved by the presence of a long sock that belches gifts at them, learning that valuable lesson that endless presents make a valid alternative to genuine human affection.

Who knew?

McDonalds, meanwhile, had the laziest

Youtube / Iceland

N

ow, of course, the point of adverts is to sell things to us. When it comes to Christmas, however, I wish they didn’t have to be so bloody obvious about it.

This year has been an interesting one for Christmas adverts. A surprising number have eschewed their traditional heartwarming tales, and indeed any sense of the loveliness of Christmas altogether, in favour of sheer, unadulterated marketing.

Christmas time is one when every cynic loves to temporarily emerge from their pits to belch to everyone they know that they mustn’t have any fun because Christmas isn’t about what it’s supposed to be about anymore; it’s all about the presents now.

In the past, I have always managed to successfully stave off these parasites, usually by drowning them out with Mariah Carey, or by beating them away with an unusually large cracker.

This year, though, I think that they might have a point.

Let’s start with the big one, shall we?

John Lewis’ advert could have actually been my favourite of the year, were it not for one small detail. It’s a very well made advert and contains a terribly nice message about how just one, well-picked present can completely change someone’s life. It inspires us to think carefully about our loved ones and what they would want most in the world.

There’s one catch, though - it contains Elton John. I don’t have anything in particular against Elton; but his presence immediately takes the audience out of the story of the advert, and all you can think about is how this is obviously just marketing for his ongoing farewell tour, as well as the biopic coming out in 2019.

Suddenly, the advert isn’t about caring for people you love, it’s about celebrity glorification, about people with wallets bigger than my bedroom pretending to be relatable just so that they can squeeze another buck out of us. Very upsetting. If it had depicted a fictional musician that

Youtube / Iceland

Youtube / Iceland

Charlie Harrison Masters, Global Political Economy

Youtube / Heathrow

Youtube / John Lewis

03.12.2018 epigram

Arts 23

The art of student interior design From the halls of Badock, Xander Brett takes us through the lessons he’s learnt in an unappreciated artform - student interior design - to give your halls’ bedroom a homelier touch Xander Brett First Year, French & History of Art

H

Epigram / Xander Brett

aving spent five years at boarding school, I’ve had a head start when it comes to turning institutional rooms from hovel to haven. But, while covering the walls of one’s dorm with posters and torn out magazine photos was accepted, indeed expected, at school, coming to university, I needed a revamp. So I spent much of my gap year throwing out old posters and postcards and sweeping IKEA for new material.

As a massive Scandophile, stepping into IKEA is always an exhilarating experience.

I could spend hours in the café, eating meatballs and gazing at the chic furniture being wheeled past. But, even if you don’t enjoy spending hours in Swedishness like me, IKEA is still a great place to source

“People will respect your individuality [...] as long as they mean something to you, it doesn’t matter”

or coat over them.

Of course, you can always print off more posters if you need to and, I’m told, hanging fairy lights or a string of photos from the wall also solves remaining bare bits.

If you’re struggling with bare bookshelves, the obvious solution is to, well, fill them with books. But you could also use them to store a tea or coffee pot. Not only will this add to a cosy atmosphere, confirming that you actually live there, but, if placed in an obvious place, it is an excuse for visitors to stay longer.

Alternatively, you could turn your bookshelves into an organisational space.

Prop up a whiteboard, noticeboard or calendar, slot in a paper tray or stack up your files. Even if you don’t actually have anything to put on the whiteboard, it will still fill in a gap. If you can fill it, however, even better, as it will give the impression that you’re organised…

And if you’re short of colour, another nice idea is to design your own headboard or a screen (if your room is big enough) to create a divide between your ‘study’ and ‘bedroom’. You might look a bit odd carrying planks of wood around the Triangle, or

taking it onto the bus, but once you get back, decorating it would be fun, and a chance to create something truly individual. Because that, after all, is the aim: to make your room unique and personal.

Epigram / Xander Brett

Epigram / Xander Brett

decoration for a hall room, house or flat. It’s comprehensive, good quality and affordable.

Certainly, it can be an intimidating experience, following illuminated arrows through a warehouse with no natural light, trying not to knock over glass objects, but that only refines your concentration.

Don’t allow yourself to throw everything that you like into the trolley. Instead, find the first thing that you like and, from then on, look for objects of a similar style and / or colour scheme. If you like a certain yellow pillow, for example, look for a duvet that will look good with it, not just one that you think looks nice.

Keep asking yourself if the objects will work with one another, and the room as whole. It’s a long and often boring task, but it’s one that’s worth doing. If you don’t, your room will only end up looking like an IKEA storeroom itself, full of unrelated, if appealing, objects.

Having said that, there’s no point turning your room into a showroom. University is busy, and you will likely spend most of the day away from your room. Having somewhere ‘you’ to return to is essential. Reserve a wall for your own photos, postcards, theatre tickets and newspaper cut-outs.

Most of what you put up will be accumulated over the course of the year.

Having just arrived in Bristol, a wall of my room is covered with useful things like bus timetables, maps, calendars and French grammar charts. But I’ve also put up things that mean something to me personally: posters and a collection of postcards from exhibitions that I’ve enjoyed.

Don’t worry if these objects don’t fit in with your general scheme and, most importantly, don’t worry if you think that people won’t find them cool. People will respect your individuality and will find it weirder to hang out in a room with bare walls than one covered in a seemingly random collection of images. As long as they mean something to you, it doesn’t matter.

When I move out of halls next year, most of my posters and postcards will come with me, and I look forward to greater space to spread them over.

My rug and reading light will also come with me. These objects are synonymous with a cosy room. When it’s dark enough to close the curtains, switching on a reading light transforms both your room and your mood.

Equally, a good rug or mat will cover up nasty flooring, and any bare walls can be transformed by hanging up a dressing gown

The Happy Place: Feel-good art Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy reminds us: DON’T PANIC Yasmin Inkersole Second Year, English

ver wondered what it would be like to have your house bulldozed only moments before the planet was destroyed to make room for a new hyper-space bypass? No? Well, the surprising and hilarious tale of Arthur Dent’s sudden initiation into space travel in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy might sound like a chain of very

anything and there really is no place to find a good cuppa other than Earth.

So whether it’s Vogon poetry or end-ofterm deadlines that are getting you down, it’s important to remember the caring words of wisdom printed in friendly letters on the cover of the Hitchiker’s Guide: DON’T PANIC. Have you been reading some feel-good books lately? Does your crafty side-gig chill you out? Has the Hokusai exhibit at the RWA returned your Zen? We want to hear about it!

Get in touch with the editors

Instagram / ursa_rager

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unfortunate events, but it is really just the thing to put a very large and stupid grin on your face.

In the company of a narcissistic twoheaded man, a depressed robot, a professional galactic hitchhiker and a girl whose phone number (much to his own surprise) he managed to get at a house party, Dent is hurled into a range of highly improbable scenarios.

Not only is the series immensely entertaining but it’s also peppered with excellent tips such as: always bring a towel, a dressing gown can withstand pretty much

epigram 03.12.2018

24 Arts

Fantastic queers, nowhere to find them: how J.K Rowling perpetuates microaggressions

Examining Rowling’s novels and recent film The Crimes of Grindelwald, Lee Sykes argues that the Harry Potter franchise normalises the closeting of LGBTQ+ communities Lee Sykes Third Year, English

“I thought that I’d give my beloved childhood books another chance”

throughout the film, and even the more conservative and perhaps-asexual-butquintessentially-straight Newt and Tina had a moment of relationship exposure which celebrated their mutual understanding of one another as the perfect match.

