Bristol University’s Independent Student Newspaper Issue 251
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Monday 14th May 2012
• www.epigram.org.uk
Bristol bucks trend with ‘yes’ to mayor Josephine McConville Head News Reporter Bristol was the only city to vote ‘yes’ for a directly elected mayor in a series of referenda held across the country. The poll, cast on the 3rd May, saw a margin of 5100 votes, despite accusations of blackmail. The results pave the way for potential candidates running for Bristol City Mayor, including a University of Bristol Union Trustee. Despite a low turnout of 24 per cent, 41,032 people voted ‘yes’ in favour of a mayor while 35,880 voted ‘no’. From 15th November, Bristol will have a mayor directly elected by the people, replacing the current system of councillors selecting a council leader from their own political party. Nine other cities;
St Paul’s Carnival is cancelled over safety fears
Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield, Nottingham, Coventry, Wakefield and Bradford, voted against having a directly elected mayor. George Ferguson, a UBU trustee, plans to stand as an independent candidate in the race to become Bristol’s first directly elected Mayor in November. Craig Clarke, who stormed a hearing at Bristol County Court to evict College Green
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Just 24 per cent of Bristol’s electorate turned out to vote in the referendum
and ‘inaccurate’. Some voters also claimed not to have received the leaflets while 10,000 ineligible voters had. The momentous results were met with mixed reactions. Former Labour council leader Helen Holland, said ‘I think this is going to bring some stability to the city. The new mayor’s term of office will be four years,
which will give them a clear run at taking the city forward’ ‘No’ campaigner Bill Martin, a former Lord Mayor and Labour councillor said, ‘it puts too much power into the hands of one person and if we don’t like them we are saddled with them.’ Ferguson urged more student involvement,telling Epigram,‘Bristol
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has done itself a huge favour in deciding to go for a directly elected city mayor and I hope Bristol’s 40,000 students will engage with the process that could transform the way this city is governed. We now have a great responsibility to show the way to those other cities that failed to grasp the opportunity to rally round a unifying candidate.’
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• After fierce abortion pro-choi debate, > page 2ce stance remains • Sabbatic return of al team announ ce > page 3 bursaries • Editoria l - A long for student way to go > page 16 politics
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Alice Young News Editor Students voted Bristol through to improve access to and admission contextualised offers s targets General at the Annual Meeting of the Union this Students’ month. The motion priority ballot voted to the top of the and thus called for discussed stronger first contextua enforcem l offers ent of from underpriv of places to students ileged backgrou Proposer nds. Josephine resistance Suherma n met from some questione students d whether who useful, with the motion It sparked a heated Kyle Mulhollan was that the d arguing benefits of awarding debate over the motion would, ‘reduce existing the type of university places sport facilities. school attended, based on ’s prestige the Mew, value of The ‘Campaig the UBU with Sophie your degree’. and reduce the ning to approval Rink’ motion Officer, arguing Widening Participat Suherma Save the n, a third was passed ion the Ice President and Dom Oliver, that it would ‘not to end student, vote with year with 70% UBU Vicebe better responde for Sport the private of earlier d to these Politics the low-incom Paul Charlton speeches from and Health, comment Chris Ruff, school bias criticisms ing, had but James and President proposer report announced in e student Vice-Pres would look ‘We all know the Mulhollan bias’. his annual Activities, ident for Lumsden of Ice Soc that campus very then . a amendme Centre would the University Economic d, was enforced’ different if this proposed nt to limit s and Politicssecond Sports policy year an be introduci instalmen to the The motion . student, ng termly Fridays only, arguingthe dress code to stage again ts for took passed with the hilarity vote. to oppose that In his report sports passes. students 68% of the motion as well, of the motion it ‘retains this claiming, attended at the beginnin require the AGM from state Adam ‘Applicati this year’s Gus schools g of Both me to buy another but doesn’t ons Ludlow’s are AGM, also announce Baker, UBU President because controver Ruff’s speech suit.’ state schools low in general of the student 2% motion, sially d that , of the entitled team will and the general’. Bristol’s are terrible body motion passing ‘Ending Silent Private Ludlow, be working the sabbatical in a third year participat student, called for on a widening applause, with were met by roaring argued this ion History the Universit School Bias’, 64% of agreemen the access assessment to was not the figures regarding Rosemary the AGM y to publish of the motion, address t that UBU point Drummo figures in saying, ‘I the proportio be forced that state state and don’t agree Hay both proposed nd and Hamish Epigram in October. published to wear suits officers should schools private n of motion by detailed more students are awful’. motions at the Universit school The on Fridays. These AGM is how Bristol figures His use the swimminto help one held every y and set students approval. narrowly passed to decide redress the Universit of 25 UK with 56% and gym, with targets to February on y was g pool balance. institutio Drummo will pursue the policies that flexible A series ns failing nd arguing meet its own and of motions UBU over the to targets participat would make cheaper sports improvin coming on widening Motions are g availabilit were aimed at ion. passes year. ‘sport either to become to larger y and access more accessible voted through The AGM policy or ended on to motions numbers of students’ year’s AGM with a motion voted out. a jovial were passed . Both note, the This attracted to force officers with over 414 students, highest UBU elected turnout 85% week. to wear suits every since 2001 day of the a 74.6% increase and on last year, represent ing just despite over 2% student of the total body.
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The Cou ture Sho w s Understood Getting to Mis eants the c-wo grips with rd this seasuld beauty pag Sho on still exist?
Clash Culture Big e2 Fashion vs. Big Apple Bucket
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Jamie Corbin
In bloom We review the latest Beach House record Music 20
The new Avengers film, disassembled
Marek Allen
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Occupy protesters, is also intending to stand as a candidate. The main political parties have yet to select their contenders. Bristol Lib Dem MP Stephen Williams quelled speculation that he would stand by committing himself to the 2015 general election. In the days leading up to the election, it was reported Bristol could receive a £1 billion jackpot to fund vital improvements and public schemes, as long as the electorate voted ‘yes’. Some critics claimed that linking the mayoral vote to this deal amounted to bribery and blackmail. Simon Cook, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat-run Bristol City Council said ‘I think that the worrying thing is that the government are in effect blackmailing us. ‘They’re saying either have a mayor and get some more determination over your own business or if you don’t you won’t.’ This was not the only issue complicating the referendum. Current Bristol Lord Mayor Geoff Gollop voiced his concerns over voters getting his role and role of elected Mayor confused. Head of legal services at Bristol City Council Stephen McNamara said: ‘It is unfortunate that both would have the name ‘mayor’ - they are fundamentally different. The Lord Mayor is a ceremonial post that holds no direct power. An elected mayor will have all the executive powers of the council to run the city. There were also controversies surrounding the referendum leaflets sent out to the electorate. The Bristol City Council faced accusations from Clark that leaflets were ‘unbalanced’
Film & TV
Nicola Rob erts
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Epigram
14.05.2012
News
Editor: Alice Young
Deputy Editor: Jenny Awford
Deputy Editor: Abigail Van-West
news@epigram.org.uk
jawford@epigram.org.uk
avanwest@epigram.org.uk
Inside Epigram Features 8 Revolutionary Ode
@epigramnews
NUS Conference calls for autumn national protest
We meet Ruaridh Arrow, director of a new film about influential political scientist, Gene Sharp
Comment 11 Paul Charlton speaks The President-Elect reveals his vision for the University of Bristol Students’ Union
Letters and Editorial 16 Mayor’s Fair What made Bristol say ‘yes’ for an elected mayor when so many other cities refused? NUS: Dan Hggins
Delegates listen to speeches at this year’s NUS Conference
Josephine Suherman NUS Delegate
8 Culture 17 The Orwell Prize Sian Edwards consigns car-crash hit Made in Chelsea to Epigram’s very own Room 101
17 Science 24 Bombs away Epigram Science explores the covert world of military involvement in scientific research
Sport 26 Best Western Bristol rugby beat their rivals at UWE to local bragging rights in a low-scoring varsity match
This year’s National Union of Students (NUS) Conference, held in Sheffield between 2426 April, saw the success of a high-profile motion calling on the NUS to hold a national demonstration in the autumn term against fees, cuts, privatisation and student debt. The speeches in support of the motion invoked the 2010 student protests, calling on the NUS to “bring the fight to the Tories” and build momentum to resist the government’s agenda for higher education. The motion was overwhelmingly passed by
delegates from Students’ Unions across the UK, and was claimed as a victory by and for the NUS’s left-wing student factions. The motion was promoted and supported by all of the NUS’s liberation campaigns, (which represent disabled, black and LGBT students), as well as presidential candidate Kanja Sesay and the incoming Vice President Union Development, Vicki Baars. Student-led activist groups such as the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC) had been agitating for a demonstration for some time in the run-up to Conference. As the vote approached, many delegates and even non-delegates in attendance stood outside the conference
