e2 255 by Epigram

Editor: Imogen Carter living@ epigram.org.uk

e2 is brought to you by Living : Imogen Carter, Josephine Franks and Mona Tabbara will meet at 1.15 in the White Bear on Tuesday 20th of November. Style : Lizi Woolgar and Anisha Gupta will meet at 1.15 in the White Bear on Wednesday 21st of November Travel : Alicia Quiero and Alex Bradbook will meet at 1.15 in the Refectory on Monday 19th of November with e2 editor: Ant Adeane e2 online editor: Nicola Reid

Cover: Josh Gabbatiss www.e2blog.tumblr.com

GOING UNDERGROUND Have you ever walked over a manhole cover or past a mouldering door in a busy street and stopped to wonder what might be on the other side? For anyone with a sense of adventure and the willingness to break a few rules, a whole world of opportunity could lie in store. We caught the bug on our year abroad in Paris. Beneath the city streets lies nearly 300km of secret tunnel network that runs underneath every single arrondissement of the city. Although unauthorised access is illegal and most of the entrances are sealed, for those in the know there are portals dotted around the city that give unreserved access to every corner of the catacombs, whether through a certain manhole or an entrance in the wall of a train tunnel. There exists a clandestine community who devote a huge amount of time to maintaining the catacombs and during our time in Paris we found breath-taking examples of the magnitude of this cultural heritage;

Photo: Ed Thomas

Tackling hard-hitting issues such as the pros and cons of being a Sagittarius, this week’s e2 takes a giant leap for mankind and boldly goes where no newspaper supplement has gone before...

Photo: Ed Thomas

Whether you’ve booked a window seat on Virgin’s first flight to the moon, or you’re simply scanning the overly-crammed ASS for a spare seat, we all have our own conceptions of Space.

transmission base, or the two-mile long ‘Dreadnought’ storm drain that handles Bristol’s floodwater - do not try this on a rising tide. Most recently we discovered the freestone mines that provided much of the stone for the buildings that give Bristol and Bath their unique

“If you take the time to look, the opportunity for adventure is endless” an underground art gallery – only accessible after crawling down a chute through a tiny hole in the side of a tunnel wall – boasted immense and intricate murals on the rock face itself. The real beauty in this art was that the creators knew they would only be sharing their work with those who really made the effort to find it. Having successfully thrown a theatrical dinner party on the platform of an abandoned underground railway station in southern Paris, we started looking for similar locations back at home and realised that if you take the time to look then the opportunity for adventure is endless. The foundations of Bristol may not be as extensive as Paris, but can be easily accessible, whether exploring the forgotten Clifton Rocks Railway, dug into the Avon gorge underneath the suspension bridge and disused since its last mission as a WWII BBC secret

façades, complete with intact cranes, stone trucks and most impressively, an underground chamber roughly the size of the Wills Memorial Building Great Hall. Abandoned buildings, forgotten places and underground tunnels exist everywhere and offer an exciting alternative to regular nightlife – all you have to do is look.

Ed Thomas and Rupert Downes

1990 problems but kitsch ain’t one

flickr: x-ray delta one

Travel

Deputy: Mona Tabbara mtabbara@ epigram.org.uk

Photo: Oli Erskine

Style

Living

@e2Living

Deputy: Josephine Franks jfranks@ epigram.org.uk

There is nothing finer than a nostalgic trip down Memory Lane - and hark at how it is strewn with a glut of space-related phenomena from days long passed! We shall begin our journey with my favourite childhood snack, Space Raiders, the pocket-money friendly, nutritionally questionable wonder. And what better to accompany such a savoury treat as a film? The 1996 classic Space Jam perhaps? Amazing soundtrack, sporting drama and the Loony Tunes. What was not to love? Remember the dreaded doctrine of finger spacing at school? I clearly never learnt my lesson and thus frequently read over my lecture notes to find nothing but one

indecipherable scrawl. Sorry Miss! Then again, my all-consuming and clichéd wish to be an astronaut did take up so much more time than handwriting practice. And the final destination on this whistle-

“Hark at the glut of spacerelated phenomena” stop tour as we zoom away from childhood towards tweenage years: Myspace. The loss of countless homework hours, the squandering of time better spent outdoors in the fresh air, the many misunderstandings and misinterpretations of wellmeant messages; it’s a good job no other social networking site came along which would increase exponentially in popularity...

Maria Hughes

19.11.12 The Haven

This is the room into which all walk in and exclaim: ‘Wow, you have SUCH a nice room!’ Undoubtedly you will have been offered tea on arrival in a flowery Cath Kidston mug and cannot bear the thought of leaving this welcoming, immaculate haven in the middle of Clifton. Everything is in its proper place; the pillows on the bed are plumped and stuffed with duck-down feathers and there is the perennial scent of Diptyque candles in the air. Catching sight of a potted plant in the corner as you wander over to the pashmina rack, you carefully avoid the sheepskin rug on the floor to avoid upsetting your host. The ambience of such a room does come at a cost, however, as the numerous garlands of fairy lights beget a substantial monthly electricity bill. Needless to say these rooms are a real treat to be invited into, with only a select few allowed to cross the threshold lest they outstay their welcome or forget to take their shoes off.

The Prison Cell

Potentially the room of an escaped ex-convict, or merely someone who doesn’t care about their surroundings - they only came to get a degree after all. The walls will be white, the bedding monochrome and the décor limited. The only evidence of any personality will be found on the inside of the wardrobe, which probably contains two pairs of jeans and five unadventurous T-shirts. The inhabitant of such a room is by no means boring; decorations and frills just aren’t their thing. Why bother spending money on posters, pictures and blu-tac only to be charged at the end of the tenancy for destroying the walls anyway? There are some perks to such minimalist living. You can be sure that there will always be an uncluttered space to sit and

that they won’t leave any mess when visiting your own room either. Just don’t try and bring in a lava lamp or strobe lights to ‘cheer it up.’ A noncommittal cactus is more their thing.

The Room Well-Travelled

This is the room of someone who never quite managed to accept a life in wet and soggy England after their gap year or extensive summer travels. The smell of incense will hit you even whilst on the approach up the corridor and you will probably have interrupted them mid-Downward Dog. Hookah pipes from an off-the-beaten-track destination in North Africa will be used as bookends for the meditation How-To paperbacks on the shelves. Their walls will be plastered with patterned sarongs and blown-up photos taken in Phnom Penh with their SLR. This room will make you feel like you’ve been to Macchu Picchu and back, even though you haven’t actually stepped outside of Stoke Bishop. Make yourself comfortable on the readily available bean bags, as chillin’ with friends is all these hospitable roomies want to do.

Lara Kottsieper

flickr: trgrimes

SPACE JAM What does your space say about you?

Photo: The Living Room

EDITORS IN SPACE

A dark, airless place where it is possible to spend days without any real human contact - the Epigram office is not dissimilar to outerspace. Living asks its fellow Epi-pals for their space travel essentials. Imogen Carter- Living Editor

DINING IN THE DARK

It’s one thing not to judge a book by its cover, but what happens when you can’t actually see the food in front of you? Yesterday, I was invited to The Living Room on Bristol Harbourside for a unique dining experience. In honour of their new menu, eight Bristol ‘foodies’ were given the challenge of identifying the ingredients used in several of their new dishes - the only catch? We were blindfolded. Trust me, it’s harder than it sounds. Presentation is such an integral part of the dining experience; it’s not just a bi-product of pretentious chefs, our enjoyment of food is determined by the culmination of all of the senses. If something looks appetizing you are more likely to enjoy it. Furthermore, our brains have been primed to expect certain flavours from particular ingredients, and this affects the way we taste them. So when one of your senses is entirely removed, foods you think you know can taste completely different.

I found I spend most of the time concentrating so hard on attempting to discern the subtle infusion of flavours - such as the smoked paprika used in the Moroccan Spiced Lamb with giant cous cous, or the broccoli scented with orange that accompanied the Pan Fried Sea Bass - that I almost couldn’t appreciate the food - almost. One thing I realised was that when a dish relies solely on taste buds and sense of smell, it’s going to be either make or break. The Basil Grande, The Living Room’s speciality dessert, was absolutely divine; even though it is not something I would have ordered for myself had I already known the ingredients. In contrast, the Green Tea Daiquiri with spiced rum, to me, sounds delicious and exciting, but in fact was not at all to my taste. Overall, it really was an eye-opening experience - no pun intended.

Laura Cripps

Ant Adeane - e2 Editor ‘Lance Armstrong’s ashes’ - ironic from the man known to have indulged in a blood transfusion or two to add a little va va voom to a late night editing session. (Ed - I meant Neil...)