However, our understanding of Grindelwald and Dumbledore as a couple is already built on our knowledge that they will never last. The heterosexual conservative population never has to acknowledge them as lovers, only tortured, unhappy enemies. I would argue that this is a microaggression in itself, which creates rather than deconstructs problems for the LGBT+ community. It perpetuates internalised homophobia, the belief that our love is ‘lesser’ than that of a straight couple’s, as well as homophobia from the straight community who cannot conceptualise same sex desire (“but who wears the trousers?!”)

It is possible to read Dumbledore and Grindelwald as ‘just good friends’, a familiar line for any queer kid whose parents have introduced their partner as a ‘best friend’ despite being informed of the contrary many, many times. Or even one of my family members, who asked me why gay people had to ‘shove it in their face’ following seeing a gay couple kissing in the street. Even at university, the belief that we cannot be open about who we love still goes on strong.

Twitter / fuertecito

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ublicly declaring an LGBTQ+ relationship is always a contentious act. In a world where queer still has not been normalised, holding your partner’s hand in the street is still seen as political. Whilst the university campus has, in my experience, been generally more tolerant than wider society, the popular culture that we absorb still has the potential to shape how people view queer love; specifically, whether or not it should be seen.

Sometimes, popular culture can be fantastic at representing LGBTQ+ experience and thus normalising it for the cis/hetero population. Hayley Kiyoko, Becky Chambers’ The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, and podcasts such as Welcome to Nightvale are just a few of many examples of real people and actors who do not shy away from queer identities. But often, particularly in mass

popular culture, queer representation is far more problematic.

The example which immediately springs to mind is the Harry Potter franchise. “But Dumbledore is gay! What more do you want?” I hear you say. Well, for starters, there is no queer representation other than one old white celibate man whose sexuality is never once acknowledged in the books.

You can be queer, claims J.K, but not obviously queer. Queerness is celebrated as something that is ‘normal’ because it is never made visible. The hetero population never have to come to terms with a gay Dumbledore because, for all intents and purposes, he never exists as a gay man.

However, I thought that I’d give my beloved childhood books another chance by going to see The Crimes of Grindelwald as soon as it came out. Surely, I thought, surely now, in 2018, we are going to be able to reclaim at least two white men as a signal that we can exist openly.

SPOILER ALERT AHEAD: I was wrong.

I sat and seethed in the Showcase Cinema next to another queer friend similarly glaring at the screen as we watched ‘gay love’ allegorised with a blood pact and a clasped hand. But not clasped in a loving way, rather, fingers twined in a brutal interlocking of aggression as two beads of blood blurred together in a crude metaphor for gay sex. Queenie and Jacob, meanwhile, were allowed to slobber all over one another

I, and many of my other queer friends, have been scared to hold a same sex partner’s hand in the street. The first time that I saw a bisexual woman playing an obviously bisexual character on a TV screen was this year. Thank you, Rosa Diaz!

This year was the first time that I stopped lying to myself about who I was. It’s the first year that I’ve refused to let people gloss over my sexuality. It’s the first year that I’ve kissed a girl in public. Representation matters.

The Best of Wildlife photography Twitter / animalbank_. Photograph by Isak Pretorius

Abigail Alltimes visits the 54th Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at MShed Abigail Alltimes Third Year, English

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he ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year’ exhibition features 100 winning and commended photographs chosen from 45,000 entries from 95 countries. The awards range in categories from ‘Animal Portraits’, ‘Behaviours’, and ‘Habitats’, to ‘Documentary’, ‘Earth’s Environment’ and ‘Urban Wildlife’. The quote that opens the exhibition as you enter is from the chair of the judging panel, Rosamund Kidman Cox. She writes: ‘Each unforgettable image has a story to tell. Some of those stories will amaze you. Some may shock you. But all should make you think about the precious nature of our fast-disappearing natural world and the urgent need to reverse that loss.’

Cox’s words certainly set the tone for the photographs that are on display. The stories of the photographers, and how they captured each image, the stories of the plants, animals and landscapes, and the overarching story of the diversity and beauty of our planet: a story of the remarkable connection between humans and nature.

Straightaway, the first images to be viewed from the ‘Earth’s Environment’ are fantastical and surreal, almost alien in their beauty. I was awed by the potential and privilege that photography offers by allowing us to capture a moment’s glimpse of the ever shifting sands of the desert, the frozen geometry of icecaves, or the streaming rivers that erode rock and granite. The photographer, Paul Mckenzie, commended for his photo ‘Delta Design’, says, ‘I love images where nature can be depicted as art.’ And certainly, the exhibited photographs display the art of storytelling, capturing, and examining the natural world. One photographer, Zorica Kovacevic, called the encounters ‘treasure

“From solemn and quiet moments, to the elated and joyful celebrations of life across the globe”

hunts’ but what was revealed most clearly was the imagination of these individuals.

High concept and high resolution marked each photo, which impressed indelible colours, shapes and surprising movements in my mind.

It would be impossible to accurately praise and describe every photo, so I will briefly mention three of many favourites.

The grand title winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Marsel van Oosten’s entry The Golden Couple, was beautiful to behold. It features a couple of resting Quinling golden snub-nosed monkeys in the forests of the Quinling Mountains of China. Cox notes that the pair is ‘perfectly posed’ and ‘superbly lit.’ Her

description alongside the picture reminded me of Renaissance paintings, a startling discovery in a photography exhibit. The golden colour of the monkeys’ fur creates an inner-glow in the image which speaks to the photographic skill of van Oosten.

Another photo that caught my attention was Sue Forbes’ commended Flight, which displayed a flying fish and booby bird perfectly captured hovering in the same position above water. The image reminded me of a pair of skaters dancing on gentle rippling ice. From the almost glacial clarity of the water to the serendipitous synchronisation of the bird and fish, I could imagine a gripping tale of a deadly ice dance.

Finally, the most arresting image for me was Witness by Emily Garthwaite. It shows a sun bear against the bars of its cage. The haunting eyes and a downturned mouth left me feeling cold, even more so when the information below the image explained the exploitation of sun bears for their gall bladders and bile for traditional medicines.

Some even live with permanent catheters to extract the bile. The extent of human cruelty and wanton brutality was written in the face of this sun bear.

The exhibition displayed an impressive range of experiences from the solemn and quiet moments, to the elated and joyful celebrations of life across the globe. I would definitely recommend a visit, if not for the epic stories, then for a glimpse of the fragile beauty of our natural world. Set your imagination loose amid the wildlife.

epigram 03.12.2018

Music

Editor: Alexia Kirov Deputy: Joe Gorecki Online Editor: Bethany Marris @EpigramMusic

epigram_music

epigram_music

‘We try to achieve a sense of timelessness’: In conversation with Parcels Epigram Music talks to Parcels about how they relocated to Europe and made their debut album Ellen Kinsey

Fourth Year, French & Film

B

Parcels / Antoine Henault

efore seeing Parcel’s live performance, I chat with Louis Swaine and Noah Hill backstage earlier that day. A funny contrast of character from viewing their quintuple act performance that evening. Still decked in a retro turtleneck and long blonde hair, we sat in their tiny dressing room; I joked ‘only the two of you?’ They laughed. ‘Trust me, you wouldn’t want all of us in here!’

Parcels are an indie-funk band composed of, Patrick Hetherington, Louie Swain, Anatole “Toto” Serret, Noah Hill, and Jules Crommelin. Now based in Berlin, they migrated from Byron Bay, Australia.

Childhood friends and bandmates since 2014, they made the big move to Europe ‘to be Parcels’.