hall to hand out leaflets with details of the motion, urging people to vote in favour. It was a recurring theme of the conference, with many candidates for full-time and National Executive Committee (NEC) positions advocating support for the motion and for a demonstration in their speeches. The national demonstration in November last year, which was organised by the NCAFC with little support from the NUS, was poorly attended when compared to the 2010 student protest in London, which were organised by the NUS and the University and College Union (UCU). The 2010 protest saw up to 50,000 students marching to parliament and the occupation of the Conservative
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Editorial team Editor Editor Tom Flynn Flynn Tom editor@epigram.org.uk Deputy Deputy Editors Editors Jon Bauckham Jon Bauckham jon@epigram.org.uk jon@epigram.org.uk Hannah Stubbs hannah@epigram.org.uk Hannah Stubbs e2 Editor hannah@epigram.org.uk Matthew McCrory e2 Editor e2@epigram.org.uk Matthew McCrory News Editor e2@epigram.org.uk Alice Young news@epigram.org.uk News Editor Alice YoungNews Editors Deputy news@epigram.org.uk Abigail Van-West
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Puzzles Editor Comment Editor Culture Editor Film & TV Editor Sport Editor Lily Buckmaster Will Ellis Patrick Baker Calum Sherwood Tom Burrows filmandtv@epigram.org.uk comment@epigram.org.uk culture@epigram.org.uk sport@epigram.org.uk Head Sub Editor Emma Corfield Deputy Film & TV Editor Deputy Comment Editor Deputy Culture Editor Deputy Sport Editor Anthony Adeane Hugh Davies Zoe Hutton David Stone Sub Editors deputyfilmandtv@epigram.org.uk deputycomment@epigram.org.uk deputyculture@epigram.org.uk deputysport@epigram.org.uk Jennifer Hooton Rachel Hosie Science Editor Letters EditorMusic Editor Puzzles Editor Rosemary Wagg Nick Cork Emma Corfield Nathan Comer Lily Buckmaster science@epigram.org.uk letters@epigram.org.uk music@epigram.org.uk Photography Editor Head Sub Marek Editor Allen Deputy Science Editor Culture EditorDeputy Music Editor Emma Corfield photography@epigram.org.uk Emma Sackville Zoe Hutton Pippa Shawley deputyscience@epigram.org.uk culture@epigram.org.uk Sub Editors deputymusic@epigram.org.uk Illustrator Harriet Layhe, Sophie Sladen Deputy Culture Editor FIlm & TV Editor Science Online Editor Kate Moreton, Rosemary Wagg Edith Penty Geraets Hannah Mae Collins Will Ellis scienceonline@epigram.org.uk deputyculture@epigram.org.uk IllustratorWeb Designer filmandtv@epigram.org.uk Maciej Kumorek Sophie Sladen Editor Music Editor Deputy Film & TVSport Editor Treasurer David Stone Nathan Comer Web Designer Anthony Adeane Alex Denne deputysport@epigram.org.uk music@epigram.org.uk Rob Mackenzie
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Party’s HQ at Millbank Tower. However, the motion passed at conference this year mandates the NUS to throw its full weight and resources behind building for a massive national demonstration to take place in 2012, which hopes to match the 2010 protests in size and impact. Bristol student Joe Grey commented ‘Although the 2010 protests attracted a lot of attention, the law has changed now so I’m not sure what another protest would achieve.’ A motion submitted to Student Council calling on UBU to support and promote the NUS’s 2012 autumn demonstration to Bristol students was passed last Tuesday night, though the motion’s current status is unclear as Council was not quorate.
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Epigram is kindly supported by the University of Bristol Alumni Foundation www.bris.ac.uk/alumni
Epigram
14.05.2012
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Carnival cancelled amid safety concerns Jessica Wingrad Senior News Reporter
flickr:ricksphotos101
The annual St. Paul’s Carnival has been cancelled this year due to fears over the safety of participants and spectators. The Board of St. Paul’s Carnival met with representatives from the police, Bristol City Council and Arts Council England where the decision was made that the scale of the event, which in 2011 saw 100,000 attendees, was too large to guarantee safety. A lack of donations made towards the staging of the carnival meant that in February of this year the board announced that the event would have to be ‘scaled-back’. There were suggestions of a processiononly event which would cut the sound system and fairground rides from the programme but the community of St. Paul’s voiced their opposition to these plans. A spokeswoman for the carnival said in February that the organisers lacked the £130,000 needed to host the event, despite donations from Bristol City Council and the
Arts Council as well as a text donation scheme launched in 2011 which raised just £3,000. ‘To hold this year’s carnival and to ensure it is safe and complies with all health and safety and licensing regulations would cost between £30,000 and £50,000 more than last year, which the organisation does not have at this time,’ she said. In a press release the organisers have said ‘The board will continue to work towards ensuring there is sufficient funding to bring back the full
100,000
attendees at last year’s carnival
scale St Pauls Carnival in 2013 and look towards continued consultation with, and support from, the local community, fundraisers, promoters and businesses to involve them in the preparation and planning of the 2013 event and future St Pauls Carnivals.’ They added that ‘The carnival will continue with its year-
round activities in education and costume-making focusing on African and Caribbean arts and culture and is also involved in events based around London 2012.’ From Bristol City Council, Simon Cook, the cabinet’s member for culture, sport and capital projects, as well as ward councillors Ashley Jon Rogers
and Gus Hoyt responded to the news of the carnival’s cancellation with a statement saying, ‘We remain though fully committed to supporting carnival, and look forward to it bouncing back bigger and better in 2013 – as it did after earlier cancellations in 2002 and 2006. ‘As a concrete sign of our
commitment, the city council will continue to invest our £55,000 grant this year, so that the carnival committee can carry on work over the coming months to build a bigger, better and financially-sustainable carnival for 2013 onwards.’ Bristol student Lucy Jones claimed she was ‘disappointed’ with the decision to cancel
the carnival, as she found the carnival to be ‘an important part of Bristol culture and city life.’ The St. Paul’s Carnival has been running since 1967 with one cancellation in 2006 due to a board restructure. This year’s carnival was set to be its 45th anniversary and was to be held on July 7.
‘Bristol’s New Deal’ unveiled Bristol gains Enterprise Zone Members of Bristol University Students’ Union’s sabbatical team propose giving students more say about how their university is run, as they unveil ‘Bristol’s New Deal.’ Describing itself as ‘an ambitious new campaign for the final term at Bristol this year’, its proponents say ‘with the huge amounts of extra income coming from students’ pockets, we deserve to be given a greater say in how our university is run’. Its proposals include giving students representation on University Council and all Council committees, making the university a Living Wage employer – paying no staff less than £7.20 per hour – and implementing
a pay-ratio system whereby no staff member is paid more than ten times that of another. The scheme drew criticism from second year Engineering Design student James Brown. Speaking with Epigram, Brown claimed, ‘Advocating improvements to University staff salaries is beyond UBU’s remit and should be left to the lecturers’ unions, not be funded by student funds.’ He continued, ‘Increasing salaries of university staff and putting constraints on pay adversely affects students through driving up costs and limiting the talent Bristol can hire in a very competitive market; both of these would lead to a lowering of the quality of services provided to students which at a time of increased fees seems unacceptable.’ UBU’s VP Community Max
Wakefield pointed out that ‘the university is a public sector institution, not in competition with the private sector, and a higher wage could be a factor in improving quality of teaching and students’ experience at Bristol. As major stakeholders, students should have a greater say in how the institution is run, especially when the education they get depends on the quality and morale of staff.’ Wakefield went on to cite the example of Islington Council as one of the institutions where the Living Wage has ‘had a positive impact’. It has also been paid to staff at several universities which include UCL, Queen Mary and LSE. Unison claim the Living Wage ‘attracts better staff, increases productivity and improves staff motivation.’
Marek Allen
Zaki Dogliani Senior News Reporter
The Temple Meads area will undergo a massive regeneration
Katy Barney Senior News Reporter
flickr: Dick Dangerous
George Osborne used his recent visit to Bristol to unveil the new Enterprise Zone in the Temple Meads area. It is hoped that the zone, which is to be called the Bristol Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone and cover 173 acres of land, will stimulate significant growth in the West of England. Professor Guy Orpen, Pro Vice-Chancellor for research and enterprise at the University of Bristol said, ‘The Quarter provides an exciting opportunity to create one
of the most dynamic hubs of intellectual capacity and economic prosperity in the UK at the gateway to the South West.’ It is hoped that the zone will bring 17,000 new jobs and attract 400 new companies to the area over the next two decades. The development stems from a government initiative in June 2011 to boost economic growth by choosing cities to build these new zones, which promise companies a tax break and superfast broadband. Colin Skellet, the chairman of the Local Enterprise Partnership, is in charge of the scheme and has emphasised the importance of the scheme in lifting Bristol
and the surrounding area out of recession. The backers hope that creative, design and digital businesses will be drawn to move to Bristol. Sustainability is also a key focus of the project, as the developers aim to win the European Green Capital Award, for which Bristol was short-listed this year. Plans also include the development of an indoor arena, which is a long awaited construction for Bristol. The train station will also undergo a major revamp, and Patrick Hallgate, of National Rail, emphasised that the station is ‘among the busiest and fastest growing rail interchanges on the Western route.’