Alicia Quiero - Travel Editor

‘Aretha Franklin’s greatest hits’ - to remind her that despite the lack of oxygen she is still a natural woman

Kate Samuelson - Deputy Film & TV ‘A boxset containing every series of 24/Grey’s Anatomy/Peep Show’ textbook response from Film & TV

‘The Andrex puppy. It could be my best friend and if I ran out of food I could eat it’ - it had been a long, hungry day for Epigram travel

Mona Tabbara - Deputy Living ‘A George Foreman grill and a Yorkie bar’ - Living refuses to conform to gender stereotypes

Jasper Jolly - Film & TV Editor ‘A towel’ - to do what with Jasper?

flickr: x-ray delta one

Dans Le Noir is a London restaurant dedicated wholly to this concept. On entering the dining room you are plunged into pitch darkness, and with the help of their blind waiters you are forced to relinquish the sense of sight. Their aim is to ‘completely re-evaluate the notions of taste and smell through a gastronomic and pedagogical process.’

To prove my point it’s worth mentioning that The Living Room have been hosting these blind taste-tests up and down the country and so far the national record, which was set last night, is 24 ½ correctly guessed foods out of 40. The majority are scoring around 10 points, with the lowest score at a humble 4. Interestingly, on the whole it seems to be the food bloggers that are doing better than the professionals.

‘A bunch of fresh coriander’ - Living will confess at this point that her kitchen is also home to truffle oil and Maldon sea salt. #studentlivin’

Josephine FranksDeputy Living

Editor: Imogen Carter living@ epigram.org.uk

@e2Living

Deputy: Josephine Franks jfranks@ epigram.org.uk

Deputy: Mona Tabbara mtabbara@ epigram.org.uk

A BLESSING IN THE SKIES

flickr X-ray Delta One

While many will recoil at the thought of the hard work and loneliness of a long distance relationship, personal experience has taught me they can be liberating on several levels. For one, long distance relationships offer the perfect excuse for lazy lounge wear days, general hygienic laxity and minimal effort.

Travel

Katie Seaman

flickr X-ray Delta One

Hous(e)ton we have a problem. I’m a student trying to reclaim my personal space. The prospectus tells you about the fun and friendly atmosphere of communal living but they fail to mention that after three weeks watching dirty dishes grow green with mould by your sink that the lack of your own space may result in an OCD-induced panic attack. The frivolity of first year makes you think a lack of space is just part of student experience. Waking up to a kitchen with the lingering smell and grease of Jason Donervan chips and a worryingly nearly empty bottle of ‘Basics’ spirit as trophies of your night out becomes the norm. Having to wait an hour to use the single oven that 10 people are supposed to share is just part of the social interaction of dinner. A queue of four girls outside the two showers before a night out is just a challenge for you to overcome so you can all be ready to go get groped by predatory second-years at Bunker. Even your walk down the stairs past the flatmate’s room you drunkenly woke up in during the first week becomes a World Heritage site. When you move into your newly spacious house as supposedly wiser second years, you’ve mistakenly been tricked into believing you’ll have more room just because you’ve upgraded to a double bed instead of that cramped single from halls. Now you’re competing with less people for space, you think you can really enjoy living with your new housemates. Instead, you learn that you have even less of it and you can’t just wander down the stairs to another corridor to escape what your housemates have now dubbed compulsory X-Factor viewing on a Saturday night. You’re forced to venture out to walk to various locations in Bristol to see your friends and escape the igloo you live in; you found out too late that your housemates don’t believe in having heating or hot water as part of their cost-cutting initiative; electricity is allowed so as to permit maximum reality TV time. The space grows smaller as the thin walls of your Clifton maisonette mean that even when hiding in your room to try and get a sense of normality, the roar of approval from this week’s ITV talent show result still penetrates your isolation. A change of scene for third year with a bigger house and less people seems to be your winning formula. Finally, you don’t have to wait 20 minutes for a shower in the morning and even though you have to battle the dirty dishes left by the sink they are at least less mouldy. It all seems less apollo-ing and you don’t need that infinite space. flickr X-ray Delta One

Style

Living

PERSONAL SPACE MISSION

We all have days were we really should have had a shower or not worn the same for the third day in a row - but the beauty of having that ‘special someone’ far and away means that such social indiscretions can be your own little secret. The beauty of the distance is that no one is around to know how regularly you have - or haven’t - spent time on making yourself generally acceptable for public exposure. Bearing in mind that slightly ‘underwashed’ hair can look sexy over Skype, giving the impression of merely doing the bed-head look well, and with no one around to run their fingers through it, only you can know its ability to retain its shape is down to the natural oils you’re simply treating your hair to. There’s even more scope for girls who, let’s face it, could save a fortune with the absence of regularly purchased hair removal products from the weekly shop. Not to mention the more environmentally friendly in-and-out showers and the savings you’d make on water bills, making the more conservative housemates happier all round. Guys can also embrace this

world of new opportunity, such as leaving used gym kit and trainers in the corner of the room a more masculine ambience with the smell of well-

earned sweat. The sly midnight snacks in bed leaving dubious stains of cheese and pickle sandwiches on the sheets will never have to be explained, only washed when the next time of meeting is arranged.

“Bear in mind that slightly ‘underwashed’ hair can look sexy over Skype” Far from wanting to suggest those that are in a long distance relationship become lazy, unhygienic and socially inept, I believe long-distance relationships can make the simplest of tasks more fun, such as using Herbal Essences instead of Wilkinson’s own, shaving off the raggedy beard for a more friendly face or simply just tidying the bedroom can refresh your personal space, as you prepare for the arrival of your long awaited partner. Having had your own space and independence you welcome the presence of your girlfriend/boyfriend again as you begin to feel like a more wholesome and cleanly human being yourself. The anticipation of being reunited is all the more sweet when mundane everyday tasks are purposeful once again. As some would have it, the age-old cliché still stands: absence truly does make the heart grow fonder.

Clara Murray

19.11.12

IMOGEN PALMER

SHOULD’VE PUT A RING ON IT I cried the day I found out that The Hobbit was going to come out in three parts. Not out of sadness, fear, or indeed because something was stuck in my eye. No - I cried with joy at the prospect that, at this particularly unnerving time in my life - graduation, what? - my winters were once again hotly anticipated. When The Lord of the Rings came out in 2001, it permeated most aspects of my life for the next three years. I owned a replica one ring - crafted in the fiery chasms of Argos - built a cardboard version of Helm’s Deep for a castle-making project and hosted a LOTRthemed party which included rabbit stew (jelly), Elven Lembas bread (toast) and the painstakingly accurate modification of my garden into Middle Earth. Thus, you can imagine my excitement at the news that it is now possible to visit the Shire in New Zealand (!) and a 13m model of Gollum has been constructed in Wellington Airport in celebration of the new films. Needless to say, I know where I’m going to spend the next three years ‘discovering myself’.

ZOMBIE NATION I don’t really know why the Bristol Zombie Walk happens but I sure am glad it does. Anything that gets people together in costume is fine in my book - bar cult-based racism. Moreover, the walk helpfully reminds us of the increasing probability of a zombie apocalypse and the survival plans we should all have in place. My favourite part of the Zombie Walk was reading the comments people had made on the Bristol Post website: ‘Why can’t these people put this effort into getting jobs?’ said one. Evidently, only the unemployed have time to dress like zombies, the rest of the population being too busy hobbling through the daily drudgery of filing, photo-copying and typing for a monotonous office job, behaving almost like…zombies? I wish I could have written this next comment on the website but I didn’t: ‘They should get a life!’ Hahaha. I like you a lot.

BRISTOL SO ALTERNATIVE Bristol so alternative they got their own mayor. And why’s that Jaya Chakrabarti, leader of the Yes Campaign? ‘When everyone else zigs, Bristol zags.’ Everybody now: ZIG: ZAG! ZIG: ZAG! Where others paint, Bristol graffitis; when everyone else says ‘Cor, I’m full’, Bristol opens the UK’s largest all-you-can-eat; when the rest of the country uses normal money, Bristol decides to release its own currency. Oh Bristol, you so alternative you probably spell alternative a different way to everyone else. Like you put a ‘th’ at the end or something. Or an ‘f’. Bristol so alternative SKINS was filmed here for crying out loud. Could you get more alternatif?