When asking what influence the city had on their music, Louis recalls that they recorded their album in the cold and that darkness had a certain influence on their music. Objectively, on the outside, their sound would typically be labelled as cheery and chill. However, Noah answers that it had an influence more on the lyrics than the sound, ‘the city had a big influence on their album but it is hard to isolate what it is.

Berlin has an isolating feeling.’

The setlist of the gig was brilliantly arranged.

Packed with instrumental interludes, it allowed the boys to jam and goof out on stage. It is evident that the connection between the band goes further than a collaboration for their love of music.

It is also their fun schoolboy banter that liberates them in their live performance and album.

Querying the cool demeanour of musicians, I asked why the tracks off their album were spelt as one single word, such as tieduprightnow, withorwithout and lightenup.

I expected a cool niche response; I laughed as Louis stated, ‘It all started because for the first demo that we sent on Pat’s computer, the space bar was broken. On the email, all the words were smashed together.’ Noah chimes in, ‘Yeah it creates a new word, in the end, people thought games of luck, was game o’ fluck! In the end with titles of songs and band names, the meaning of the word goes out the window once you’ve looked at it too long.

The band introduced their set with ‘Comedown’, a combination of sounds from plucky rifts, salient synths to cyclical drum beats. After ‘Lightenup’, ‘Hideout’, and ‘Gamesofluck’, followed ‘Withorwithout’.

Curious to see what the significance pertained to their album cover of the band on a flight, the boys told me that the recurring hand on the covers of tieduprightnow, withorwithout, lightenup and bemyself was of a ‘hand of the girl who reoccurs on the album, she is a

‘A 70s shimmering backdrop, rainbow strobe lights, and zesty synths’

character that resurfaces now and then.’ This girl is referenced several times in their track withorwithout.

Parcels have been coined by NME as ‘the Beach Boys gone electro-disco’, I asked what inspired their sound, be it musicians, films or anything in particular? ‘Not really,” states Noah. ‘We listen to a lot of different music, a lot of different films. It so hard to point out. It changes all the time.’ Louis adds, ‘We listen to new things every single month. Get inspired by something and show everyone else and be like look at this and then we will incorporate immediately.’ ‘Yeah it happens instantaneously,’ Noah replies, ‘Like we will all be at a gig and inspired by something and then next practice we will start to incorporate the sound. Already early on in their career they have had a single produced

by Daft Punk and made appearances on stage at Glastonbury and other festivals. On the topic of festivals, Noah adds,’ ‘I feel like this happened a lot with Justice on this tour.

We watched a lot of Justice on the tour – they were everywhere at the festival we were at, and they just had such an amazing show.

We realised at the end of the tour that, yeah that’s a bit like Justice.’ Justice’s influence was evident in their set with the electro-pop infused disco juxtaposed with multitudes of jammy interludes and strobe lights. So far, so funky!

Smirking on stage as three crowd-surfers get passed through the crowd, the audience was electric. No matter what age or gender, everyone was behaving like love-crazed fangirls, launching themselves at the stage. From song to song you can hear the influence of all different eras. Despite picturing myself in the ‘70s playing pool in the pub with my cords on, I asked Louis and Noah what had been their evolution of their sound and look. ‘We’re trying to achieve a sense of timelessness, not any particular era, but some music from each decade seems to have a timelessness about it and that is what the goal is, kind of making sure we’re not stuck in that one-time period.’

They stated that their first evolution of the band is when they started going busking.

‘We needed money for Europe.’ Louis says.

‘So we learnt these bluegrass covers and hit the streets.’ They laugh as Noah remembers, ‘and even when we got to Berlin someone recently sent me a video of us busking in the street.’ ‘We looked so funny! It was just us in some market in Berlin and ‘Toto’ is playing the brushes on the snare, Jules is like on the harmonica, we are all just wearing glasses and we have our old bandmate from our old folk band who used to sing with us there. We just looked sooo super raggedy!’ they laughed.

‘Louis and I were just talking about this the

other day; about that video. We were partying a lot at that time but had no money to do it and Toto would come with not much sleep coming from Berghain and just grab his snare and put his glasses on - beating the snare. It was a fun time.’

They ended their set with ‘Tieduprightnow’ and their most established track ‘Overnight’.

Although evidently loving all of their songs, they stated that ‘Everyroad’ was their favourite. ‘I am most proud of “Everyroad”, it was such a mammoth in the undertaking and it was all five of us in the rehearsal room and we did things we never did before, like string arrangements and stuff.’ Louis responds, ‘Yeah, like it is a journey and it was a very big idea but we got there in the recording.

Noah adds, ‘…and each of the phases kind of help encapsulate the different sounds that we have as a band generally.’ I inquired what their favourite venue they’ve performed in has been so far. ‘Bristol was pretty fucking great!’ they said in response. ‘It was at Thekla, for sure it was the highlight.’

No doubt was the crowd a disappointing follow-up to their previous Bristol performance. They left the stage one by one, leaving their instrument behind for a theatrical exit. I hope Parcels will continue to play that funky music! I am very excited to hear the evolution of their sound and will for sure be attending their next live performance.

The band’s debut album, Parcels, is out now

Review / Five Fathoms Deep: Monkwood Lauren Paddison First Year, Music

F

ive Fathoms Deep are a new alternative folk band. The internet has yet to discover the ins and outs of these up and coming musicians, and with a huge and revolving line up, it could be hard for the listener to latch on to a name or face. However, their sound is incredibly original and memorable. Their EP Monkwood was released on Friday.

The second track, ‘Mowgli’ has a more relaxed feel and pace, emphasising melody more than anything. The song’s often longing and thoughtful atmosphere is echoed within the lyrics, which detail the ‘eyes of another you will never embrace’. The song evolves and builds into a frenzied chorus, in which the whole band give their absolute all; a performance I envy to see live.

Song three diverts temporarily away from its easy running melodies and adopts an uneasy progression of longing intervals and contemplative lyrics. The idea of being held by ‘Midnight’ is a beautiful metaphor which is illustrated so accurately in the music. Five Fathoms Deep were able to take this moment in time and liken it to a closest friend, and something to be held by- an example of

beautifully executed musical poetry.

Their first song, ‘Midas’ has almost medieval qualities with its ritual drum percussion, which evolves into an incredibly smooth percussive build. Rich female harmonies coupled with an array of stringed instruments firmly establish them in the folk genre, yet their innovative lyrics and melody suggest something bigger again.

The finale of the EP is by far the most adventurous: from the start, energy and volume is evident in all voices. The lyrics of ‘Sol’ mix divine matter with the “ways of the world” in a contemplative attempt to understand the paradoxes of creation. Where voices and melodies overlap, the listener is invited to contribute their own voice to an extended chorus, ending Monkwood.

26

epigram 03.12.2018

Music

Epigram recently spoke with Jim Higson and Daniel McCarthy from the band Kawala before their Bristol gig at Hy-Brasil So, you guys met each other at music college in Leeds, right?

DM: We discovered each other at Leeds, we used to party together back in Camden but didn’t realise we both did music until we got to Leeds. Then we kinda dropped out together to do music.

Why choose to go back to London, to such a saturated market, to try to make it?

DM: All the interest we were really getting was in North London.

JH: Then our mate called saying Mahogany wanted to do a session with us, and they ended up really getting us into the new folky stuff we do now.

DM: Then we deferred a year of uni, but couldn’t face the idea really of going back if we failed pursuing our dream. My grandma thinks I’m gonna go back at some point, but…

Do you feel that just going out and doing the slog is more important for music?

DM: The thing is, music uni is really important if you’re still not sure what you want to do or what your sound is, but we already had an idea.

That’s changed now, with you putting a full band together other than just you two, right?

JH: Yeah, we met the rest of the band back in North London.