Epigram
14.05.2012
4
Leader of Bristol City Council resigns Alex Bradbrook News Reporter
“
Goodbye, let’s hope we never see you again
”
and that ‘[her resignation] reinforces the case for an elected mayor’ as it ‘would end the chronic instability’ felt in the Bristol’s politics, as any elected mayor would be elected to a four-year-long term. He added , ‘Constant changes in administration [are] not good for strategic planning and not good for engendering confidence in the city.’ This is not the first occasion Janke and Adonis have had crossed words. Adonis criticised
the way Bristol City Council operates and its alleged instability in September of last year, prompting Janke to make a complaint to the Deputy Prime Minister. News of Janke’s departure was met with a mixed response, with a selection of online comments from the public ranging from ‘Three cheers for Barbara who has worked tirelessly for the city’, to ‘Goodbye, let’s hope we never see you again.’ One candidate, George Ferguson, praised the outgoing leader, commending her for having ‘Bristol at heart’ and said that she had done a good job, considering the difficulties that the partisan party political system can present. He likened her efforts to working ‘with one hand tied behind her back’ and applauded her accomplishments during her time in the post. Barbara Janke will continue to represent the Clifton ward on Bristol City Council. Following the ‘Yes’ vote, an election will take place this autumn to elect a mayor to represent the city. Bristol was the only city in the country that chose to have an elected mayor, with Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, Bradford, Newcastle, Sheffield, Coventry and Wakefield all rejecting the proposals.
Bristol Zoo Gardens
The leader of Bristol City Council, Barbara Janke has announced her resignation after six years in the post. Having served as leader of Bristol City Council for a total of 6 years intermittently from 2003, she stated that she has been ‘enormously proud’ of the achievements made by her party in Bristol since she started as a councillor, praising the way the Lib Dems had ‘[grown] from just a handful of members to become the largest party on the council, with a majority for two years.’ Janke, who has been a councillor on Bristol City Council since moving here in 1995, also commended the way Bristol has grown to become such a thriving city, noting that, ‘On all the economic indicators, [Bristol] is the most successful economy outside of London’ and that ‘Bristol is really moving forward.’ Barbara Janke’s resignation came in the middle of the debate as to whether or not Bristol should have an elected mayor, an issue which culminated with a ‘Yes’ vote in the referendum held on the 4th May. Janke, who opposed the
proposals, had previously said that an elected mayor would do nothing more than create another ‘professional politician’ that would serve no better purpose than current leaders of the council. Despite this, she was keen to point out that her opposition to the proposals did not cause her to be pushed from office, though there are many who see her timing as significant. The Labour Peer, Lord Adonis, remarked on his website that her departure ‘marks the eighth change of council leader in twelve years’
Dinosaurs defy extinction at Bristol Zoo
Bristol Zoo is preparing its pre-historic exhibition, which is set to open on Friday 25th May. ‘Dinozoo’ will be open for three months and will see the zoo filled with 12 enormous mechanically operated dinosaurs. The creatures will be hissing, roaring and even water-squirting visitors until September 2nd. To advertise the event, Bristol Zoo placed a crushed car in Bristol City centre, surrounded by ominous T-rex footprints.
Professor tackles London Marathon in support of terminally ill ex-colleague Zaki Dogliani News Reporter
Flickr: Mike_Lawrence
Eight University of Bristol graduates faced the 2012 London marathon in aid of the university’s Cancer Research Fund
Eight University of Bristol graduates ran the London Marathon on April 22, collectively raising over £35,000 for the university’s Cancer Research Fund. Among those running was Dr Jonathan Nicholls (BA 1978), who did the famous 26mile course for close friend Dr Tony Rich, Bristol University’s recently retired registrar, who was tragically diagnosed with incurable cancer. Nicholls explained, ‘It was particularly emotional to see Tony on Tower Bridge with members of his family and be able to shake his hand half way through the race.’ Rich expressed gratitude for the efforts of his former
colleague. ‘It was a tremendous achievement to run his first marathon in such a disciplined manner and to raise so much money for Bristol’s Cancer Research. I am enormously appreciative of the efforts of my very old friend.’ The pair met while administrators at the University of Warwick in the 1980s. The eight who ran the marathon also included Dr Ben Houlford (BSc 1999), running in memory of his father, a Bristol University alumnus who passed away last year, and Faye Roberts (BA 2006) who lost her boyfriend to cancer. Another runner, Simon Spiller (BSc 1990), benefited from the work of Bristol’s Cancer Research Fund. ‘Without the kind of research Bristol is embarking on, I might not be alive today’, he explained. He added, ‘The implications of
the alternative for me, my family and friends are unthinkable.’ The Cancer Research fund supports vital research into cancer prevention and treatment. A number of current students also ran for different causes, including second-year Ellie Williams, who told Epigram. ‘I chose the NSPCC because I passionately believe in what they do working for the protection of children, particularly running ChildLine and political lobbying. ‘It was amazing to be running in the same event as world-class athletes supported by thousands of people; the sense of community is absolutely incredible.’ A recent graduate to complete the course was Andy White, a former captain of University of Bristol Cross Country Club (UBCCC), who finished with an impressive time of 3 hours, 12 minutes.
Epigram
14.05.2012
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Libraries respond to student pressure Josephine McConville News Reporter
number of enhancements to the library and IT provision for our students in response to student feedback and discussions with the Student Union. The discussions and feedback are really valuable in helping to continually shape the services we provide to our students.‘ The Union Vice President for Education, Josh Alford, told Epigram, ‘We are very grateful that the University has listened to students and UBU who have been campaigning for longer opening hours for several years. It shows a commitment to ensuring students get better value for money. It is especially positive that Bristol has acknowledged the importance of the smaller branch libraries. These libraries are vital for the often less vocal non-arts and social science students who will finally be able to access resources and study spaces later and at weekends.’ ‘The University still has a long way to go in increasing library and study space, especially with the expansion of student numbers from next year. The fact that students have to queue at the ASS is unacceptable.’
Royal lectures kick-start Diamond Jubilee celebrations
Flickr: Sarah Houck
Bristol University organised two free lectures to mark the historical significance of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. The first seminar, taken by Professor Jutta Weldes was called, ‘Dressing up and Queening it’. This took place on May 9th at M Shed on the Harbourside. The second lecture, ‘Sixty years a queen: The Diamond Jubilee in historical perspective’, was delivered by Professor Sir David Cannadine at the Wills Memorial Building on May 10th.
Flickr: Gloomy Corp
Six of the Bristol University libraries have increased their opening times. This comes after mounting pressure from students and the Union calling for the University to provide more study space, particularly in the light of the expanded student intake next year. Changes also include some all year round term time increases. Since the 26th March the Arts and Social Sciences Library has been open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is set to continue for the Summer Term revision period until the 15th June, including Bank Holidays. The Chemistry and Geographical Sciences Library are open on Saturdays from 10am to 7pm, for a fiveweek period to coincide with exams in those schools. Chloe Lawrence, a 2nd year Spanish student, said ‘If you don’t get to the Arts and Social Sciences library before 9am you can’t get a seat, there just is not enough
room, I don’t know how it will be next year with the increase in student numbers. I am glad the university has increased the opening times of other libraries during exam season’ From the 26th of March the Queen’s Building Library has been open until 10.30pm Monday to Friday during term time, and until 7pm during the Easter Vacation, excluding Easter Bank Holidays and University closure days. Since Saturday 24th March, the Wills Memorial Library has been open for an additional two hours every Saturday during term time and over the Easter vacation, excluding Easter Saturday, the 7th of April. This means that the Library is open on Saturdays until 7pm during term time and until 3pm during the Easter vacation. From Sunday 25th March, the Medical Library has been open on Sundays during term time and the Easter vacation, excluding Easter Sunday, between 10am and 7pm. Director of Marketing and Communications, David Alder, said: ‘We have and are continuing to carry out a
The Arts and Social Sciences library is now open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide students with more study space.