Kevin N. Murphy

flickr x-ray delta

BORDERLINE NEWS

Honey, I need some space Notting Hill is a bloody good film. A true classic. You know how it goes: boy meets girl, boy works in a book shop, girl is a famous movie-star, flat-mate is a weird, horny Welshman - it’s love at first sight. Unless your heart is black enough to make you a strong candidate for the next series of Tool Academy, there is no way that such a blossoming romance can’t leave you pining for something similar in your own life. Sure, they have their problems; maybe they won’t make it; maybe their lives are just too different; or perhaps the story-line has absolutely NO bearing on reality. In any case, the knowledge that things will inevitably turn out all right in the end is enough to make anyone jealous… before you know it, Julia Roberts is up-the-duff, Hugh Grant, looking very chuffed with his handiwork, is snuggled against her reading a book and the end-credits roll into view. Cue cooing from the females in the audience, whilst the men are begrudgingly appreciative of the fact that they’re almost guaranteed to be getting some tonight. Whilst I greatly enjoyed the film, I am left asking myself a few questions: does this wonderful tale set the relationship bar too high? And, more specifically, where can we mere university students situate our relationships in the context of such a modern love story? Forgive my generalisation as I define the typical university couple, who can be neatly slotted into one of two categories: the woebegone longdistance, inter-uni couple, or that annoying breed of lovey-dovey, ‘we met in our first year of university and now we do everything together’ couple. Bless the long-distance lovers among us. These couples are the greatest optimists, despite their somewhat glum façade. Generally involved in a preuniversity relationship, this lover naively believes in their ability to ‘make it’ through the hurdles of such a path. Alas, the student road is littered with the corpses of relationships that couldn’t quite cut it, who couldn’t affirm the age-old question: is it worth it? Resigned to continuously checking their phone to see if their other-half has replied; constantly questioning the loyalty of their partner at any opportunity; arguing incessantly during the tri-daily S k y p e

conversations. God, it’s a hard life, no wonder they wear such a look of melancholy all the time. In stark contrast to this rather tough lifestyle are the halcyon days of what I’ve dubbed the ‘Unbelievably Annoying Why-do-you-have-to-do-that-in-front-ofme-that’s-disgusting first-year Romance’. Catchy, eh? These couples have the good fortune of attending the same university, thus spending all available time in each others’ presence. In a whirlwind of banging headboards, creaking mattresses, shared food and in-jokes, it is difficult for those who find themselves encased in such a bubble of coupledom to detect any disadvantages. There are a few. The most pronounced being that the intensity of such company is a) weird and b) annoying. Be warned: if everything goes tits-up, you could find yourself with a bunch of friends who left you behind in the second week of freshers’ and the knowledge that you spent two years shagging ‘The One’ not out of true love, but convenience. It seems that in both situations, the problem of student relationships comes down to one of space – both physical and emotional.

“A whirlwind of banging headboards, creaking matresses and in-jokes” It’s not quite the Notting Hill story, is it? Big shock: relationships ARE flawed. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m not some cynical bastard laughing at abandoned puppies and proclaiming that ‘love doesn’t exist’. In fact, what I’m trying to say may make a lot more sense than it first appears. Part of the beauty of a ‘proper’ relationship lies, in a strange masochistic way I’ll admit, in the barriers you must hurdle along the way. After all, as a very wise man known as Dr Kelso from Scrubs said: ‘Nothing in life worth having is easy.’ There’s a satisfaction to be found in going through a tough time and coming out the other end in one piece and stronger because of it. Perhaps what is more important to remember is that university, for all its perks, can be a pretty hard beast to master - and sometimes it’s just nice to have somebody there to help you along the way. Whilst lamenting the pros and cons of space in a relationship may be perversely satisfying, either way you can’t underestimate the value of just having someone to rely upon. The happy ending, then, promised to us by Hugh and Julia in that great modern-classic isn’t in any way guaranteed. In real life, the story hardly ever goes like that. As students, rather than thinking in terms of some Hollywood romance, we should think in far simpler, less dramatic terms, have a breather, and see things for what they truly are.

Ben Winstanley

@e2Living

Style

Living

Taurus April 20th-May 20th

Aries

March21stApril19th

ROOM 101 #4: PUBLIC TRANSPORT Let me paint the scene for you. It’s 4pm and you’ve got a seven-hour coach journey to Manchester looming before you. You climb into the dingy National Express; the toilet’s already blocked and the lock doesn’t work – you groan as you realise the door’s going to be open all journey. It’s already pretty busy; your eyes scan up and down the claustrophobic rows of seats as your nose adjusts to various smells of highly antisocial foods: a McDonalds Happy Meal here, a tuna sandwich there. Finally you see it – like an oasis in the desert, a queue-pass to Lounge, an empty cubicle in Bunker; there’s a free twoseater. Yes, it’s parallel to the loo and diagonal to a screaming baby, but it’s your own space: your haven, your sanctuary in this devil’s lair, one in the form of a four monster-wheeled vehicle. You breathe a sigh of relief as you sink into the musty, dusty seat, dazing out the window in an effort to block out the torrent of noise amplifying around you. Within minutes, your eyes are beginning to flutter and sleep feels nigh. You smile to yourself as you imagine waking to the coach driver’s announcement: ‘Final stop: Manchester!’

“Your eyes scan up and down claustrophobic rows of seats as your nose adjusts to various smells: a McDonalds Happy Meal here - a tuna sandwich there”

Travel

But then it happens. The most sickeningly loved-up couple set foot on the coach. They’re looking around mournfully and now they’re heading your way. It’s like watching a plane crash: you can sense the devastation before it hits. Before you know it, she’s looming over you: ‘Babes, do you mind changing seats so we can sit together?’ Unable to move, you watch yourself packing up your things as though you’re having an out of body experience. There’s one seat left on the coach so you head towards it. Snuggling in next to the obese man with horrendous B.O. munching on a packet of cheesy Doritos, you admit defeat. If this scenario feels at all familiar to you, then I’m sure you can sympathise with my decision to place personal space on public transport into my Room 101. Whether it’s sharing a row on a coach, having your face forced into someone’s sweaty armpit on the Tube or practically sitting on someone’s lap on the bus, there’s just something rather unpleasant about sharing an intimate space with someone you neither know nor like the look of. Perhaps I am alone in this, but rush hour on any mode of transport really freaks me out. Hundreds of people swarming into little carriages full of air that’s been recycled since the 1960s; it’s all a bit reminiscent of leaving a piece of bread on the floor in an ant-infested area. But this is, of course, an empty rant. I can’t avoid sharing my personal space on public transport – unfortunately it’s not all private jets and taxis for me, dah-ling – but I can complain about it, in true #firstworldproblems style.

Kate Samuelson

Feeling low? Down in the dumps? You need to dispel the negative (though positively delicious) energies which those closest to you have been surrounding you with. Jason Donervan and Ronald Macdonald are not true friends, despite what you once thought.

The formation of the congealed pasta sauce on the hob has aligned with the grease encrusted grill tray you haven’t cleaned since the start of term. This spooky turn of events indicates that you should stay in this week, as an outside threat poses danger. It’s called your landlord and it’s about those new rat tenants of yours who, unless they’re contributing to the rent, aren’t covered by your contract.

Cancer

June 22nd-July 22nd

Is that you or has Barry White been reincarnated? This month your persistence finally pays off, as your smooth moves and sweet talkin’ have got the ladies and fellas drooling all over your Blazers and snapback. The hounds of love are calling. Or at least the mongrels of Syndicate are chasing you howling across the downs.

Gemini

May 21st-June

21st

You need to focus on what’s important this week. Get back on top of your work and organise the things you’ve let slip out of your control. Although maybe if you stopped wasting your time reading your horoscope you wouldn’t have this problem in the first place - just sayin’.

Horoscopes Leo July 23rd-August 22nd

Virgo August 23rdSeptember 22nd

It’s not your birthday for ages yet. Come back in a few months.

Scorpio

October 24th-

Libra September

Sagittarius November 22nd-December 23rd

23rd-October 23rd

You’ve been feeling uneasy ever since Louis Walsh appeared on the first X-factor episode with that Rooneyrivalling barnet bonanza. But don’t let those luscious locks trouble you any longer. One glimpse of Tulisa’s hoops and slicked down fringe this weekend will restore all balance to your world.

You’ve been doubting yourself, Virgo. Stop holding back and realise your full potential. You CAN fit in a tactical morning vom, a Refectory £2 full English and, after your walk/crawl into uni and the grease injection, be well into the final quarter of your alcohol sweats before your 10am. You can.

November 21st

You’ve been so overworked recently you’ve lost sight of what’s really important in life: Bunker Mondays, a carefully crafted kebab and the entire next day spent rotting, Capricorn December 22nd-January keeping out of direct sunlight. 19th ‘YOLO,’ as Stuck in a rut? Time to spice things up and Ghandi once said. do the Post Fresher’s Refresh; get an edgy haircut, buy second hand vintage clothes that never match, develop a partiality to terrible music your former self would have called ‘just noise’. Go all ‘Henry Africas’ on yourself with a good old fashioned revamp. Just without the scaffolding… and you don’t have to call yourself Henry.

Aquarius January 20th-February 18th

Don’t let the negative comments of others get you down this week. You know best and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! They’re only lecturers specialising in their subjects. What does a PhD even prove?!