What about people who stay in uni to pursue music; do you miss anything about that part of your lives?

DM: What was really cool in Leeds was you could go to a different gig every night and not miss out on anything you wanted to see.

It was really vibrant like that.

Have you ever played in Bristol before?

DM: Yeah, we played Dot to Dot festival!

We were in a crazy venue, in the upstairs room of SWX which kinda looked like a strip club...

What’s it like having changed from an acoustic duo to a full band and when did that change happen?

DM: We started as a two-piece with just some drums. Over in Europe we played in cathedrals and like, beautiful venues but we fell into a bit of a rut of playing acoustic nights.

JH: We played in a LOT of churches, and there’s only a certain crowd that like that kind of stuff.

DM: Clog-based audiences, really. Nothing against them! But we wanted to move out from playing acoustic Sundays and stuff. It was a really easy transition.

So now you’re working on your second EP? DM: That’s all done and ready to go! The first one was back in June and for this one there’s a real range of style. The first single Moonlight is very classical folk style but the second one will be very dance-y and fun.

The aim was to create almost like a showcase of what we can do.

Ellie Fernyhough Second Year, Psychology

Review / Jessie J @ O2 Academy Bristol

Flickr / Justin Higuchi

Q&A with Kawala

While her vocal skills are undeniable, this is a far-cry from the Jessie J we knew in secondary school Imogen Rogers Deputy Living Editor

Laila Freeman Food Editor

J

essie J is back with a bang (bang) on her R.O.S.E tour after being taken down like a domino by the British media and relocating to California. We were unaware she still existed, let alone that she was still relevant, until we googled her name and found out she is dating Channing Tatum. The album is divided into four sections and this was also the structure of the concert, accompanied by costume changes and voice overs. Within the four sections - R-Realisations O-Obsession S-Sex and E- Empowerment – Jessie J sang a mixture of new songs and much-loved classics… yes, of course we are talking about Price Tag. We arrived at the O2 and joined a queue of twelve-year olds and forty-year olds, looked around to find anyone in between those two

‘Jessie J’s own brand seemed lacking on this tour, where her music seemed much more mainstream and Americanised’

ages and resigned ourselves to the fact that this was not the O2’s normal crowd. This was confirmed halfway through the concert when we noticed the middle-aged man next to us bawling his eyes out at ‘Nobody’s Perfect’.

Between the songs, Jessie spoke a lot of self-acceptance and how she had grown to love herself, in spite of all her critics. Whilst her words were certainly heartfelt, it did seem that there was a slight discrepancy with this and her new music and image.

When Jessie J burst onto the music scene, she was instantly recognisable by her jarring black fringe and her strong Essex accent. No one could deny that Jessie J had her own brand, which seemed lacking in this new tour, where her music seemed much more mainstream and Americanised.

For those that attended the concert to experience Jessie’s new music, they may have been disappointed, as over half

consisted of her previous songs. But as the only two girls to put their hands up when she asked, ‘Who is only here to hear ‘Price Tag’?’, we definitely were not. Her set was full of her older hits including ‘Who You Are’, ‘Flashlight’ and ‘Domino’- Laila’s year eight ringtone. Nonetheless, Jessie’s vocal skills are undeniable, her powerful voice filling the small venue. Her stage presence and connection with the audience made for an enjoyable and laughter-filled evening.

There were heartfelt moments, for example when she spoke about her hereditary heart condition or the sound clip of her Grandfather’s last words, as well as honest conversations about her past relationships.

Overall, although Jessie’s new album, and image, is a far-cry from the Jessie J we knew and loved back in secondary school she remains an engaging performer and hopefully this marks her return to the UK pop scene.

Review / Just Jack Halloween @ Motion Some of the world’s most revered DJs and a custom laser installation make for a memorable night at Motion Josh Vincent

Third Year, English

J

ust Jack brought a selection of the world’s most revered house and techno DJs to Motion, alongside a custom laser installation. Panorama Bar resident Tama Sumo, Hessle Audio founder Ben UFO, and Detroit legend DJ Bone took control of the gargantuan main room, whilst Dekmantel favourite Nosedrip, and Salon des Amateurs residents Bufiman and Vladimir Ivkovic soundtracked the Tunnel.

Opening up the main room, Tama Sumo played with the restraint of a true veteran, coaxing the main room to near full capacity with moody, minimal house. In the hands of someone less capable, the selections could easily have fallen flat, but Sumo’s perfectly paced mixing imbued the tracks with a real sense of hypnotism, at times able to keep people moving with little more than a kick drum and garbled vocals. At a time when promoters are pressured to pack as many names as possible onto a bill, the art of the warm up set is often

under-appreciated: Sumo’s set served as a bold re-assertion of its importance.

By the beginning of the peak time sets, it quickly became clear that the crowd had divided into two camps, with little movement between the rooms: as one punter remarked to me, you were either ‘BUFO or Bufi’. Regrettably, I was unable to see much of Bufiman or Ivkovic, but what I did see, I enjoyed immensely. Both DJs kept the BPMs very low, providing a much needed contrast to the more upbeat sounds of the main room. Favouring tracks with menacing basslines and bouncy tribal percussion, their selections provided the softly lit Tunnel with a sense of understated intimacy that is rarely found in a club as busy as Motion. As the night drew on, people began trickling out to the main room, leaving a core group of revellers to fan out across the smoky floor, and sway uninhibited to the irrepressible Salon Des Amateurs chug.

Ben UFO following on from Sumo’s broiling house sounds in the main room.

Skippy house tracks like Lipelis’s ‘Children Song’ and DJ Steaw’s ‘Heaven’ established an easy-going groove, but they somehow felt a little stale in the context of Sumo’s deeper fare. The second hour proved much better, as UFO settled into his signature brand of hybridised UK techno, Tracks like Bruce’s monstrous ‘What’, and the now distinctive bleep bloop riff of Airhead’s ‘Droplit’ were deployed to devastating

‘Reworking spartan techno, DJ Bone re-energised a flagging crowd and maintained the intensity’

effect, but the highlight of the set was undoubtedly an incredible blend that saw UFO layering the ‘Found Mix’ of Objekt’s ‘Lost and Found’ atop his 2012 Hessle Audio effort, “Porcupine”. The breakdown served for a truly arresting club moment.

Whirrs of static erupted from the speaker rack, whilst the bespoke laser installation sent jets of yellow light pinballing around the room, eliciting audible gasps, before the clattering breaks of Overmono’s ‘Daisy Chain’ implored the stunned punters to dance again.

Of the main room, DJ Bone was my the highlight. Reworking spartan techno tools with his distinctive mixing, Bone reenergised a flagging crowd, and maintained the intensity until the lights went on. Bone has recently spoke of his desire to recontextualise well worn techno classics in his sets, and this was no exception, cutting in the acapella to Childish Gambino’s ‘This Is America’ atop Derrick May’s seminal ‘Strings of Life’. Perhaps the choice was a little on the nose, but the execution was faultless, with every fade receiving a rapturous response.

The Just Jack brand has become synonymous with quality nightlife over the last few years, and with Underground Resistance announced as headliners for the next year’s event, it doesn’t look like that will be changing any time soon.

03.12.2018 epigram

Music 27

In conversation with GoGo Penguin GoGo Penguin / Yvonne Schmedemann

Epigram recently sat down with GoGo Penguin to talk about their new album, their musical origins and being a jazz band that doesn’t call themselves a jazz band...

Playlist: Editor’s Picks

Will Snelling

Second Year, English

Y

our new album came out in February; how have you found playing the new songs and fitting them into your setlist?

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‘We’re actually really enjoying playing them on the road, because we feel like we’ve developed as a band and in our writing, so it feels more relevant to where we’re at at the moment. We’ve been playing them since February and we’re really enjoying it.’