Cannabis farm raid Jessica Bancroft News Reporter On the evening of Thursday 26th April, the Avon and Somerset police force raided some disused commercial premises on Bristol harbourside. The team of officers found 500 mature cannabis plants, which reached an estimated street value of £500,000. A 29-year-old man was arrested after a helicopter was rushed to the scene to conduct an airborne search. This raid was part of Operation Viscount, which was triggered by attempts to slow the rise in Cannabis farms in the area. The 500 seized plants found at this site were later destroyed. Based on the number of farms found, the Avon and Somerset force area has been named as amongst the five worst hit. Cannabis cultivation appears to be steadily increasing in this part of the country. The four other heavily affected areas include West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Midlands and London. Cannabis was re-classified in January 2009 as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession is a five year prison sentence, but dealing the drug can result in 14 years in prison. The head of Avon and
Somerset’s drugs strategy, Paul Blunt, warned of the increasing lack of tolerance with drug use. Blunt commented saying, ‘We will be seeking to place those responsible for their cultivation before the courts.’ The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has named the Avon and Somerset area as a ‘problem profile’. Since 2007 there has been a significant rise in farms, with more than 100 being found each year.
500 Is the number of mature cannabis plants found during the raid, reaching an estimated street value of
£500k There were 527 found in 2010/2011, and the predicted figure for 2011/2012 has now reached 653, which therefore suggests a 61 per cent increase in the last two years.
The ACPO lead on cannabis cultivation, Allan Gibson, has commented that ‘Increasing numbers of organised crime groups are diverting into this area of criminality’. The police hope to combat the rise with this survey on the number of cannabis farms found, as it is hoped to provide a framework by which to ‘facilitate future planning and decision-making for preventative, legislative and enforcement activity’. It is said that the police have made use of infra-red at night, as while most households use less electricity, cannabis plants must be maintained in certain conditions of heat and light at all times. This continuous output of energy will show up prominently on infrared cameras. Signs that may suggest that a house is being used to cultivate the drugs are: if the windows are permanently covered from the inside; if people visit infrequently, or at unusual times of the day; if there are vents through the back window; pungent smells; and unusual noises from equipment such as cooling fans. Police have asked people to be vigilant, and yet have warned to not approach houses that they suspect of being cannabis factories. Instead contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
Epigram
14.05.2012
Features
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The man who shaped the world’s revolutions Nahéma Marchal talks to Ruaridh Arrow, director of an award winning film about Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Gene Sharp
On the rooftop of an old terrace house in East Boston, a stooped white-haired man is delicately watering his orchids, ‘If you don’t treat them right or anything else in life, then it’s not going to thrive.’ This man is American political scientist and intellectual Gene Sharp. You may have never heard of him – and indeed outside of academic circles few people have – but over two decades his writings about non-violent revolution have encouraged thousands of people living under dictatorships to stand up for their own democratic freedom. His seminal book From Dictatorship to Democracy is a step-by-step guide to overthrowing authoritarian regimes, advocating the use of non-violent methods such
as sit-ins, civil disobedience, colours and symbols. It has been translated into more than 40 languages and has served as a Little Red Book of wisdom for leaders of ‘velvet’ revolutions around the world: the Orange revolution in Ukraine, the green movement in Iran but also in Burma, Indonesia and Venezuela. In his first feature-length film How To Start A Revolution, director and journalist Ruaridh Arrow gives us a moving insight into the life and work of the Nobel Peace Prize Nominee. His documentary takes us on a journey from Vietnam to Serbia, culminating in Tahrir Square in 2011, and reveals the practical influence that Gene Sharp has had on the toppling of dictatorships around the globe.
‘I was at King’s College reading War Studies when a friend of mine decided to go back home and join the Serbian revolution movement OTPOR. He showed me some of Gene Sharp’s work but I did not take much notice at that point. I later went on to work as a producer at Sky News and Channel 4’s Dispatches before doing some freelance work for National Geographic and Financial Times in Afghanistan and Iran. In all the places I had been sent to, I was witnessing revolutions emerging, with all kinds of different media outlets, but all using the same tactics. When I approached the leaders of these groups, they all redirected me towards From Dictatorship to Democracy. That’s when I thought: “I’ve got to make a film about this.”’
Ruaridh Arrow’s documentary won Best documentary at Boston Film Festival and recently won a Scottish Bafta. It has been screened in Parliament, shown to all newly appointed bishops in England and in various Occupy sites around the world.
Tracking down the main protagonists, however, proved harder than expected. Gene Sharp was reluctant to give him the identities of the people who had been in touch with him. ‘It was too sensitive - both for the security of the groups and because Gene had been widely accused of being a front for the CIA. So we had to start playing this game of Battleship where I would go find the people in revolutionary groups who had potentially contacted him and then go back to seek his approval before talking to them.’ The process of soliciting funds for a film that was deemed ‘peace-freaky’by commissioning editors was equally challenging and Arrow had to be both patient and resourceful in this regard. The initial funding was from his personal savings which he rapidly depleted. He thus had to juggle between different commissioned jobs during the period of shooting in order to complete the film. ‘I had no idea what the film would be like until I finished it. In Tahrir Square, I shot most of the stuff on my Iphone because my camera had been seized by the secret police. But it turned out to be a natural journey of how the book moved around the world: from Sergei Popovic (the director of the Centre for Applied Non Violence in Belgrade) to Syrian protesters. If I had had the money to do it all at once, it would have been out in 2009. Ironically, it is because I had such bad funding that I only just finished it a month before the Arab Spring happened. It thus became one of the first ‘Arab Spring’
documentaries out in cinemas’. To finance completion costs caused by the use of peoplegenerated content from demonstrations, Arrow put out an appeal on Kickstarter.com, an innovative way to crowdfund creative projects. ‘This was a nice and relevant way to fund the documentary, as it basically requires the mobilisation of popular support.’ He goes on to reveal that James Otis, executive producer of the film and long-term peace activist, also contributed in a manner
“
If people are still fighting each other but fighting with non-violent means then we are working towards a better future
”
fitting of the project’s grassroots ethos. Owner of Gandhi’s memorabilia (including his sandals and spectacles), he sold his possessions for $1.8 million in 2009 in order to finance pacifist projects, one of them being How to Start a Revolution. The persistence of peacemaking interventions (most recently in Iraq and Libya) aimed at freeing people from the yoke of dictator’s oppressive rule demonstrates the common belief that foreign invasion is necessary to topple authoritarianism. Sharp argues the exact opposite. The film opens on a quote from him, ‘Dictators are never as strong as they tell you they
are, people are never as weak as they think they are’. His central axiom is that the power of dictators comes from the willing obedience of the people they govern, and that if people develop techniques to withhold their consent, they will knock down the government’s pillars of support and the regime will crumble. ‘What Facebook and Twitter have done is to allow people to anonymously make small defiant gestures, such as liking a video which is against the government. And that is doing two things: breaking the fear and eclipsing state-controlled media, so that you are almost one pillar down. Internet has made us one pillar closer to revolutions where we’ve never been before.’ If the growing density of human networks has created a sense of human connectedness between partners in common struggles, Arrow nonetheless emphasises the need for technology to communicate the right message: ‘We need to have the Syrian insurgency documented, for instance, not just for the visual impact but to show how the movement came about. Dictators can easily trick a movement into violent action, so it’s essential that people know about non-violent struggles and do not dismiss it as naive or weak. Gene always says, “If people are still fighting each other but fighting with non-violent means then we are working towards a better future.” It’s all about empowering people: combining the power of the individual with that of the mass.’
Epigram
14.05.2012
9
The origins of power, prosperity and poverty Jonathan Levin talks to Harvard economist James Robinson, whose new book sets out to finally debunk the myths of Why Nations Fail
Emanuel Callejas
Thursday lunchtime at the Watershed is what you would expect, full of local Bristolians grabbing a quick pint of fine ale and a pie before seeing the matinee. On this particular Thursday, however, an imposing Harvard professor sits in the corner, wearing a crisp suit, talking between mouthfuls about the worlds’ most pressing issues from climate change to sovereign debt crisis and from diamonds to road-building. The book we were discussing deals with the origins and potential remedies of these contemporary problems. Starting at the beginning of the British colonial period, Why Nations Fail is one of a slew of recent books that try to get to the heart of the what is wrong in the world, and more importantly, why. James Robinson, a political scientist, and his co-author Daron Acemoglu have published many academic papers, but have for the first time turned to a hardcover book. It weighs heavy in your hand but as James Robinson describes it in his robust English accent, ‘Fifty scientific papers lie behind this, some more technical, some historical, but the main argument is summarised in a page and we have the rest of the book to give historical examples.’ The thrust of the book is that the success or failure of a nation’s development lies squarely on the shoulders of its political and social institutions, as opposed to geographical or cultural factors. The book draws a distinction between ‘inclusive’ and ‘extractive’ regimes, which can manifest themselves in the political or economic spheres.
James Robinson argues that corruption and poverty in regions such as Latin America is a hangover from exploitative colonial institutions.