Whilst forever the advocate of prioritising the relaxation of your inner spirit, the Fenging of the Shui, the Thaiing of the Chi etc etc, your practice in this area has of late become a little over-zealous. Now comes the time to clear away the past month’s Dominos boxes and engage in some human interaction and perhaps even change your underwear. Scoff as you may, oh tranquil one, but you don’t see the small children and plants keeling over and withering in your wake as you pass by.

Pisces Feb. 19–Mar. 20

Forget the social butterfly, it’s all about the social dolphin, aka social fish, aka Pisces aka YOU BABES!!! Your phone just has NOT stopped buzzing, you’re invited to, like, only 5 BILLION Facebook events this week and omg, was that ANOTHER email you just got?!?! Oh, no sorry, it’s just cas-response.

Isobel Allen

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UBU NEWS

Issue 4 19.11.2012

ubu.org.uk

Coach tickets for NUS #Demo2012 on 21 November now onsale at ubu.org.uk/demo Students from across the country are preparing to make their voices heard in London on 21 November and University of Bristol students are no exception - coach tickets are on sale now at ubu.org.uk/demo for all those who are sick of being a generation left at the back of the queue, pushed into an ever more brutal, marketised environment whilst simultaneously being stripped of the tools necessary to compete. With two days remaining before the NUS Demo, students and UBU (OHFWHG 2IĂ&#x20AC;FHUV DUH SXWWLQJ WKH Ă&#x20AC;QDO WRXFKHV RQ EDQQHUV DQG SRVWers and gearing up for a long but hopefully rewarding day in London on Wednesday 21 November. At a forum last week about why

the University of Bristol Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union is supporting the Demo, students discussed the key issues surrounding why students should be interested as well as the pros and cons of demonstrating in such a way. #Demo2012 is not just about increasing tuition fees and cuts to university funding; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about empowering students and young people to have their say on a national VFDOH DQG Ă&#x20AC;JKW IRU WKHLU IXWXUH The Demo has three key elements, summarised by Elected Education 2IĂ&#x20AC;FHU 7RP )O\QQ EDUCATE â&#x20AC;&#x153;With higher tuition fees, the axing RI (0$ D PDUNHWLVHG +LJKHU (GXcation environment where univer-

sities spend resources competing instead of on students, and continued lack of support for post-graduate courses, accessing education is PRUH GLIĂ&#x20AC;FXOW WKDQ HYHU Âľ EMPLOY â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youth unemployment is continuing to disproportionately skyrocket, DQG JRRG MREV DUH GLIĂ&#x20AC;FXOW WR FRPH by. Increasingly, young people are expected to work without a wage in order to gain experience demanded by recruiters. More and more graduates are unable to use the skills theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve accrued KXJH GHEWV GHYHORSLQJ DQG Ă&#x20AC;QG themselves stuck in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;underemployPHQW ÂˇÂľ

EMPOWER â&#x20AC;&#x153;Students and young people are being ignored because weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re quiet and seen as powerless. We need to seize the initiative and put our issues back at the top of the agenGD :LWK WKH JRYHUQPHQW WHUULĂ&#x20AC;HG to even discuss further and higher education, its time to show we wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be bullied, and demand that the education, employment, and empowerment of young people is SULRULWLVHG RQFH DJDLQ Âľ If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to take part but canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make it to London on 21 November, join other students in Bristol in #Demo2012 on Tour to show your support. Find out more at ubu.org. uk/demo.

Community Fund supports student/neighbour bonding The relationship between students and their neighbours is the topic of constant discussion that covers everything from complaints to collaborations. Focusing on the positive, the University of Bristol Community Fund has been organised to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;support local residents with any projects or activities aimed at enhancing this relationshipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The initiative provides up to ÂŁ250 for activities including environUBU News | Issue 4 | 19.11.2012

mental projects and community events; so far the Community Fund has supported a community curry night organised by St Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Road Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association that specifically invited students living in the area as well as a Jubilee Party and a community clear up. Plenty of funding is still available for this academic year and with the holidays right around the corner, what better way to bond with

your neighbours than over minced pie and mulled wine at a Christmas-themed event or pitching in to tidy up your street before winterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dreariness really sets in? Decisions about which projects receive funding are made by the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Community Liaison 2IĂ&#x20AC;FHU DQG WKH +HDG RI $FFRPmodation Services in consultation with the Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union. The grants are issued as and when suit-

able applications are received so there is no deadline to apply.

Download a Community Fund application at: bristol.ac.uk/accommodation/prs/community/comm-fund/. 1

Students look for love and help out a great cause at UBU Volunteering Speed Dating 90 single students, 45 tables and a room full of fairy lights - it could only be Speed Dating, hosted by UBU Volunteering on Tuesday 13 November. The event has become a staple in the Students’ Union calendar and the latest was no exception with 90 students turning up hoping to meet that special someone. The attendees were treated to fantastic music courtesy of Live Soc before the mingling commenced. Though some admitted being cajoled into attending by friends, it was clear from the buzz that everyone had a great time.

positive feedback from those who came. Hopefully we may have been responsible for some blossoming relationships!’ Speed Dating was run by the Volunteering Exec as a fundraiser for their Community Volunteering projects. Over £300 was raised by the event that will go towards their next big event: a Christmas Party for 90 children from across Bristol on 1 December. If you would like to get involved in the Christmas Party or any other Volunteering projects, please visit www.ubu.org. uk/volunteer.

Rosie Paxton, Chair of the Volunteering Exec and Host for the evening said ‘The night was such a success and we have had lots of

Why the University needs (more) gender neutral toilets Trans Awareness Week is a series of events being run from 14-20 November to educate people about trans identities and lives. Trans people are those whose gender doesn’t match that which they were assigned at birth. Further details of the week’s activities can be found in the box on p.3 but here I’d like to talk about an issue close to the hearts of many trans people. 7XFNHG DZD\ RQ WKH UG ÁRRU RI the Students’ Union there is a toilet like any other but with one difference: it can be used by peo-

ple regardless of their gender, by women, men and everyone else. How exciting! Actually it is. Gendered toilets are the one place where I am harassed to the point that I am no longer comfortable using them, and my experience is by no means unique. Many people who are trans and/or gender non-conforming have experienced harassment or even physical violence in gendered toilets. Gender neutral toilets provide a safe space for many of these

people, which is why having a gender neutral toilet in the Union is such a promising step however much more is needed. A 20 minute round trip to UBU between lectures just to use the loo is more than a little excessive, especially when my department has two sets of toilets within 50 metres of each other. All that would be required is a change of sign for one of them to become gender neutral. The two sets of toilets in the ASS library are another case in point. In short the University needs more gender neutral toilets. In case you’re still having reservations… What are they again? Gender neutral toilets can be used by anyone irrespective of their gender. They are usually all cubicles and the most common way of creating them is by changing the sign on an existing toilets. I wouldn’t be comfortable with gender-neutral toilets. Some people feel uncomfortable using gender neutral toilets and so not all toilets need to be replaced

UBU News | Issue 4 | 19.11.2012

with gender neutral ones. Women won’t want to share a toilet with men – toilets are a safe space for women away from men. See above. If this proves to be a major concern, a small map on the door of each set of toilets, showing the location of the nearest gendered/gender neutral toilet would be a simple solution. Installing gender-neutral toilets will cost too much money. The cost would likely be very minimal and just involve changing existing signs from gendered to gender neutral; a small price to pay for a change that would make an enormous difference for a number of students. We don’t have any trans students here. Gender neutral toilets aren’t just for trans people, though there are more than enough trans students at the University of Bristol to make the change worthwhile. This article was written by 2nd year Jess Turner who is part of the group organising Trans Awareness Week.

Investors in Diversity survey open until 30 November Complete the 20min Investors in Diversity (IID) survey at

www.surveymonkey.com/s/B9JMRXG The feedback from this survey will help highlight any work that needs to be done to meet the needs of all students and ensure that UBU becomes the best Union that it can be for its members, the university and the wider community.

UBU Active: high energy, low commitment activities UBU Active is a fantastic opportunity to get involved in sport and recreation at Bristol and there have never been more ways to get involved! The three-year programme, funded E\ 6SRUW (QJODQG DV SDUW RI DQ $Ftive Universities initiative, provides a variety of opportunties to try something new, get back into sport or just have fun with friends. All activities are free or cheap and often it’s as simple as turning up at

the right place at the right time! Now entering its second year, UBU Active aims to have engaged around 5000 students by the end of the programme Find out more at ubu.org.uk/ ubuactive and like them on Facebook at facebook.com/ubuactive. Get in touch with any questions or ideas at ubu-active@bristol.ac.uk.