I definitely noticed a development in the band’s sound when I listened to the new album, like the use of lots of different delays and reverb effects. Is digital manipulation something the band is becoming more interested in?

lot of improvisation and others where it’s more subtle, or just playing with themes or dynamics…’

‘Well, we didn’t want to get into using effects for the sake of it; if it contributes to that piece of music, then we’ll do it. We’ve always wanted to try and use the acoustic instruments, with some effects, but mainly sticking to piano, bass and drums and exploring all the possibilities with those instruments, really.’

‘Well, we listen to a lot of electronica; that’s an influence we all share quite a lot. We’re always looking for new things; I’ve recently been checking out a guy called Nathan Fake quite a bit, and I’ve listened to a lot of the new Jon Hopkins. We’ve got so many influences and they’re always changing.’

A lot of the new wave of jazz musicians getting recognition are from London; how do you feel coming from Manchester has set you apart, if at all?

Electronica certainly seems important to the band; I found it interesting when I read that you often compose on a laptop, creating an electronic track, which you then turn into something you can perform live as a band.

‘Obviously, you don’t really think about where you live too much cause it’s just where you’re used to, but I guess yeah, we’re kind of out on our own. We’ve never felt like we’ve consciously done anything different to set ourselves apart, but you tend to be a product of your environment.

We all started out in the Manchester music scene, which is quite strong obviously, so I guess it’s bound to have an effect, but we’ve never made a conscious effort to be different from what’s going on in London.’

You’re often placed under the umbrella of the new generation of jazz groups, however, there is something a bit more unclassifiable about GoGo Penguin’s sound, because you’ve almost got DnB beats along with Philip Glass stuff…

‘Yeah, we never really called ourselves a jazz band from the outset, that’s just what everybody else has done for us, and I guess that’s useful for them to classify it, but we just think of ourselves as a band. We didn’t want to be a classic jazz trio named after the pianist or one of the members… we just wanted to be a band and do exactly what we wanted to do.

There’s a lot of conversation about improvisation around us because a lot of people say we don’t improvise, which isn’t true; it just about what serves the composition. There are some tunes with a

1

came back to Manchester… those guys stayed and studied at the Royal Northern.

I’m different because I did jazz and they did classical. We all met just after graduating and played with each other in different settings, but never the three of us til GoGo Penguin started.’

Are there many new artists you’re particularly enjoying at the moment?

Did you always know that this was what you wanted to do? Or was it something you just expected to do on the weekends?

‘It’s difficult, you’ve got to do what you need to do to keep living, so we were all doing different gigs and then putting energy into this… Before it all kicked off we were pretty skint, to be honest. But I think the philosophy has always been that this is the most important thing, and obviously it’s paid off.’

Do you go off and write fairly individually then?

How did GoGo Penguin first get together?

‘I lived in Manchester then went to Leeds College of Music, did a degree in jazz, then

4

You played Bristol earlier this year, playing music to the experimental film Koyaanisqatsi. How did you end up doing that quite unusual tour?

‘That’s one of the techniques; some things can be written on the piano or bass or whatever.

But that was one of the techniques used, particularly for the album Man Made Object.

Rob - the drummer - spends a lot of time on the laptop making things, I spend a bit of time on Ableton and Chris knows Logic… sometimes its easier to put it into that medium and take it from there.

There’s a tune we have called One Percent and the idea was to play like how a CD jumps and skips and the easiest way to do that was to put it into logic, create the skips and learn them from that.’

‘Yeah, someone has an idea and sometimes they’re more fully formed than others, sometimes it might nearly be a complete tune, sometimes it’s just the groove or a couple of chords or whatever… and then we work on them together, and it often takes on a different life and becomes something we weren’t expecting. It takes time, because we always try everyone’s ideas, and it can be quite a laborious process.’

3

‘We never really called ourselves a jazz band from the outset, that’s just what everybody else has done for us’

‘We first put that together for a special commission in Manchester for a venue called Home; they asked some Manchester bands to do a score for a silent film. We couldn’t get the rights for a Japanese film called A Page of Madness—it was so old we couldn’t figure out who owned the rights.

Rob always wanted to do Koyaanisqatsi, not really thinking it would happen; then the people organising it asked and we got commissioned to do it.

It was really difficult; we need to have cues in our ears to know when to change for scene-changes, so it’s definitely different from playing a gig.’

Is scoring something you’re interested in for the future? GoGo Penguin’s sound is certainly immersive and filmic.

‘Yeah, we would at some point, if the right thing came up and we had the time; it’s definitely an avenue we’re interested in’.

GoGo Penguin’s new album ‘A Humdrum Star’ is out now.

5 6 7

Missing U Robyn Missing U proves that Robyn is undeniably back as she bridges the worlds of pop and dance with roaring tidal waves of synth and incredibly tight beats. She makes you wonder why she ever left.

Beauty & Essex The Free Nationals feat. Daniel Caesar and Unknown Mortal Orchestra The Free Nationals team the psychedelic tones of Unknown Mortal Orchestra with the angelic croon of R&B breakout Daniel Caesar, resulting in a chic and decadent track, laced with sensuality.

Camel Coat Sainte Etienne Heaped with nostalgia and marked by gorgeous cymbals, ‘Camel Coat’ is the lead track from Saint Etienne’s Surrey EP. Only sold at the band’s recent British Library gigs, it’s hard to get hold of. However, ‘Camel Coat’ is on YouTube and well worth a listen.

Exist Ist Ist ‘Exist’ is Ist Ist’s first single since the release of their debut EP, Spinning Rooms, earlier this year. Meditative lyrics, such as “My mind goes out among the sea / Loss comes easily to me” are set against unyielding drums and make for a poignant yet rousing track.

Lonely Man of Winter Sufjan Stevens As the nights draw in, this vintage piece of Sufjan provides the aural equivalent of a cup of mulled cider as he conjures bleakly beautiful wintery landscapes complete with sleigh bells.

Devil in a New Dress Kanye West 22nd November marked 8 years of Kanye’s seminal album ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’.

Opulence, fantasy, isolation and aggression manifest in ‘Devil in a New Dress’, making it quintessential of the record’s sound.

Strasbourg / St. Denis Roy Hargrove Simplicity is the key in this modern jazz classic from Roy Hargrove, who died earlier this month. The song relies on the unity of trumpet and saxophone which soars, creating such an unforgettable groove.

Puzzles

Editor: Ruby Rosenthal puzzles@epigram.org.uk If you need any help, contact the editor by email or through social media

Sudoku Fill the empty squares with numbers 1 to 9, so that each number appears once in each row, column and 3x3 box.

Arts & Culture Crossword

Across

Down

3. Author of Franny and Zooey and The Catcher in the Rye (1, 1, 8) 6. Believed to be Shakespeare’s first play (5, 2) 10. ____ of the Flies by William Golding (4) 11. The first name of composer Vivaldi (7) 12. Author of Sherlock Holmes (6, 5, 5) 13. To His Coy ____ by Andrew Marvell (8) 14. Boyband who sung ‘Crashed the Wedding’ and ‘Year 3000’ (6) 16. Actor who commonly appears in Wes Anderson films (4, 6)

1. Ariana Grande’s most recent single (5, 1, 4) 2. Portrays David Brent in The Office UK (5, 7) 3. Producer of This is 40, Bridesmaids, and Get him to the Greek (4, 6) 4. The Rolling Stone’s debut album (3, 7, 6) 5. Malcolm in the ______ (6) 7. Star of Breakfast at Tiffany’s (6, 7) 8. Whose 2013 world tour was called ‘The Mrs Carter Show’ (7) 9. First names of the Strictly Come Dancing presenters (7, 4) 15. Author of the Iliad and the Oyssey (5)

Chanukah Dot to Dot! Today marks the beginning of the Jewish festival of lights, Chanukah, which lasts from the evening of the 2nd to the evening of the 10th December.