Some regimes do not give the population a voice in society and are considered politically ‘extractive’, i.e. they make use of the population as a resource, rather than include them in the society as equal participants. Economic institutions that spread the benefits of prosperity across the whole of society rather than enriching just a narrow elite are considered ‘inclusive’. It is the difference between these two frameworks that is the crucial difference between a prosperous nation and a failing one. After his mushroom risotto arrived in a tall bowl providing some hearty sustenance on what seems a busy book tour, we discussed Chapter two of Why Nations Fail. It’s an onslaught on various theories on world
inequality, from those based on geographical and cultural differences, to those that claim we just don’t know. The most well known of these theories is articulated in Jarred Diamond’s hugely popular Guns, Germs and Steel. The book argues that environmental differences, such as available crops, livestock and other resources are responsible for a chain of events that have led to the world inequality seen today. Defending this chapter, Robinson begins humbly that he wishes that he were capable of writing as well as his friend Jarred Diamond but disagrees about the facts and the evidence. Robinson tactfully argues that the Diamond’s theory in Guns, Germs and Steel is of continental inequality rather than world inequality, and that it is really
limited to explanations of the early modern period (circa 1500). Geography alone, he says, simply can’t explain world inequality today. Continuing in a polite but critical vein, Robinson goes on to debunk the theory of an even better know academic: Jeffrey Sachs. Now running for head of the World Bank, Sachs points to equatorial concentrations of poverty and argues that climate has been the determining factor in economic development. Stating baldly that ‘correlation does not imply causality’, Robinson jumps on the opportunity to highlight just how wrong he thinks these pervasive theories are. Indigenous tropical populations may have been primitive when colonisers arrived, but this cannot explain today’s picture.
With colonisation came the establishing of ‘extractive economic institutions’ that have ultimately persisted to this day. In much of Latin America, for instance, power is still concentrated in narrow elites that are a direct hangover from colonial institutions. But theory-debunking aside, the people that Robinson really seeks to convince are the swathes of ‘Development economists’ who adhere to an ignorance hypothesis – that we simply do not know what to do about the developing world. Having knocked back his Fairtrade, Columbian roast coffee, he was ready to address the all important question: what next for growth? Not mincing his words, he put it simply, ‘If power is equally distributed
within society, then it is more likely that the people who care about different things will have an influence on public policy.’ In other words, the type of countries with inclusive political institutions would be best placed to make the best decisions. He punctuated his answer with the example of Colombia, where the small number of people who run the country can avoid all the disastrous effects that constrain everyone else’s lives. They go to Miami, hire bodyguards, and build walls around their houses. Leaders that can avoid the consequences of their decisions do not make for a good society. His answer demonstrates the simple underlying principles of political and economic institutions that should be at the heart of our thinking for what happens next. Robinson says that the nuance is in the academic papers but this book seeks to engage people in the discourse of development. The tyrants in the world that stand in the way of a ‘good society’ should have pause for thought if this is on their summer reading lists, as it should be on ours.
Paul Mason’s answer to why the world has kicked off Rosie Goodhart Features Reporter Why It’s Kicking off Everywhere is an ambitious attempt to explain global upheaval - from the Egyptian Revolt to Greece and the Occupy Movements – and find some common denominators. Paul Mason, economics editor of Newsnight has set himself a huge task. Why It’s Kicking Off is a mixture of first-hand accounts with some historical background thrown in, taking us chapter by chapter through Egypt’s Tahrir Square, the violent protests in Greece, the dissatisfied students in London, the jobless Americans and the slum-dwellers of the
Philippines. Mason’s analysis of the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 is superb. He talks to everyone, from rubbish sorters to the intellectual elite and you get a feeling of exactly who was on the street in January and why: workers, radical activists and youth movements are all given a voice. Mason stresses that this book should not be filed under social science: it is journalism. Mason darts from close up analysis of events to the theories and ideologies underpinning these revolutions. ‘The days of idealism gone?’ asks Mason, ‘Well they’re back.’ Yet he does not show how exactly. He makes fleeting references to Tocqueville, Chomsky, Foucault and Marx before claiming that ‘The Left is no longer
the gatekeeper to subversive knowledge.’ He claims that ‘hard core activists of today’ are reading revolutionary material but does not reveal who these activists are or quite how Marx and Chomsky are fuelling their passions. Moving away from ideas to history, Mason has greater control. He puts the Arab Spring in context, showing how the downfalls of Ben Ali, Mubarak and Gadaffi were nothing new but throwbacks to earlier revolutionary times. He spends a chapter discussing the possible similarities between 1917, 1968 and 1989 before settling on what he believes to be the most obvious: 1848. Like many commentators, Mason makes much of ‘the network effect’ and heralds the
role of Twitter in Cairo reporting on how distracted youths were reporting entire conversations to their friends live on Twitter. From his account one might wrongly conclude that Twitter was more important in sparking a revolution than the power of the Muslim Brotherhood. In reality, only 15,000 were active on Twitter during the revolution out of a population of 80 million. Mason asks whether you can feel the wind of revolution in the air. Yet it is hard to see what the middle class ‘graduate without a future’, blackberry in hand, has in common with Khaled Said, the middle class Egyptian youth who was shot by police in 2011, or Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi who set himself on fire
in 2010 in protest against harsh treatment of the police. Mason is least convincing when he returns to Britain and attempts to make untenable global comparisons. His account is slick but loses the nuance of analysis. He does not touch on the withdrawal of Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) in Britain and only focuses on the middle class students of elite universities such as UCL and Queen Mary. The riots of last summer are mentioned in a sentence, perhaps because those involved do not fit the model of middle-class dissatisfaction. That said, Mason paints a clear, incredibly provocative picture and provides some stirring polemic. For those champagne socialists among us
who confidently assert the end of capitalism yet have made little effort to find out exactly what is going on: this book is for you.
Why It’s Kicking Off Everywhere is out now. Published by Verso.
Epigram
14.05.2012
Comment
Editor: Patrick Baker
Deputy Editor: Hugh Davies
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Bristol’s high achievers Marc Hurr Coombe Dingle Sports Complex, 11:46AM: More than two hours into my third summer exam I sit, wishing I had remembered to bring some twigs from outside to prop these pesky lids of mine open. The pretty girl to my right is fast asleep and I can hear soft, controlled sobs from behind me. To my left, however, is Dave. Dave kicked off his paper barely as the words ‘you may begin’ had left the invigilator’s lips. Throughout the exam, his mind has been working at an unusually high rate. Even now, he hares through his exam, clicking his pen at every pause between hasty scribbles. Dave has sampled something
special. He’s not doing anything wrong however, as the wake-promoting agents Dave is enjoying are available from your local pharmacy. Modafinil, Adrafinil and Piracetam are just some of these brain performanceenhancing drugs that are proving more and more popular with students, especially those cramming for exams. Their prescriptive uses being originally for lessening the symptoms of the narcoleptic, they are also known to improve some aspects of working memory, such as digit span, digit manipulation and pattern recognition memory in healthy persons. Accounts tell of students taking the pill feeling awake, aware, and concentrated. Many claim that their general memory abilities were also considerably improved. One stated that after going out with friends and returning in the late hours of the night, he found himself fully motivated to blitz his coursework until the
early hours of the morning, indulging in two hours of restful sleep and feeling quite on form the next day. Impressive success stories are widespread. It appears you can make yourself more mentally capable, without subjecting yourself to uranium radiation for extended periods of time… So why on earth not? On the cover it also appears relatively harmless: It does not increase your heart rate or your risk of getting cancer, and there is no evidence that it affects the likelihood of developing degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. A closer look reveals a few shortterm problems however. Some users develop skin rashes or headaches. The gravest side effect is that, although the user does not lose the ability to sleep, he or she does not necessarily feel the need to do so. Seemingly trivial at first glance, there is real danger if common sense is in short supply. One particular student in York, with a psychology exam
looming, stayed awake for 60 hours, sleeping only four. A friend describes: ‘She aced the exam; it’s true, but later in the evening she fainted from exhaustion and woke up blind. It took the longest two minutes of all our lives for her eyesight to return fully, and she developed shakes like I’ve never seen, which we couldn’t stop. She was fine the next morning, but it’s still a powerful warning’. In addition, Modafinil dramatically reduces the effectiveness of oral contraceptives very important for us promiscuous students these days. So, what conclusion to take? This drug and its derivatives are in their nascent years and there is clearly much more research required before we can truly conclude its safety in uses outside the original intentions. Fortunately, the drug is only available on prescription from a doctor, and students looking to enhance their performance, should tread very carefully.