14 - 20 November 2012 This year the Students’ Union and the LGBT+ Society are celebrating Trans Awareness Week, which starts on 14 November and ends with the Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day that memorialises people who have been killed as a result of transphobia and reminds us that there is still hatred and fear of people who do not conform to a binary gender system. We are holding several events and activities including a poster display in the Arts and Social Sciences Library during this week. The week aims to: 5DLVH DZDUHQHVV DPRQJ WKH VWXGHQW ERG\ of what trans means 5DLVH DZDUHQHVV RI XVH RI ODQJXDJH LQ relation to trans issues (QFRXUDJH VWXGHQWV WR FKDOOHQJH WKH LGHD that there are only two options for gender ,QFUHDVH XQGHUVWDQGLQJ DERXW WKH QHHG IRU gender neutral toilets at the University. “You may never meet a trans person in your life, but it is important to understand that you have the power to help create a safe space for anyone who might be struggling with their gender identity, e.g. your family, friends or DQ\RQH \RX PLJKW LQWHUDFW ZLWK EULHÁ\ DV you go about your everyday life.” Kelvin Chen, President of LGBT+ Society

Follow the week on Twitter:

#TAW2012 ubu.org.uk/campaigns

UBU News | Issue 4 | 19.11.2012

Monday 19 Bristol Drugs Project Drop-in Session • 6-8pm, Just Ask Centre, 4th Floor of UBU Tuesday 20 Bristol Drugs Project Drop-in Session • 6-8pm, Just Ask Centre, 4th Floor of UBU Student Council • 6pm (details at ubu.org.uk/studentcouncil)

Your What’s On Guide Nov - Dec 2012

Django’s Jazz Funk Soul Jam Session • 8pm, The Big Chill (£2 members, £3 non-members) Wednesday 21 NUS Demo 2012 • All day, London (details at ubu.org.uk/campaigns) Thursday 22 Symba • 7:30pm on the 22-23 / 4:30pm on the 24, Winston Theatre (ubutheatre.com) Saturday 24 UBU Active Touch Rugby • 1-2pm, The Downs (every Saturday) UBU Active Dodgeball • 1-2pm, Cotham School (every Saturday) Intramural Mixed Badminton • (sign up at ubu.org.uk/activities/sports/intramural) Sunday 25 UBU Active Netball • 7:15-8:15pm, SEH (every Sunday) UBU Active Lacrosse • (sign up at ubu.org.uk/activities/sports/ubuactive) UBU Active Hockey • (sign up at ubu.org.uk/activities/sports/ubuactive) Monday 26 UBU Active Rounders • 3:30-4:30pm, SEH (every Monday) UBU Active Cheerleading • 3:30-4:30pm, SEH (every Monday) SRSH Eating Disorders Support Group • 6:30pm, Just Ask Centre, 4th Floor of UBU Stand Up Bristol Comedy Night • 7:30pm, BAR 100 (free!) Tuesday 27 Bristol Drugs Project Drop-in Session • 6-8pm, Just Ask Centre, 4th Floor of UBU Django’s Jazz Funk Soul Jam Session • 8pm, The Big Chill (£2 members, £3 non-members)

Wednesday 5 12 Days of Christmas in BAR 100 • (continues through 14th December) Jason and the Pantonauts • 7:30pm, 5-8 December, Winston Theatre (ubutheatre.com)

Thursday 29 LGBT+ Support Group • 6:30pm, Just Ask Centre, 4th Floor of UBU

A Little Night Music • 7:30pm, 5-8 December, Lady Windsor Theatre (ubutheatre.com)

Butcombe Brewery Tour • 7pm, pick up from UBU (details at ubu.org.uk/postgrads)

Roller Disco! • 9pm-1am, Anson Rooms (more information coming soon at ubu.org.uk)

Bristol Hub Conscience Clubnight • The Attic Bar, Stokes Croft (ubu.org.uk/ents/event/692/)

Saturday 8 Symphonia Winter Concert • 7:30pm, All Saints Church, Pembroke Road

Friday 30 Close of Investors in Diversity consultation • (details at ubu.org.uk/iid)

Monday 10 SRSH Eating Disorders Support Group • 6:30pm, Just Ask Centre, 4th Floor of UBU Stand Up Bristol Comedy Night • 7:30pm, BAR 100 (free!) UBU Christmas Party • 9pm-Late,The Lanes (bowling and more! details soon at ubu.org.uk) Thursday 13

Sunday 2

LGBT+ Support Group • 6:30pm, Just Ask Centre, 4th Floor of UBU

UBU Active Hockey • (sign up at ubu.org.uk/activities/sports/ubuactive) Tuesday 4

Friday 14 END OF TERM

Bristol Drugs Project Drop-in Session • 6-8pm, Just Ask Centre, 4th Floor of UBU UoB Science & Philosophy Launch • 6-8pm,WMB (scienceandphilosophyevent.eventbrite.com) Django’s Jazz Funk Soul Jam Session • 8pm, The Big Chill (£2 members, £3 non-members)

A hard copy version of The LIST is available each term at the UBU Info Point, the Richmond Building and around the University precinct. If you would like to submit an event for next term, please contact emily.lindo@bristol.ac.uk by 14 December.

TOTAL: £8,329.00 Visit ubu.org.uk for details on the success of RAG’s Jailbreak, which took place over 36 hours from 10-11 Nov. The winning team Jailbait made it as far as Venice (1284km) and the event raised over £2300 for charity! UBU News | Issue 4 | 19.11.2012

Editor: Lizi Woolgar style@ epigram.org.uk

Style Style

Living Living

@e2Style

r e Cyb pace S Cookies. No, I am not talking about the chocolate chip kind, the oatmeal and raisin kind, or the banana and blueberry kind from Millie’s Cookies. No, I am talking about those internet-techy things that pop up asking us permission to use them during our internet browsing, to which we inevitably click ‘yes’ without consideration. In actual fact, these ‘cookies’ are the reason that pair of shoes you ‘accidently’ searched for, clicked on and added to your wish-list keep haunting you in the corner of your web browser. Those shoes - along with the other pairs the website has kindly suggested you may also like - are becoming increasingly distracting and more tempting with every moment they consume those pixels. By constantly hounding us with adverts for the clothing we ‘might like’, is cyberspace having a greater effect on our clothing choices than we think?

Pink Mothballs:

us easy access to a huge variety of clothing, and we are subject to more trends and styles than ever. This greater scope of fashion from all around the world may also be giving us a more creative approach to style. However, could it be that the internet is manipulating our creative minds rather than emancipating it? Think about it. With the majority of us shopping online, whether it is regular or just the occasional browse during our lunch breaks, we are exposed mostly to the large retail chains, which all produce clothing based on the same styles and runwayinfluenced designs. Even within this narrowed range, there is still a case of cyberspace ‘survival of the fittest’, where the most influential retailers obtain the most advertising space, leaving smaller independent branches and boutiques without a chance. I recently had an experience with a new feature trialled by the all-time favourite online shopping website ASOS: The Online Stylist. I was enrolled in an instant messaging conversation with a ‘style advisor’ who was to help me on my quest for my perfect dress.

The internet has ultimately become a key tool in feeding our style needs. The convenience of having a market bigger than the largest American supermall in our bedroom has given

Deputy: Anisha Gupta deputystyle@ epigram.org.uk

The free clothes sharing app Nothing to Wear? ‘Becky’ as she was called, asked me what the occasion was, asked me my size, my height, the colours I tend to go for and began to send me images of ASOS dresses. As I politely rejected one dress after the other, I couldn’t help but think: ‘Is this another way for ASOS to dominate what I buy?’ I was presented a selection of ASOS’ finest – pricey – and most popular items, and as I asked her more about the fabric and the designs, she was evidently hired by ASOS simply to push their best products. At last, Becky sent me a link for ‘The One’: an LBD to die for, laced with a cross-strapped cut-out back. ‘That’s it!’ I told her. ‘Oh great,’ she replied. She seemed relieved. ‘Thank you very much for using ASOS online stylist, I’m glad I could be of assistance.’ I ended the chat. Little did Becky know, I had added that same dress to my basket an hour before her ‘assistance.’ Don’t let cyberspace dominate your unique style; trust your instincts. Words: Simone Robinson Sketch: Ottie Wilford

Ever been unsure what to wear and wish you could see inside your friends’ wardrobes? Then Pink Mothballs is the app for you. Designed and founded by 25year old Amanda Baker, Pink Mothballs gives girls a fresh and fun way to borrow and lend clothes with friends. The free iPhone app allows online sharing of clothes between friends or any fashiholics. Users can add items to their virtual wardrobe by either taking a photo or uploading one from Facebook, so that friends can find clothes/accessories they’re looking for and arrange to borrow them.