Solutions will be posted online at: epigram.org.uk/tag/puzzles facebook.com/epigrampaper If you would like to join the Puzzles Team, email editor@epigram.org.uk

30 Sport

epigram 03.12.2018

UBLSC shine in lifesaving competition November’s BULSCA competition saw an impressive Bristol club excel in a challenging and enthusing sport Henry Edwards Sport Editor

C

UBLSC

ompetitive lifesaving may be one of the best sports you’ve never heard of. With tremendous emphasis placed on elements such as teamwork, problem solving and communication, my experience watching the UBLSC compete at the Bristol SU on 10th November introduced me to a unique and vibrant sport that had admittedly gone under my radar.

Walking on to the viewing balcony, a slight bemusement overcame me, as I looked down at a pool filled with human dummies and a real human performing as a drowning swimmer. However, my puzzlement soon changed to avid interest as Maisie Gleeson explained the sport and competition.

As she clarified, teams of four, including one captain, competed in a variety of events throughout the day. The teams each took part in: two Situational Emergency Response Competitions – or SERCs – with one on dry land and one in the pool itself; a rope throw relay; an obstacle relay; and a swim and tow race.

For this particular day of competition, the dry SERC was based on a hypothetical commotion based at a service station Costa Coffee. Although I could not go view this

event, Maisie explained that each team were required to enter the area, assess the situation and treat the various injuries appropriately.

In this setting, team members had to: use CPR on an unconscious, non-breathing person; place an unconscious breathing individual in the recovery position; ensure a diabetic received sugar; settle a panicking person; and deal with a bleeding hand and broken arm. Abundantly clear was the importance of vital skills such as prioritization, communication and decision-making. Teams were judged based on the effectiveness of their responses.

The wet SERC was imagined in a lake setting. Teams were once again expected to treat a variety of injuries and phone for an ambulance. With every finished team taking their place on the poolside to observe the rest of the competition, a sense of communal support and encouragement was evident to a bystander such as myself. As Maisie said, the practice created ‘a really lovely mood’ surrounding a very packed pool.

I was able to catch much of the rope throw competition; I’m certainly glad I did. As a foursome, one member stands on the side of the pool, demonstrates correct technique in collecting a rope before throwing it towards a teammate based in the water. If it reaches them, the challenge is then to tow them back to the side. Having been dragged through the water, the teammate jumps out and repeats the procedure for the third member, and so on. With many university teams competing in the event simultaneously, it made for an exciting spectacle. The noise generated from the supporting club members from poolside

“We’ve got many new recruits and a very strong club this year”

was quite deafening – the atmosphere was consistently a lively one.

The fact that the UBLSC hosted the visiting teams in their student houses, headed to a pub for a social following the event, and catered for everyone involved, I think demonstrates how friendly and supportive the people attached to the sport are. This sentiment was echoed when I spoke to newcomers Martha and Millie. After signing up due to the sport’s distinctiveness, they agreed that everyone they had met were ‘nice, friendly and supportive.’

In terms of results, Bristol had five separate teams competing throughout the day. The A team came first overall, while the seconds

finished third. Maisie stated that ‘this is definitely one of the best results we’ve ever seen.’ Meanwhile, out of the 36 fresher teams competing, Bristol’s newcomers finished a highly impressive fifteenth. With such huge successes to take forward from the BULSCA competition, Maisie told me that ‘we’re hoping to do better than ever. We’ve got many new recruits and a very strong club this year.’

If anyone is interested in signing up to such an exciting club, be sure to search for their Facebook page, as well as taking a look at their website: ublsc.com. Training is every Wednesday 3.30-5pm in the SU swimming pool, and 5.30-6.30pm in the Stacy Room.

‘London Jaguars’: Sound good, NFL fans?

With NFL’s Roger Goodell voicing support for a London club, are we really any closer to seeing the sport touchdown here?

Barney Stone Deputy Online Sport Editor

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“As it stands, there is no concrete assurance of an NFL franchise branching out into the UK”

more attractive; this would not upset the balance of the current 32-team league format, and is thus be more likely to acquire endorsement from ¾ of the league’s owners as required to mandate relocation.

Beyond this, apprehension surrounding competitiveness and player satisfaction looms large. Indeed, away games represent an undeniable hurdle; how could the Seattle Seahawks trek to London for a play-off game, and remain competitive a week later in the following round if triumphant? Moreover, would undrafted free agents be willing to up uproot themselves and head to the UK? What about the coaching staff, and their respective families?

Despite an abundance of issues, speculation as to the future of an NFL franchise remains rife. Current gossip generally embroils the Jacksonville Jaguars, who as of 2013 committed their yearly presence in London until 2020. Unsurprisingly, with Shahid Khan at the helm, intrigue has steadily accrued; the owner of Fulham FC also made a bid to buy Wembley Stadium from the FA earlier

this year. Is birth of the ‘London Jaguars’ on the not so distant horizon?

Recently addressing enquiries from the media, Waller enticed fans further by revealing that an NFL franchise could be expected as early as 2022. Waller stressed that ‘all of the indicators are incredibly positive’ and ‘we’re ready to go’.

As it stands, there is no concrete assurance of an NFL franchise branching out into the UK. However, between then and now, there remains a feast of live American football available to British fans. Indeed, 2019 will host two games at Wembley and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium respectively. Moreover, Wembley will continue to entertain regular season games until 2020, whilst a 10-year contract was recently signed with Spurs’ Stadium to deliver at least two games a year from 2018.

In the meantime, before the NFL’s elite permanently settle on UK shores, head down to Coombe Dingle and support the Bristol Barracuda as they march towards a recordbreaking season of their own.

Kyle Anderson

he first quarter saw Bristol take an easy lead, showing a clear and successful Since 2007, American football fanatics have been rewarded for their vehement enthusiasm via the NFL’s annual spectacle, the ‘International Series’. Providing an extravagant sporting spectacle unbeknown to British sports fans, the programme has been an overwhelming success; stadia are full to the rafters, demand continues to grow, and NFL teams are increasingly lured by the potential of European markets. As such, only three out of the league’s current 32 teams have thus far not made the journey across the pond.

Testament to the popularity of the International Series, at the end of October Wembley witnessed a mouth-watering contest between Super Bowl LII winners the Philadelphia Eagles, and London regulars the Jacksonville Jaguars. Despite a late 4th quarter flurry that sealed the Eagles an important win, the game was significant for another reason. With 85,870 fans packed into Wembley, the event had attractive a recordbreaking attendance for a regular season game in London. The upward trajectory of the sports appeal in the UK was reinforced and made undeniable.

Reflecting on the spectacle, Tracey Crouch as UK Minister for Sport adamantly

emphasised that American Football is ‘growing from strength to strength’ in this country. Indeed, as Crouch reiterated, a ‘Super Bowl style atmosphere’ has become commonplace since the initiative began in 2007. Ultimately, the enduring popularity of American football in the UK, combined with the NFL’s complicity in delivering regular games on a yearly basis, has led many to wonder – what about a franchise based in London?

Speaking on the issue, Mark Waller, as the NFL’s Executive Vice President, confirmed that the UK’s estimated ‘6 million avid fans’ constituted a ‘fan base big enough and passionate enough that it can support a franchise’. Yes, the London Monarchs were a flop in the 1990s; competing in an experimental league, NFL Europe, the Monarchs’ foray into professionalism failed to lure the attention of British fans.