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Dorries worries
Izzy Obeng
Flickr: Bunthype
‘Two posh boys who don’t know the price of milk’ was how MP Nadine Dorries described David Cameron and George Osborne in an interview on the Daily Politics last month. Regardless of whether you agree with Ms Dorries or not, her comments seem to echo a growing consensus that the current government is hopelessly ‘out of touch’ with us. We are unhappy, we are cynical and we know that a good number of us will be poorer than our parents. It is now more than ever that politicians need to convince us that we are all in this together. But with a Commons disproportionately composed of multi-millionaire ‘toffs’ - 40 per cent of whom are privately educated, 20 of whom are Eton educated and a Prime Minister descended from King George II - the suggestion that we are all bearing the brunt of these austerity measures becomes ludicrously hard to believe. Is Mr Cameron’s carefully cultivated Tesco-shopping, family oriented, bloke-next-door, manof-the-people image a facade perhaps hiding something more sinister? To some, Cameron embodies the lofty arrogance of a public schoolboy that had silver spoons lodged in his greedy mouth at birth. We can all recall his Commons jibe to Angela Eagles MP in 2010 in which he told her to ‘calm down dear’ resulting in claims of sexism. What about his more recent quip to Ms Dorries in which he implied again that she should calm down as she was ‘extremely frustrated’? He didn’t even try and engage her in debate; he just laughed. A patronising, humiliating display of the macho attitudes that dominate today’s Tory dominated frontbench. The problem doesn’t stop with Cameron. The whole party seems to be orchestrating a reverse of the ‘nasty party’ rebranding exercise. The budget - particularly the cutting of the 50p tax rate - was a low point. The gaffe made by Francis Maude during the fuel strike, ‘pasty-gate’ or ‘granny taxes’ was perhaps even lower. The party fundraiser allegedly offering access for donations was horrendous. They are not doing themselves any favours. The question boils down to whether we actually care that
our public servants are a bit posh or that the Tory party is widely perceived as the ‘party of the rich’. Are bloggers and commentators across the country dwelling on Cameron’s blunders because of how trivial our politics has become or do these moments provide an insight into the entrenched snobbery irreversibly creeping into our system? The other side of the argument goes that saying our politicians are too posh is not a real criticism of their competence; it’s just a bit of lazy and desperate nitpicking. We don’t have to be particularly pleased with the fact that they don’t like pasties, or that Francis Maude doesn’t know that we don’t all have garages to store our jerry cans in, to judge their political ability. Whether Cameron wears jeans or corduroy, whether Osborne likes sausage rolls or truffles - we’re ignoring the real problems. I agree that class in itself is too simplistic an affront. It should not be about where you are born; being born posh does not make you a ‘toff’ any more than being born poor makes you a ‘chav’. My issue is the shameful rhetoric that advocates this ‘make do and mend’ attitude from a group of people with trust funds, expensive educations and arguably no ‘ordinary’ friends. Benefits are being slashed, Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) was scrapped, students are being asked to pay three times as much for their education at a time when their employment prospects are dire, affordable housing is scarce and increases in fuel and food prices hit the poor disproportionately. Yet the class make-up of the Commons is worse than it was in 2001, it’s a mockery of social mobility and a sign of the unfortunate embedding of upper-class privilege in Britain. The small ‘gene puddle’ that the British ruling class is drawn from is definitely a worrying issue. It seems as though I am only targeting the Conservative Party which is rightly unfair. Labour in their time in office fortunately had the luck of a good economy on their hands, the feeling that we were moving into a Middle Britain – ‘we’re all middle class now’. They were able to trivialise the inequality in our society fairly well. Unfortunately, economic crisis has refocused the debate. Last year living standards in the UK fell by the fastest rate since the 1920’s but the wealth of the richest 1000 Britons rose by 30 per cent - the highest increase ever recorded. Our society is now being faced with that awkward moment when we realise that we’re not at all in this together.
Epigram
14.05.2012
11
Education system favours far too few Nathaniel Meyers calls for more options for young people who are unable or unwilling to go to university
Nathaniel Meyers
and choose modules from both courses. On most courses, the first year does not count at university. Whilst most first years do appreciate this as an excuse to work the liver harder than the brain, it could be used more effectively. First year modules provide a footing for the rest of the degree - fair enough. Initiatives like the Open Unit Scheme at Bristol are put in place to enable students to diversify and study modules from other subjects.
I see no problem there but it could be improved further by allowing students to personalise their degree, as in America where students take on any combination of modules and specify what they will major in further down the line. Obviously tuition on the other side of the pond is much more expensive and privatised, which arguably gives students more input, but the British system could take a leaf out of their book. Students will naturally achieve higher in a subject or subjects they enjoy,
and this could address the dichotomy between a vocational degree and the most interesting choice. The British system places too much worth on examinations and should reassess the relationship between formal education and vocational, economically valuable skills, especially if students are to get their money’s worth. The unsavoury truth is that a narrow fixation on academic achievement benefits those from favourable backgrounds, a reality which
is reinforced by the tuition fee rise. In the absence of a useful contact book there currently are not enough alternatives for students not going to university, the government should make further provisions for apprenticeships and work placements in the private sector, for example. Reform is needed in a system which praises academic achievement, because the rise in tuition fees may make university education less about academic potential and more about unequal opportunity.
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73 Years ago the government commissioned the Spens report to diagnose the inadequacies of British secondary education; the committee concluded that it was ‘still largely planned in the interests of students who intended to go to a university’. Fast forward from 1939 to 2012 and the problem remains. The majority of secondary education facilities exclusively offer A-levels or equivalent exams and UCAS guidance to set pupils on their way to university. The problem is that university education, for starters, is not universally attainable, neither is it universally desirable. Entry to university hinges on exam results: A-levels or the International Baccalaureate, for example. Whilst it is the most practical mode of assessment and even if this system benefited us ‘highflyers’, academic achievement in formal education still naturally depends on socio-economic and geographical background, even if it is not considered ‘politically correct’ for politicians or anybody else to concede that today. There is a striking lack of options for those who don’t make it to university, through inability or choice. As it is, a majority go into manual work after BTEC courses in craftsmanship whilst others scale the retail hierarchy. Occasionally you hear of a maverick grafter who has conquered adversity in a bullish, Lord Sugar-like manner, but often the more successful out of those that don’t go to university are those with a useful contact book. Michael Gove may be restructuring the education system but he has not touched on this. The government should liaise with private sector businesses and establish initiatives for further apprenticeship opportunities, work experience and vocational positions for those who don’t necessarily have the academic credentials for university, and even those who do but don’t fancy it. Currently, society ignores so many vocational skills through its narrow fixation on the necessary path of academia. The absence of alternatives to university may become a more pressing issue in light of the rise in tuition fees due to start next year. It is plain to see that a 200% increase in fees provides
disincentive for many halfhearted academics, who may now think twice about coming to university, especially those just coming for ‘the experience’. Having a degree is statistically proven to increase job prospects: in a contested environment, the value of a degree gives candidate A an advantage over candidate B, even if the degree subject is totally unrelated to the job. However, aside from sectors like medicine, engineering and law in which a specialist degree is paramount, the rise in tuition fees might even have the adverse effect of devaluing degrees in some job markets, where employers may start to prioritise vocational assets because academic opportunity is unequally distributed. The rendering of university education as socially exclusive is another plausible effect of the tuition fee rise. What if candidate B scored just as high A-level results as candidate A, but opts out of university because of the cost? In that case both candidates are academically able to go to university but arbitrary factors like socioeconomic background predetermine an advantage in the job market, as it already does for exams. Will the tuition fee rises correspond with an improvement in university education too? From an economic perspective perhaps not, because universities are not making more money, they have merely swapped the source of it: from government subsidies to students’ own pockets. Anyhow, do students get their money’s worth at the current rate of tuition fees? Answers probably vary by subject, whereas a medicine student may be more than content with his load I can only answer for mine. I have 6 hours a week, and a lot of independent reading. This year, I paid £28 an hour. This might just be seen as an approach suited to my degree - politics. I call it impersonal and lazy teaching, and spend a lot of the time thinking that I’m paying for online journal access or propping up the lawyers of tomorrow. All while I should be reading, independently. I was offered a place at Bristol for English Literature - which I gather has a fairly similar timetable to politics - and I changed course, citing Politics as the more vocational option for me, as much as I loved English. I was torn between the subject I most enjoyed and a subject I felt would benefit me in terms of job prospects, the argument about the relative worth of each degree swings back and forth fairly inconclusively but suffice it to say I would have been much happier if I could pick
A message from the President-Elect
Paul Charlton Last term I was elected President of the University of Bristol Students’ Union (UBU). During the campaign I learnt a great deal about the relationship between UBU and the students it serves. I learnt that if the Union is to regain the trust of students, it needs more of a presence, it needs to listen, and it needs to make it easier for students to ask it for help. I visited countless JCRs, sports clubs, and society committees and asked them what they wanted from the Union. Just as my election manifesto was built from their feedback, the Union’s policies for next year will be managed in the same way. I
will not tell you what to think; instead I’ll listen and act upon what you say, giving you the things that you want. I have every belief that my colleagues next year, Alessandra Berti (VP Welfare & Equality), Tom Flynn (VP Education), Alice Peck (VP Community), Hannah Pollak (VP Sport & Health) and Martha West (VP Activities) will work tirelessly for you. Our team represents all walks of student life: some of us are politically active, some are more likely to be in Motion than on the Triangle, and some even wish Tom and I were female. Yet we’ll work together well as we are all driven by the same desire to act in the interests of all students and to improve our Union for the better. By listening to you I hope to show that UBU is more than just a concrete monstrosity on Queens Road. That is not the Union. Next year the Union will be present in every aspect of student life. Not to interfere, not to dictate, but to help you in any
way we can. When JCRs organise a ball, when you’re looking for housing, when you’re appealing for extenuating circumstances, someone from UBU will be there. That is the Union I believe in. This is not to say that I will neglect either the building, or the students that use its facilities. Unfortunately disruption will continue into next year, though the majority of disruption will take place after Easter. For those that will be disturbed I will ensure that the nature of the disruption is made clear and the provisions provided by UBU are drafted with your input. UBU’s priority, first and foremost, is the interests of current students at the University of Bristol. Those coming to Bristol next year will be paying three times the amount for their degrees than most of us do now. I will therefore lead the Union towards ensuring its students feel they are getting value for their money. Once more, this is where we must listen to you, as
you know best what your course and faculty needs. The network of Senate representatives, SSLC representatives and academic societies will be integrated further, so that you all know who you can turn to and what is available to you. Those students who currently participate in student politics need not worry. The Union will continue to campaign against the increase in tuition fees and form a substantial contribution to national activity in higher education. The forum for political debate that the Union provides will not be compromised. This process of greater communication has already begun, and it produces tangible results – look at the pressure for the water fountain in the ASS, or the time that it used to take to log on to some of the computers, both of which have already been addressed. You spoke, I listened, and that is how I, and the Union I shall lead, will continue next year.