Student Friendly Amanda believes that every girl needs this app, in particular students. It’s impossible to bring your whole wardrobe to University, and even if you did, no girl wants to be tagged in the same outfit twice. Buying new clothes for every night out is unfeasible, and cruel to a student bank balance, which could be better spent on shots in Bunker. This is where Pink Mothballs really helps; you can create a whole new look, thanks to your friends’ wardrobes. It was Amanda’s bank balance that encouraged her to borrow and lend clothes more regularly with her friends.

Sorry boys, but size really does matter When presented with the term ‘space’, it took a long morning of brainstorming to decide what to write about.

Travel

The ‘space’ I have decided to discuss is not the kind that Obi Wan Kenobi would be familiar with. No, the space I will address in this article is the space between your neck and your collar, or indeed between your waist line and belt. This is because the exact diameter of this space is the source of the biggest mistake that men make with regard to their clothes; buying the wrong fit. The importance of fit in menswear cannot be overstated. In fact, it is arguably much more significant for male consideration than for women. This is because, as far as physical attributes are concerned, we men have drawn the short straw. While women can always resort to displaying as much flesh as possible on the dance floor to attract a prospective

partner, men don’t have the attributes that would make such a tactic remotely attractive. All we can do is make sure that the fit of our clothes is flattering and draws attention to what positive physical qualities we may or may not have. Now, being in possession of a frame a past girlfriend once described as ‘emaciated’ - I prefer the term slender -the importance of fit is greater for me than most. If my clothes are too slim, this will of course draw attention to my non-existent waistline, but if my clothes are too baggy, the resulting billowing folds will have the unsavoury result of making me look like a whirling dervish - Google it. When it comes to assessing fit, the tried and tested rules of traditional men’s tailoring are your new best friends. Shirts

should have no more than four inches pull in them. The shoulder seam of any item of clothing should always finish where your actual shoulders end. Blazers should have about an inch of space at the front and should end no higher than the bottom of your zip. Sleeves should end no lower than the base of your thumb and no higher than your wrist bone. While these aren’t hard and fast rules, and will always be influenced by trends, they really are the best criteria on which to judge the fit of your clothes. If in doubt, make friends with your

nearest tailor; they will be able to give you professional advice and give you the confidence to wear that new jacket with the pride it deserves.

Words: Nathan Beesley Sketch: Katy Papineau

Searching Specifics Gone are the days of rifling through friends’ drawers and wardrobes, users can find clothes to borrow without leaving the comfort of their own bed. The app has a refined search engine, where you can narrow down the results according to colour, size, type and brand, making shopping for a new outfit easier than ever. You can wave goodbye to the inevitable ‘what do I wear tonight?’ panics. Pink Mothballs allows you to spend the hours you previously spent trekking to Cabot Circus, to raid the shelves of Topshop, socialising with your friends instead. Girls of Bristol, download Pink Mothballs today; you can thank me - and Amanda - later. Vicci Halman

19.11.12

Photography: Issy Croker and Liam Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Reily

Editor: Lizi Woolgar style@ epigram.org.uk

@e2Style

Deputy: Anisha Gupta deputystyle@ epigram.org.uk

Living

Tutorial: Cosmic Nails 1 - You will need: Black nail polish Small makeup sponge Two or three shades from a choice of: bright blue, purple, turquoise, green or pink White nail polish Glitter top coat 2 – Apply two coats of black nail polish as a base and wait for it to dry.

3 – Using the sponge, dab one colour onto the nails to create bursts of colour to give a supernova and nebulalike effect. Repeat with the second and/or third colours of choice. 4 – Dab on smaller patches of white nail polish to create ‘galaxies’. 5 – Paint on one coat of glitter nail polish to create the ‘stars’ and wait for nails to fully dry. 6 - (Optional) Seal manicure with fast-dry topcoat. Anisha Gupta

Candy cane sweets and dark, disembodied heads fall out from an apple tree. Clockwork models, giant jelly molds and snails cling to corners of the room. Creepy crawlies play instruments inside a country house.

Illustration: Katy Papineau

Travel

Style

Exhibition Review: Spaced Out with Tim Walker

Fashion photographer Tim Walker’s ‘Story Teller’ exhibition has gained much recognition, partly due to his affiliation with the world of fairytales, but more due to his signature, almost unsettling style and innovative use of space. Although Walker’s photographs do indeed provide the foundation of the exhibition, there is far more to experience and discover than simple 2D art forms. His exhibition at Somerset House, London, is enchanting for two reasons. Firstly, for housing a feast of Walker’s photographs and secondly, for being curated so damn well. In recent years, the creations of fashion and art exhibitions have fallen into two camps. Either resembling the decadent excesses of the V&A, for example their Cult of Beauty exhibition,

or the ‘Have wall therefore will hang pictures’ practice most commonly found in the Tate or National Gallery. Somerset House demonstrates the possibility of a middle path in which a traditional mode of curating is subtly perverted – perfectly mirroring the ideas in Walker’s photography.

Tate Britain recently decided to tone down all wall captions in exhibitions to appear more open to ‘viewer interpretations’. Somerset House has retained such captions, but lets the text bleed around corners or drip in arrows down from the ceiling. A final afterword from Walker fills a wall like a big blob of pop art, proudly full of the multiple exclamation marks grammar pedants would delete. These tiny makeovers to the wall texts make all the difference in aligning the exhibition space with the

world in the photographs. Following words around a corner, you walk right into the next photograph and find yourself taking tea with a honeybee. Aside from the gingerbread trails of words, you almost feel like you are stepping into a ‘wonderland world’ among the enormous props spread throughout the exhibition. In the first room there is a boat headed by two huge swans and hanging from the ceiling in the corridor is the skeleton of a giant. Tim Walker also employed the oversize technique on supermodels, such as elongating Malgosia Bela, Guinevere Van Seenus or Karlie Kloss, and Lindsey Wixon’s plumped up lips. In the final room resides an ungainly giant doll, which once kicked Wixon across a barbed wire fence. Like Alice in Wonderland, the doll is almost too tall for the room. With golden ringlets, wide, piercing eyes and an unsettlingly shaped mouth, she is the perfect example of why Walker makes you squirm. Words: Rosemary Wagg Illustration: Ottie Wilford

19.11.12

Inescapable Fashion Oh so you don’t ‘care about’ fashion? You don’t ‘follow’ the trends? Bullshit. Fashion is inescapable. It’s all around us, infiltrating right through the pores of society, brainwashing and pickpocketing you on its journey to the land of War-Drobe. We are imprisoned within a hierarchical network whereby fashion forecasters set the trends and puppeteer designers, much like egotistic dictators, influence our clothing choices for each season facilitated by high street stores and puppet retail workers. We are constantly programmed and re-programmed into believing we should wear certain things because a) we are told to and b) we like the way it feels. But that’s exactly it. I mean think about it. What is it? A feeling is undefinable and ultimately not real.

Fashion knows how to win us over, by appealing to our innate, noncognitive perceptions: emotions. Of course there is the cultural element of influence in our dress. We are shaped by our cultures; our perceptions and imaginations are moulded accordingly, hence the way we dress follows suit - pardon the pun! India might take influence from local garish fabrics, Harajuku girls strut down Toyko high street dressed as distastefully as possible, and the London-born roll up in their ‘effortless’ but oh-so-obviously put together 90s look. It is what allows us to put a label on cultural fashions. Paris – chic and pared down, Berlin – hipster, hipster and more hipster.

applies for us when we venture far from the nest, I guarantee. Our dress has the power to silently express our nationality, even if we have no interest in fashion. And to consider fashion more passively as style, the theory still stands. Social situations shape our view of the social ‘norm’ hence

Yes, it can be argued then more as a ‘social requirement’ thing, which can be traced far back into the early 20th century - even earlier - where clothing echoed society. The 1920s ‘decade of decadence’ post-war fashion movement marked a period of economic prosperity; 1940s pareddown style nodded to wartime austerity and the kaleidoscopic liberation of the 60s echoed society’s carefree attitude. Clothing ‘back then’ may have been more class and wealth-oriented, but now it seems to be almost strictly a form of identity formation and selfexpression. But, self-expression of what? What possibly are your clothes telling me that your mouth can’t? I might be playing devil’s advocate here, but give it some thought. By wearing something ‘different’ from the trends, you will be dumped

“Self-expression of what? What possibly are your clothes telling me that your mouth can’t?”

That way you can look and someone and know they are foreign purely from what they are wearing – even if they don’t follow trends. The same

we dress accordingly due to our unavoidable internal need to be accepted by society. It’s pretty unlikely you’d wear a ball gown food shopping; similarly a hoodie and trackies might look a little dressed down for a wedding, don’t you think? I’m not saying that there aren’t a few

Trend: Futuristic Fashion As winter rolls around and the woolly jumpers, warm coats and knitted scarves find their way out of our summer wardrobes it’s hard to find a style that can still be practical in the winter months whilst also being bang on trend. Fear not, this outrageous scifi futuristic trend is for you! This trend is refreshingly individual as everyone wears it so differently and while some cautiously accessorize an outfit others will embrace this ‘out of space’ vibe and be a vision of colour and chrome and be unmistakably trendy in town.

here and there that slip through the fashi-net but these are generally, to put it quite crudely … tramps and junkies.