Subsequently disbanded in 1998, the team was eventually replaced by the Berlin Thunder, although they similarly fizzled out by 2007. However, the sporting awareness of Britain’s gridiron faithful is now at an alltime high. Indeed, amateur involvement has sky rocketed, whilst Sky Sports’ coverage led by Neil Reynolds has precipitated a hike in viewer ratings. However, although the market suitability is explicit, there remains predominant issues left to ponder.

First and foremost, owners and NFL authorities alike must confront the bewildering array of logistical obstacles blocking the current path towards a team in London. Indeed, deciphering whether a brand-new expansion team would be preferential to the relocation of an existing franchise has already provided fuel for debate. On balance, the latter option appears

Sport 31

03.12.2018 epigram

Three from three for UBAFC in the cup Bristol’s men’s football teams enjoyed 21 November, with all three active sides progressing into the next round Daniel Dyson Second Year, Politics & French

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ristol 2s were due to face Cardiff 2s at home in the last 16 of the Western Conference Cup but their game was called off due to the away side forfeiting.

Consequently, a default 3-0 victory put Bristol into the quarter-finals, where they will play at home against Southampton 3s.

Progression into the semi-finals looks likely on paper, and Bristol 2s will be quietly confident of their chances of beating a Southampton side which plays two divisions below them.

Meanwhile, since a loss in the first fixture of the season, Bristol 1s have gone unbeaten and their current league position looks promising. They are three points off the top of the table with a game in hand.

If they continue their excellent form, they will be hopeful of clinching the top spot and gaining promotion.

The 1s looked to build on recent impressive league displays with a fixture against Oxford 1s in the last 16 of the BUCS Trophy, a competition in which they advanced to the semi-finals last campaign. Having beaten Oxford 1-0 in a friendly midway through last season, Bristol were therefore confident

of progressing into the next round of the competition.

Despite beginning the game well, they fell behind in the first half following a free kick scenario against the run of play. However, their quality showed as they remained calm and continued to press Oxford for the rest of the half.

The 1s’ persistence prevailed when Matt Hinks, who was awarded man of the match, equalised with a super finish from outside of the box. Bristol then took the lead before the break when captain Jack Haire capitalised on a clever corner routine and struck the ball into the top corner from Jasper Harlington’s cross.

The second half continued in a similar fashion to the first, with Bristol continuing to dominate the play and stretch Oxford, allowing Toby Thomas to add his name to the score sheet and extend his side’s lead.

Although Bristol remained in the ascendency, Oxford managed to pull a goal back from a counter-attack to make the game 3-2 and put the pressure on Bristol.

Following this, Bristol were nervy but some stubborn defending kept Oxford at bay until Josh Norris came off the bench to score to restore a two goal cushion and put the game out of Oxford’s reach.

After the match, midfielder Ed Mahoney honestly reviewed his team’s performance: ‘although we weren’t always at our best, we played some nice football, kept the ball better than them and deserved the win’.

This victory ensured Bristol’s passage into the next round and sets up a quarter-final encounter with an old rival, Bournemouth

“We played some nice football, kept the ball better than them and deserved the win”

1s. This match looks set to be enthralling as the sides have already faced each other twice this season, Bournemouth coming away with a 3-2 victory in the first game of the season before the points were shared in the return fixture in a 1-1 draw. Bristol will hope to advance into the semi-finals by overcoming a side they know well and feel aggrieved to have dropped points against this season.

Bristol 5s have had a perfect start to the season, taking twelve points from their first four games and appearing to be nailed-on favourites for promotion.

This week, they faced an away trip to Southampton 4s in the last 16 of the Western Conference Plate. The match looked difficult on paper as Southampton are in the division above them, but Bristol made short work of them as they ran out 4-1 winners.

Braces from Rob Schenck and Joe Williams saw Bristol progress into the quarter-finals.

The 5s were not helped by a poor pitch quality so to overcome this and only concede one goal showed true quality, hence why defender Robbie Hardless was credited with man of the match.

After dismantling a team from the division above, left-winger Williams told Epigram that ‘it was a brilliant performance and I was happy to bag a couple of goals’. He added that ‘the future looks bright for this team’, given their outstanding start to the league campaign and progression in the cup.

All three sides’ next fixtures in the cup competitions come in the new year, with the 1s and 5s both playing on 6 February, and the 2s the week after. The perfect chance to brush off exam cobwebs and show support.

UoB results: 21/11/2018 Badminton: UCL 1s 4-4 Women’s 1s Imperial 1s 6-2 Men’s 1s Basketball: Women’s 1s 68-55 Exeter 1s Worcester 1s 72-52 Men’s 1s Football: Men’s 1s 4-2 Oxford 1s Hockey: Women’s 1s 0-0 Cambridge 1s Men’s 1s 4-2 Cardiff Met 1s Lacrosse: Women’s 1s 7-12 Cambridge 1s Men’s 1s 15-0 Surrey 1s Netball: Bristol 1s 63-23 St Mary’s 1s Rugby Union: Swansea 1s 17-22 Women’s 1s UWE 1s 0-13 Men’s 1s Tennis: Women’s 1s 12-0 Swansea 1s Cambridge 1s 12-0 Men’s 1s Volleyball: Women’s 1s 1-3 Oxford 1s Men’s 1s 1-3 Oxford 1s

Bristol Rugby League 1s slip to narrow defeat Despite a loss, Bristol produced a battling performance to be proud of against league leaders Cardiff Met 1s Freddie Keighley Online Sport Editor

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SmifSports photography

he only way was up for Bristol following a 38-6 loss away from home to Cardiff Met on the opening day of the season. However, the start to this game was not a good one for the home side.

A knock-on following kick-off gave Cardiff Met a scrum in an attacking position.

From this, they moved the ball left quickly and bundled over the line. The conversion was slotted through the posts with ease to give the visitors a 6-0 lead.

However, Bristol rallied well rather than capitulating as they did in the reverse fixture. Resolute defending was led by the quality, hard-hitting tackling of captain Harry Hickey.

Big hits and the unbreakable defensive lines from both teams kept the score 6-0 Cardiff Met until just before the break when Sam Beeston came off the bench to power over the line. Rhys Davies added the two points from the conversion and Bristol went into the break level at 6-6, feeling they had a real chance.

Half-time was an opportunity to reflect on a highly physical game and the fact that Cardiff Met’s replacement bench was becoming increasingly depleted. Bristol were hurting too, and second row Mark Mitchell, central to a slick move early on in

the half, was injured after knocks to the ribs and the head.

The second half picked up where the first had finished, with the boys in ‘maroon’ defending well. However, Theo Mayer put in a huge hit on his opposite number, dumping him into touch and causing a fracas on the sideline. The upshot was a yellow card for one of the Bristol freshers following the questionable decision to throw the ball at an opposition head.

Despite the numbers disadvantage, Bristol’s attack was looking strong, driven onwards by the man of the match performance of Peter Fentiman at hooker, who repeatedly picked holes in a tiring Cardiff Met defence. Despite sustained pressure, a lack of communication

“A frustrating loss for Bristol, but a big improvement when compared to the first game of the season”

and a certain degree of ‘white line fever’ meant that Bristol didn’t capitalise.

With fifteen minutes to go and a penalty conceded by the away side, Bristol opted to kick for the two points. Agonisingly, Davies pushed it just wide and the score remained 6-6.

A late penalty at the other end of pitch put Cardiff Met two points up. Following this, after seventy minutes of steadfast defence, the line finally broke and the visitors scored their second try of the game. However, the Cardiff Met kicker hit the post from what appeared to be a reasonably simple area to convert from. Going into the final eight minutes, Bristol were still within touch.