Epigram
14.05.2012
Letters & Editorial
Editor: Emma Corfield letters@epigram.org.uk
Corrections Leaf-blowers create unwanted noise
Having a Mayor If, like most of the Epigram editorial team, you’ll be leaving Bristol at the end of this term, you may have felt slightly cheeky being able to vote in the recent mayoral referendum. But even if you’re heading elsewhere to embark on the ritual phase of graduate ennui, your participation really did matter given that just 24 per cent of Bristol’s electorate turned out at the polls. Having hesitantly voted ‘yes’, the city is now preparing to have its first directly elected mayor installed this November. Had there also been local council elections on May 3rd, the larger turnout would have almost certainly meant Bristol would have voted no to the proposals, conforming to the verdicts in nine other English cities on the same day. The inherently anti-political mood of a city frustrated with a council simply not doing enough for its citizens would have made a ‘no’ vote inevitable. Whether the mayor becomes just another bumbling political figurehead or not, whomever the citizens of Bristol choose in November, they will need to make their choice carefully. Though we’re sure that Eric Mutch, who has recently changed his name to ‘Mr Corrupt Selfserving Lying B’stard’, would do a commendable job, the elected representative would serve a term of four years – and there’s no turning back. As highlighted on our front page this week, with accusations of government blackmail emanating from the ‘no’ camp, we have to trust that our chosen candidate is not subject to political puppetry from central government. Overall, Epigram feels that a directly elected mayor will benefit the city. As opposed to pushing the voices of the electorate aside and leaving the big decisions confined to council bureaucracy, a mayor for Bristol, accountable for the most important issues, will further engage its citizens in the democratic process and hopefully reflect the distinctive city identity that Bristol should be proud of.
unfortunate but necessary evils that result from the situation of the University. I am not so naive as to expect a cloistered haven in a University at the middle of an industrialised town. But some aspects of the work demanded from students is very difficult; it requires periods of concentration
As an arts student, all I am really paying for is a few hours of lectures a week (which are invariably irrelevant, poorly organised and frankly, a waste of time), a bit of maintenance here
Flickr: CCAC North Library 1
and there, but most importantly a library that works. For the same money what do science students get? 9-5 input hours most days, expensive lab materials etc. I dread to think how many times more it costs to fund one medicine student compared to an arts student. Now that is fair cop, that is the nature of the degrees; one requires a lot of ‘labs’ and the other a lot of reading. Is it really too much to ask then, for the University (a prestigious University that is known the world over) to provide those who pay the same amount, in return for less, with the one thing that they actually need? Why is it that science students fill up all the spaces in the ASS library, meaning that there are no places for those it is supposed to be for, even at 9 in the morning? Why can’t the library gates only allow Arts and Social Sciences students through the barriers,
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Epigram’s interview with Krissi Murison in issue 250 about NME was interesting but contains a crucial error and a resultant misconception. It claims the publication’s full title is ‘New Music Express’ and hence ‘emphasises the importance of new music’. In fact, it is called ‘New Musical Express’ (until fairly recently, this was incorporated in the logo and appeared by the page number on each page), and, while it does cover new (and old) music, it is actually so named to distinguish it from the forerunner publication - the ‘Old’ Musical Express - which it supplanted, Accordion Times and Musical Express (http:// en.wikipedia.org /wiki /NME). Francis Harvey
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thus forcing science students to return to their own departments - most of which actually already contain a library of their own, rotting away through emptiness? Are there even any books in the sciences in the ASS? (And if so what are they doing there?) It does not surprise me in the slightest that Bristol continues to slide down the rankings due to shoddy student satisfaction ratings, and I believe it will continue to do so until it gets its act together on basic issues such as this. There is only so long a university can survive on its reputation. So please, please, somebody for the love of God sort this mess out. Hugh Young
5. Purple vegetable (9) 8. Depressing in appearance (4) 9. Epic poem, often sung (8) 10. Upward slope (6) 11. Deadly bomb (6) 13. Smooth-haired hound (6) 15. Fragrant ointment (6) 16. ........ Britten, composer, (8) 18. Land depression 27 a river (4) containing 19. Unhealthy 20 preoccupation (9)
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and imaginative thinking, and the capacity to do this is to a certain extent determined by one’s environment. Therefore, (at the risk of sounding incredibly dull) it is in the interests of students - and thus the University - to promote a peaceful environment conducive to study. I think that the use of motorised leafblowers is an unnecessary evil, because the detriment to the University environment in noise is greater than any aesthetic benefit. Leave leaves alone. They belong on the ground. They’re not hurting anyone. Of course, the blowers look pretty cool - you can pretend you’re a Ghostbuster, or you that you have a flamethrower. But, if I can’t have a go with one, please keep them out of Uni - I’m trying to read. Christopher Ivins
ASS Library full of the wrong students NME’s name
A final word This issue of Epigram is the last of the year. It’s also the last from this year’s editorial team. We’ve variously sweated, stressed, and jeopardised degrees to make sure that Epigram goes out on time and is the best it can be. We’re proud of what we’ve done this year. We’ve celebrated our milestone 250th issue in style, with a focus on Epigram alumni and an interview with our founding editor. We’ve covered the AGM and Students’ Union elections in far more detail than in previous years, trying to tease out the various threads and conflicts for those hearing about them just through Epigram. We’ve also had several stories picked up by the national press which is testament to the quality of reporting and the fact that our stories have relevance to the world outside of the student bubble. Our rebooted and refocused e2 provides what we hope is a respite from the more serious tone of the rest of the paper, and our review and sport sections have continued the good work of previous years. But we’re nowhere near myopic enough to think that there isn’t more to do, or that Epigram is the best it can be. As we leave our positions, it’s time for a new team to sweep in and takeover. If there’s something you’d change, something you think we could do better, or something we’re missing, now’s your chance to contribute. We’re advertising for positions across the paper from section editors to sub-editors, distributors to web designers, and even for people to run the business side of the newspaper (see page 5). If you want to pitch in, get applying.