Metallic jewellery is the perfect solution to your boring woolly jumper dilemma. Adding some chunky jewellery with bold designs will lift your woolen knits from comfy to couture in an instant. If, like me, you tend to stick to block colours and shy away from outlandish patterns this jewellery will literally make your outfit lift off. Necklaces and earrings with bold shapes such as triangles and spikes are all over the high street at the moment in metallic, chrome and gold. Even though it takes serious guts to whack on a pair of luminous yellow dagger style earrings, I dare you to wake your jewelry collection with these futuristic pieces.

Leggings are a style that is not disappearing anytime soon but the pattern and colour of them are getting bolder, braver and brighter. Space inspired prints such as black and white lightening streaks, and multi-coloured leggings with luminous pink on a black base have found a home in high street classics such as Topshop and Urban Outfitters. Skinny jeans with a silver sparkle to them are also lighting up eveningwear. With a star-shined material these are glam and can be dressed up with a pair of suede stilettos or the classic chunky black boot for a head turning look.

New Look, £34.99

Large shoulder pads seem to be in tune with this ‘space’ style trend and this winter we’re seeing oversized coats with big shoulders that easy to wear - and pretty darn warm too. Inspired by catwalk classics such as Balenciaga and Celine, who have opted for knee grazing longer coats, paired with some sci-fi dazzling patterned leggings and some metallic accessories, your look is the definition of futuristic fashion.

River Island, £18 Topshop, £25

into the unforgiving ‘alternative’ category which makes you just about as alternative as another pair of creepers. And, hate to break it to you, but you’re still following fashion. Even by consciously breaking the norm, you are knowingly accepting and aware of what is thought to be in fashion. It seems that fashion is intertwined so closely with society and buried so deep within our subconscious thought that we have a pretty hard time escaping it. Still refuse to admit it? Check your collar. Labelled? Told you so.

Lizi Woolgar

Make up is evidently a key feature of this trend especially with bold blue and silver eye shadow being completely embraced as well as a deep dark purple lipstick. Lippy is the essential pocket filler on a night out and whilst having a gothic quality dark colours ooze sophistication and, can be the perfect way to make an outfit lift off out of the ordinary.

It’s puzzling to discern where this trend has originated as womenswear is leaning towards becoming more unisex, bold metallic shapes and patterns seem unexpected if not controversial. Is it possible that space news directly inspired designers? I’ve grown to love this head turning trend, and trust me it’s going to launch my dull winter wardrobe into a new fresh and quirky direction.

Abby Wynn

Editor: Alicia Queiro travel@ epigram.org.uk

Make the most of the South West

Bristol is handily located amongst some fantastic places for a day out. So, once that hangover’s worn off, the freshers’ flu cured and you begin to explore the world outside of Clifton, Redland and Stoke Bishop, why not broaden your horizons. Just a hop, skip and a jump away, here are Olivia Lace-Evans’ favourite South West spots...

Style

You

Flickr: blackcealt

Making waves in

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Flickr: Lauren Tucker

Bath

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This is the obvious place to start if you want to get out of Bristol. Only a 10-20 minute train ride away from Temple Meads lies the magnificent UNESCO world heritage city. Bath is one of the UK’s most beautiful places, with elegant Georgian architecture scattered throughout, such as the stunning Royal Crescent. Try the famous Roman Spas if you fancy a relaxing soak., whilst literary enthusiasts can enjoy the Jane Austen Centre. If that doesn’t float your boat there are also a number of boutiques and cafes where you can sit back, relax and watch the world go by.

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Weston-superMare

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When Bristol is so close to the sea, it seems a shame to miss out on a good old beach trip, assuming the British weather doesn’t put a dampener on plans. With the wide sandy beaches and the classic fish’n’chip shops peppered along the shore, Weston is the perfect place to enjoy the British seaside. svola

Marvelling at medieval

Wells

The cathedral in Wells is described as ‘one of the most beautiful in Britain’ and when you see pictures of it it is difficult to disagree. This medieval city is a hidden gem, with other architectural and historical marvels such as the Bishops Palace and Vicar’s Close. There is also a local market place on Wednesdays and Saturdays and gardens for those who just want to take a relaxing stroll. For those seeking a bit more of an adrenaline rush, the picturesque Cheddar Gorge is nearby for caving. What’s more, Wells is easily accessible; simply take the 376 bus service directly there from Temple Meads.

Flickr: Joe Dunckerley

Getting back to nature in the Cotswolds

‘Croeso’ to cosmopolitan

For those with a car, the area of the Cotswolds offers a great way to get out of the city and explore the historic and natural beauty of the South West. With attractions like the imposing Berkeley Castle and Blenheim Palace, Gloucester with its beautiful Cathedral and winding streets, the tranquil Bourton-on-Water with its traditional perfumerie and pretty walks, as well as the huge number of gardens around the area, there is more than enough to occupy you for a weekend away.

Cardiff

Cardiff is a great city to start exploring Wales. A 40-50 minute train ride will place you right in the centre of the bustling cosmopolitan city, where there is something for everyone to enjoy. Sightseers can enjoy the extravagant mock-Gothic Cardiff Castle and sports fans can come during the rugby season to watch a match or even just see the magnificent Millennium Stadium. For those who are interested in sci-fi, there is a new Dr Who tour around the newly regenerated Cardiff Bay which takes you around the sites used for filming the BBC series. Flickr: Yo Ghurt

Travel

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Bathing in

Flickr: UGArdener

Living

@e2Travel

Deputy: Alex Bradbrook deputytravel@ epigram.org.uk

19.11.12 something I could borrow.’ Sebastian sighs theatrically. ‘Hmmm. I’ll see what I can do.’

Towards the end of last year, a friend named Sebastian invited me to visit his house in the hills near Tuscany. Although I had known his family was wealthy, this was the first I’d heard of a Mediterranean villa. So, nervously excited and slightly flattered, I accepted. We had booked flights together and although he’d never flown with Easyjet before, he graciously deferred to my limited budget. We met at the airport two hours before takeoff to see a queue stretching out across the terminal floor. ‘I’ll see you inside, then,’ he says jauntily, after I explain that I haven’t bought the Speedy Boarding Pass and so cannot skip the line. Monogrammed suitcase in hand, he saunters onto the plane. As I board, I see that he has saved me a seat. As the plane takes off he orders me a gin and tonic that costs more than my flight. He orders himself one too. Then another. And another. ‘I feel like a battery hen,’ he complains loudly to the stewardess, who doesn’t care. As afternoon sets in, we finally arrive in Italy. Sebastian’s parents, Mr and Mrs Cobdon-Ramsey Jones, have ordered a

taxi to drive us the 40km from the airport up into the hills. Sebastian pays the driver and, as we enter the cavernous villa, pours us both a large glass of wine from a decanter. The wine bottle, a specimen older than myself, is on the table in front of us. He tells me to take a shower and then to change for dinner. ‘I’m taking you out for a proper Italian meal. Not like that rubbish they serve at Jamie’s.’

“‘I feel like a battery hen’, Sebastian complains loudly to the stewardess, who doesn’t care.” When I am ready, I find Sebastian flicking through The Spectator in what appears to be a library. ‘That tie is ghastly – you look like a schoolboy,’ he snorts. I look down. Not only had I been thinking of going out dressed in these very clothes, but I had also just spent 10 minutes meticulously ironing the smartest outfit I have ever owned in my life. ‘Of course not,’ I reply. ‘I was going to ask if you had

20 minutes later, I head out into the evening wearing Italian leather on my feet, American denim on my legs and a linen shirt caressing my torso. It feels suspiciously tailored. The outfit is topped off with a straw hat that was supposed to create the illusion that I threw the whole thing together in a manner of seconds. Judging by the muttered comments and suspicious looks thrown at me by the various Italians we pass, I begin to worry that it’s having the opposite effect. I tell Sebastian that I feel nervous walking around in £200 worth of someone else’s clothing. ‘Nonsense!’ he bellows, attracting the attention of every Italian within a five-mile radius. ‘The shoes on their own cost £200. I’d hazard a guess that the whole thing cost about a thousand. But let’s not talk about money, chap. It’s vulgar.’ We pass a market stall where he buys something that a sign describes as a ‘Genuine Roman Coin’ for 50 Euros. Flickr: Temper1370

Our man on the ground in Tuscany: Part One

‘The merchant wanted 60 Euros, but I was able to do a bit of haggling with my GCSE Italian,’ he says languidly. ‘They simply don’t see the value of these things.’ Anonymous

Tubing: threatening paradise in Laos? Tubing involves people floating down river in a rubber tube, grabbing onto bottles or shoes on the end of ropes thrown from rickety bamboo bars fringing the river, and being dragged in to enjoy the club music and cheap drinks. Essentially you could compare the experience to the ultimate student bar crawl – except you’re in fast-flowing water on a patched-up rubber ring. For some it has become the sole reason to visit Vang Vieng, let alone Laos. From bankers to students, travel veterans or those new to the Banana Pancake Trail, all are flocking to get a piece of the action. The most famous place to tube is the small town of Vang Vieng, once a small fishing village nestled in the limestone mountains surrounding the region. Originally tubing was a novel and lesser known past-time, with only a few travellers floating down the Nam Song

River – not to party and booze but to enjoy the astounding natural beauty of the area. Now the town has a completely different feel, with hundreds of people swarming every day to the precarious bars balanced over fast-flowing waters. Instead of people stopping off for an occasion beer or two, buckets of cheap Lao-Lao spirits and ‘happy shakes’ containing opiates, mushrooms or marijuana are consumed in huge quantities. Neon paint is sprayed over intoxicated partygoers as they dance to trance music and throw themselves into the river from fraying rope swings.