A last-gasp attempt came from Alex Mayo

following a scrummage situation. The loose forward cut through the line and the chance to salvage an epic draw looked possible, only for a solid covering tackle from Cardiff Met’s full back to earn the visitors the points.

It was no-doubt a frustrating loss for Bristol, but a big improvement when compared to the first game of the season.

If performances like this continue, then UBRLFC could be eyeing up a second place finish in the Western 1A for the first time in their history. Other notable performances on the day came from Harry Creak, David Gray and Robbie Guthrie.

An away trip to fellow mid-table dwellers University of South Wales on Wednesday 28 November is the next fixture for Bristol.

Sport

epigram 03.12.2018

Editor: Henry Edwards Deputy Editor: Charlotte Greenwood Online Editor: Freddie Keighley Deputy Online Editor: Barney Stone

UBRFC: Bristol star in huge win over Swansea Dan McNamara Third Year, English

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t the Wednesday Night Lights charity event at Coombe Dingle, Bristol 1st XV tore apart Swansea’s defences in a crushing 57-6 win.

Bristol were looking to reinvigorate their season after a run of disappointing results in the BUCS South A league. Two closely fought contests last year, in which both teams won one apiece, showed Bristol that Swansea would be a physical side, especially in the forwards.

Their scrummaging power was on display in just the first minute of the game, as a penalty from a scrum in Bristol’s 22 provided the visitors with the first points of the match. However, Bristol soon hit back with a try from All-American hero Blake Johnson who, after a smart maul from the Bristol forwards, crashed his way over the line to take the score to 7-3.

Bristol couldn’t make this pressure count, and Swansea soon capitalised on this, forcing the hosts to defend on their own line to keep the opposition out.

Swansea eventually made do with three points from another scrum penalty, taking them to within one point of the home side.

Although this may have concerned some in the 400 strong Dingle crowd, it seemed to give the Bristol players a new attacking impetus.

A jinking run from fly-half Tom Burgess put Bristol back on the front foot, and quick recycling of the ball eventually resulted in Cal Sanders scoring Bristol’s second try of the game.

The host’s third score followed. A sniping break from Jack Bradby caught the opposition unawares, and when Swansea did scramble back in defence the scrum-half slickly offloaded the ball to the titan Bertie Cole-Fontayn, who barrelled over taking the score to 19-6 in Bristol’s favour.

Although Swansea mustered some late pressure in the closing minutes of the half, Bristol’s defence held firm, epitomised by the great work by Faysal Olabooye who defended well in the 13 channel the whole game.

The second half began as the first ended, with both sides exchanging some big hits and looking to achieve control over set-pieces.

Despite Swansea’s early scrum dominance, Bristol’s front row became increasingly resolute as the game went on.

Backed up by an impeccable line-out, courtesy of hookers Joe Moore and Ben Gompels, Bristol had a platform to produce thrilling attacking play in the second half.

The first try of the second period was again down to the quick-thinking of Bradby, who, after taking a quick penalty, spun the ball across to Burgess who set up Cole-Fontayn to bust through for his second try. Swansea had no reply to this, and soon afterwards Hywel Rose squeezed over in the corner to take the score to 31-6.

Epigram/ Freddie Keighleyphotography SmifSports

Bristol ran riot against Swansea under the Coombe Dingle lights, dispelling any nerves following a difficult run of games

“The proceeds from the tickets to this event went towards the #LiftThe Stereotype campaign and the Movember charity”

The try of the day soon followed. After recovering a scrambled kick on the halfway line, full-back Fergus Wood managed to break through a gap in the Swansea defence then offloaded to centre Ali Greig.

Surrounded by players, Greig deftly shifted the ball to a supporting Olabooye. The latter grubber kicked the ball forward first time and showed his pace to dive on the ball to complete an outstanding score for Bristol.

The hosts had really started to open up their opposition at this point, aided by the impact of substitutes such as Hugh Summerhayes and Duncan Darling, and began to pile on the points in the last 20 minutes.

Two quick tries for Darling and a final score from captain Ollie Lyons capped off an incredible 57-6 victory for the 1st XV,

who look to maintain this winning form against local rivals UWE at Lockleaze this coming Wednesday. The next home fixture is against Bath 2nd XV on the 28th November, so please come down and show the lads your support!

The proceeds from the tickets to this event went towards the #LiftTheStereotype campaign and the Movember charity. The former is an initiative started by UBRFC’s own Macca Hayward and his brother. In the first charity event for this campaign, the two deadlifted 100 tonnes, raising around £1200 for the mental health charity Calm.

Macca described #LiftTheStereotype as ‘a campaign aimed at removing the stereotypes that surround men in today’s society’ and seeks to encourage men to ‘talk about their emotions openly and freely’.

Cold water swimming: what a brrr-illiant idea Taking a plunge with the South West Seal Pups may be your ticket to a healthier and happier self Felix Rusby Third Year. English

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“Exposing yourself to cold waters helps build a strong immune system”

what I intended to explain next.’ One of the many wonderful things about cold water swimming, is how easy it to join. Just paddle on over to Facebook and search for the South West Seal Pups, once you’ve clicked on the page just hit join and you’ll be part of the group.

What’s great about the pups is that joining the group is so much more than a splash in a pool. What you’re really joining, if you’ll pardon the cliché, is a

big friendly family. There are so many different kinds of people that like to swim, but what’s common about all those who are part of the pups, is their friendly and upbeat demeanour. Maybe it’s the fresh air and vitalising waters, or maybe it’s the bubbly energy of the founders Amelia and Leo. Whatever it is, though, the water may be cold but the atmosphere amongst the South West Seal Pups is most definitely very warm!

Leo Nidas and Amelia Atkinson

0:00am, Sunday morning. The sky is clear, and the air is brisk. At a nice 5 degrees Celsius, a merry group of Bristol swimming enthusiasts make their way down to the fresh cool water at Clevedon Marine Lake. Towels are laid out, warm coats are removed, and the pups are ready. That’s right, they’re going to swim!

To many it might seem mad: ‘why would I willingly paddle around in chilly waters, when it’s hard enough keeping warm in my freezing student house,’ I hear you say. Well, my humble reader, you may be surprised to know, that the benefits of coldwater swimming are massive. Studies show that contrary to popular belief, exposing yourself to cold waters helps build a strong immune system by boosting your white blood cell count. Some of the other benefits also include, increased circulation, increased fertility and libido, reduced stress and high calorie burning. So, in short, it’s pretty great.

So, what is it all about? Well, last year, two passionate cold-water Swimmers, Amelia Atkinson and Leo Nidas, decided it was high time they shared their love of outdoor swimming with Bristol and its students. A Facebook group was set up, some organising was organised and with that, the South West Seal Pups were born.

The idea is pretty simple, all sorts of people: students, businessmen, athletes and sloths gather together and go to swim. There are various locations, Clevedon Marine Lake is perhaps the most popular, but other options include the more local Abbotts Pool over the suspension bridge, to slightly longer drives to Portishead, Cromhall and Henleaze.

Since it was founded the Seal Pups’ following has grown rapidly. The swimming group, unlike many Bristol societies, is not run through the SU, which gives it the added benefit of being free - at least for most locations - and open to all. Spread by word of mouth through the Bristol many, it has been amazing to discover how many secret cold-water enthusiasts have sprung out of the woodwork, ready dive in to the open water experience.

‘Ok then, you’ve got my attention’, I hear you quibble, ‘but what is this swimming business really like and how do I get involved?’ ‘Well, funny that you should ask that’, I profusely reply, ‘that was just