“You could compare the experience to the ultimate student bar crawl –except you’re in fastflowing water on a patched-up rubber ring” It has to be admitted the experience is completely unlike anything I’ve ever done before and, as long as you aren’t being swept downstream into the

uninhabited countryside, there is an undeniable buzz to the experience. However, a dark shadow hangs over the tubing experience. The regularity of deaths and casualties in Vang Vieng as a direct result of tubing is frightening. Six tourists have

On the plus side you could argue that perhaps Vang Vieng could serve as a sort of pen containing the chaos that is tubing. This would be reassuring if it weren’t for the rumours popping up on the subject of tubing being brought in elsewhere, specifically in an area of Southern Laos known as the Four Thousand Islands.

Olivia Lace-Evans

Laos is one of South East Asia’s most beautiful countries, offering a myriad of stunning landscapes and a unique culture preserved over thousands of years. And yet, when one considers what is most famous about Laos one thing springs to mind – the infamous tubing experience.

already died this year and twenty deaths were reported last year, causing Laos authorities to close down more than two dozen bars along the river in an attempt to curb the casualties. This is even more concerning in light of local reports of more disappearances and deaths of tourists, which go unreported or unnoticed. Indeed, the doctor at the local hospital claims that five to 10 people are admitted every day. A stunning figure considering the local population is only 25,000.

This stunning area of Laos on the border of Cambodia, also known as Si Phan Don, is a set of multiple small islands. Only accessible by longboats, the islands have developed individual characters and are becoming more and more popular as a place to relax, watch the world float by and cycle around the rice paddies. And yet this beautiful area is already showing signs of change, with reggae bars and party hostels popping up across the major islands of Don Khong, Don Det and Don Khon.

Of course, this rise in tourism has its advantages, but the accompanying drug culture and the increasing pressure to introduce tubing pose a threat; a place famed for its relaxed attitude could lose this peace and become a stomping ground for the Vang Vieng groupies, tainting the local culture and polluting an area of astounding beauty. However, tubing is proving hard to contain. Hopefully Southern Laos will resist the seductive appeal of increased tourism, and Vang Vieng will remain the one place in Laos that can enclose the wild ride of tubing.

Olivia Lace-Evans

Editor: Alicia Queiro travel@ epigram.org.uk

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e! r e h e r e w u o y Wish

AIRMAIL Grumblings from a French university

, Dear e2 oad: I On the irs picture took thmite of Yose al Park Nation g the crossin nia and Califor state line . Nevada

After only a short while in France, cracks start to show in its glossy ideological veneer – most notably in the domain of higher education. Take for instance, my host institution in the 5th arrondissement of Paris. It basks in the rich academic tradition of the Latin Quarter and shares a common name and, in part, an institutional framework with the renowned Sorbonne University, whilst simultaneously trying to remedy a chronic shortage of resources. How about a single printer on the main campus or providing your own paper for exams? I bet those ASS library queues at exam season seem a bit less like the midnight crowd at a Harry Potter book launch now.

Love , ampson x Nick S

A day in ... Munich A student guide to a city of beer, pretzels and parks

“An underrated feature of Munich is the amount of open space – loved by its inhabitants but often overlooked by tourists” You might know Munich as a city filled with beer and giant pretzels, and if you don’t, you probably should. Don’t get me wrong – these delicacies - called ‘Brezn’ by the locals - are great. However, an underrated feature of Munich is the amount of open space – loved by its inhabitants but often overlooked by tourists. Everything is spread out; the streets are wide, the houses are spacious, the Bierhallen are cavernous, and it boasts one of the world’s largest urban parks: the Englischer Garten.

perfect. Pick up a crate of beer and a pair of sunglasses and you’re all set. If you get hungry, there’s always the Biergärten, which generally serve very large amounts of food and beer for very reasonable prices, and always have a fantastic atmosphere. The Englischer Garten, however, is not the only park in Munich. If you’re interested in picking up some history as well as relaxing in open space, the Nymphenburg Palace is a beautiful spot. You’ll have to pay to get into the building, but the stunning park is free of charge. Much less busy and more carefully organised than the Englischer Garten, the palace park is a good spot for quiet walks and photography.

Flickr: Marcus Ramberg

Travel

Flickr: Pitz76

Style

And well done to Will Marment - runner-up in last issue’s photo competition - whose name got sliced off by an over-zealous printer

When I was 13, I moved to Munich – a city in the Southern German state of Bavaria, right up near the Alps. I’ve lived there for six years now, and although I’m by no means an expert on the place, I think it’s safe to say I know it fairly well.

Tourists often venture into the gardens for calm walks among the trees and trips to the several Biergärten, but they rarely indulge in the activities that make the park truly niche. If you visit on any summer’s day, you’ll find it full to bursting with picnickers, drum circles, nudists, footballs and frisbees, especially in the area known as the Eisbach - roughly pronounced ice-bahk. You’ll also find a freezing cold stream in which crazy locals swim and surf – yes, surf. With surfboards. For a student eager to save money, the Englischer Garten is

station if you get peckish.

Deputy: Alex Bradbrook deputytravel@

Another unique feature of Munich is that no matter where you are in the city, you’ll probably never be more than half an hour from the countryside. If you fancy exploring the area, a popular destination is Starnberg. The Starnbergersee – an expansive lake – is much warmer than the Eisbach, and on clear days looks out onto the Alps. There’s also an amazing kebab shop right next to the train

Munich isn’t always an obvious destination for travelling students. It’s unlikely that you’ll have a super-crazy-insane night out – although it’s certainly possible. But if you fancy a holiday that combines cosmopolitan charm with sweeping open spaces and good weather - and beer, although that isn’t compulsory - Munich might be right up your street. Joy Waldron

The admirable aspirations of the French higher education system are stretched by budget constraints, resulting in a potent example of Darwin’s survival-ofthe-fittest theory. The first-year cohort of 500 students just manages to squeeze into an amphitheatre, yet only a few months later when the arduous slog of lectures kicks in, we are at 300. Usually by second year we’ve dwindled to an altogether cosier number. Whilst such dropout rates would be unheard of in the UK, in our own system calls of elitism and qualms over social mobility abound: swings and roundabouts, I suppose.

“Toilets are generally mixed, thus I quickly became aware of the tacit injunction against using urinals whenever girls are around.” So what is the place actually like? Well, the main campus has about as much aesthetic merit as Bristol’s Students’ Union. It’s a shame the library isn’t as generously proportioned. Toilets are generally mixed, thus I quickly became aware of the tacit injunction against using urinals whenever girls are around. Whilst musical chairs was an annoying birthday party fad that I was glad to shake off at the age of eight, we are now forced to relive these childhood ‘festivities’ as people scramble for a seat before any of the more crowded classes. Brushing aside these more superficial niggles, things are very mixed on the academic front. Whilst my philosophy lecturer is a genuinely great teacher, pedagogy generally leaves a lot to be desired. Despite grumblings to the contrary, the French university system is definitely rigorous. I judge this against the subjectivity-centred arts curricula of the UK. ‘Who cares if you even read any Austen, how did the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice make you feel?’ I am myself the product of this system; consequently, I have neither the mathematical grounding nor the stoicism to pursue introductory economics any further. Thank goodness for the flexibility of Erasmus – picking and choosing courses à volonté – rather like an all-youcan-eat buffet. Admittedly, I haven’t ventured past the prawn crackers yet... Jules O’Dwyer Foreign Correspondent in France

Flickr: Nathan Wind as Cochese