There is a building-site next to the Arts and Social Sciences Library. Every week day afternoon there are traffic-jams in the centre of the University complex as three bus services, coaches for Bristol Grammar School, and cars on the school run converge in horn blowing frustration. These are
Flickr:Horia Varlan Flickr: ok-oyot
In issue 250, the subtitle of Ailsa Cameron’s comment piece is misleading and factually incorrect. The ‘accused’ was a neighbourhood watch volunteer, not a ‘policeman’. Neighbourhood watch groups are part of civil society, made up of regular citizens who have no more power to enforce the law than any other regular citizen has. Furthermore, the law Ailsa Cameron was critically looking at was the so-called ‘stand your ground’ law which has to do with the definition of legal selfdefence. This has nothing to do with the weapon used in selfdefence so it is not a ‘weapon possession’ law as the subtitle says. Finally, Cameron refers to the National Rifles Association. It is the National Rifle Association. Alex Marra
DOWN 1. Total lack of sensation (8) 2. Capital of Lebanon (6) 3. Herbivorous lizard (6) 4. Burden (4) 6. Anthropod class, e.g. crab (9) 7. Worthy of being recommended (9) 12. Total forgetfulness (8) 14. To deviously alter (6) 15. Condemn to exile (6) 17. Aggressive remark (4)
Epigram
14.05.2012
13 Scribble by Jen Springall
Just desserts
‘No such thing as a free lunch’ Epigram It is coming up to that time of year when final year students graduate and have to enter the real world. For many, the route into a career will be through an internship. As Rachel Hosie writes in her article on our website, ‘A recent study of the 2012 Graduate Market by High Flyers research has revealed that a third of entry level jobs will be given to graduates who have already worked for the company on a placement or internship’. Hosie’s article focuses on the problems associated with internships. The main problem is that they are often unpaid, making them only available for those who can afford to work for free. Hosie also points out that ‘a lot of industries (for example, media) are based in London, and if you don’t have somewhere to stay, you’re faced with either an expensive commute or expensive accommodation’. A further problem is that internships can be difficult to arrange. As Hosie puts it, ‘Everyone knows that getting into a company is more often than not about “who you know”’. Hosie discusses the way Bristol University’s Internship Scheme seeks to overcome such problems. The scheme works within the University’s departments and with local and national employers to help students gain work experience. Most importantly, interns are paid. http://www.epigram.org.uk
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Tweets of the fortnight @BurstAnonymous Dear people who come to the ASS after 9am and walk around trying to find a seat... please stop. Your stupidity is annoying me. Dear Library, service run by Burst Radio
@UBU News NUS extra’s biggest discount yet: 50% off Spotify Premium! http://www.nus. org.uk/en/news/news/be-a-premium-student-enjoy-50-off-with-nus-extra/ UBU News, University of Bristol Students’ Union
@GreatGeorgeWMB Right then, which form do I need to complete in order to stand for Lord Mayor of #Bristol? Great George, Wills Memorial Building’s bell
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Heading straight past the fruit and veg, I find myself in the bakery aisle. Close, but not yet close enough, to the delectable desserts that constitute twice the recommended daily caloric intake, and half of my second lunch. Not within éclair-reaching distance, I anticipate a problem. There’s a narrowing in the aisle, where some none-too-diligent member of staff has left their re-stocking trolly. About to enter the small gap is a rather large, rather insidious human being; the kind of person you expect eats the products of their own nose well into their twenties. Seeing the potential for a head-on collision of which I would undoubtedly be the worse-off party, I step aside. Slowing to a halt, I wait for an agonising stretch of time for the blob to waddle through the gap. We make eye contact. Is this person travelling so slowly out of necessity, I wonder, or simply to further frustrate my already tightly-wound lunchtime self ? At least they’ve seen me, I console myself, and they’ll no doubt acknowledge the comical inconvenience they’re causing me. But no, of course, the bastard waddles straight past, and picks up the last bag of taste the difference cookies that have been discounted. I stand defeated, and infuriated. That really takes the biscuit. So what’s the complaint? Since there are a number of irritating things about this scenario (even excluding my own self-righteousness), it may not be immediately clear wherein the problem here lies. Is it that fat people are fat? Or that people tend to consider their own needs first, at least when it comes to recently-discounted bakery products? Or am I attempting to highlight the deeper, more abstract problem, of corporate greed impeding the painful ‘progress’ in the public’s awareness of dietary influences on health? No. For one thing, I clearly don’t have the right to tell fat people not to be fat, nor should I be so conceited in expecting anybody to be aware of my desires in their biscuit-selection state-ofmind. And as for the final alternative, I don’t really care if the supermarkets make money by mass-producing unhealthy food products, even if it does take advantage of an entire societal demographic, mostly because of my constant and overwhelming desire for anything combining pastry and cream. So, before I desperately wander any further around in these cupcake-icing-esque circles, I must enlighten those of you who do not yet understand what most infuriated me about the blob’s behaviour. It’s rudeness. That’s all it is. I stopped, albeit for a mere (yet agonising) fifteen seconds, in order to give this person their required time and space, and in return, I was entirely ignored. I would have been happy with anything - a nod, a thank you. The blob’s fatness would take a great deal more effort to revert, and has a lot less of an effect on me, than their total obliviousness toward basic courtesy. That’s what really wound me up. The fact that they took the last bag of cookies was just the icing on the cake. I do not intend for people to infer that I have a flawless record when it comes to manners and conversational etiquette. Everyone gets it wrong sometimes, and we rarely get two bites at the cherry (Danish) in such fleeting situations. However, some people just fail to make an effort, at any time. The very same people often get infuriated if they themselves are treated with hostility, or mere indifference. Whilst I may have my off-days, I understand that most of the time, a small amount of effort can yield a large emotional return. Being treated with respect, and being greeted with manners, will only gain the status of rights, once we all accept them as duties. We cannot be rude, and not expect this rudeness to return to us. This hypocrisy needs to stop, and it requires an acknowledgement amongst all of us, that you cannot both have your cake, and eat it. Ali Copland
Epigram
14.05.2012
14
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Epigram
14.05.2012
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Epigram
14.05.2012
Culture
Editor: Zoe Hutton
Deputy Editor: Hannah Mae Collins
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Down the rabbit hole with David Lynch Rosemary Wagg talks to Patrice Gladwin about the practice that’s got the director’s juices flowing - and comes out a convert
that has enabled him – along with other celebrity converts including Paul McCartney and Heather Graham – to access his supposed reservoirs of creativity from within. Patrice Gladwin, of the Bristol Transcendental Meditation Centre, believes that the practice is now being viewed with greater openmindedness, mainly because more and more people now know of someone who’s given it a go. She likens it
to Mindfulness which, following increased media attention, is now encouraged and included in mainstream medical practice for conditions such as anxiety and depression. Even the student counselling service at Bristol University offers relaxation classes incorporating aspects of the technique. Transcendental meditation differs from other meditative practices as, instead of seeking to train or control the mind, it
aims to send the practitioner into what is known as the fourth state of consciousness – inner silent awareness. It is in this state of consciousness that one becomes able to access creativity that may otherwise remain latent – unleashing inner potential, so to speak. According to Lynch, the Greek chorus of prostitutes and the sitcom rabbits of Inland Empire owe their existence to this way of thinking. It would be easy to dismiss
TM as a quack-practice – or to suggest that the mere act of dedicating 20 minutes, twice a day, to sitting in a state of upmost relaxation is going to be beneficial to anyone’s life. But, strange as it may seem, there is a wealthy chunk of scientific research seemingly supporting the practice as beneficial – including some fascinating studies involving brain imaging technology, endless links to which can be accessed through the David Lynch Foundation website. One of the most attractive things about having Lynch as a figurehead for the discipline is that he hardly fits the stereotype of an aged hippie. It’s hard to imagine him being duped anymore than Special Agent Dale Cooper. While nearly all Bristol University students will be in much better situations than the groups Lynch has worked with on his tour –prison inmates, the homeless, war veterans – many will still experience high levels of stress, depression or grief – all of which transcendental meditation purports to help with. ‘The side effect of growing consciousness is that negative things start going away’, claims Lynch: ‘It’s like the suffocating rubber clown suit begins to dissolve.’ Perhaps the most interesting
possibility for the majority of happy faces I see bounding down Tyndall Avenue each day, though, is this suggestion that TM may encourage and facilitate creativity. If you ask your parents, there’s a chance they will recall that, during the 1960s, TM was considered a viable alternative to taking LSD. Still unconvinced? For those free on Sunday 13th May, I encourage further exploration
Flickr: taumbly
Transcendental Meditation has accrued a number of celebrity followers
AlfieheartsCharlie.com
Over a career spanning more than five decades, David Lynch has produced a remarkable range of deliciously weird films and inspired an almost cult-like devotion from his fans. Long after it was originally screened, Twin Peaks remains enthrallingly eerie, acting as both the sartorial reference point for generations of sweater girls and as the source of uncomfortable necrophiliac Laura Palmer daydreams. In recent times, Lynch has moved away from film and released an album – Crazy Clown Time – plus opened a night club in Paris inspired by a setting in his 2001 film, Mulholland Drive. Whether or not you’re a diehard devotee of Lynch’s output, you can’t deny that the man is accomplished. And now he wants to share his secret. On Sunday 13th May at 7:30pm, the UBU Students’ Union will be hosting a screening of a Lynch-directed film that may come as a shock to fans. Meditation Creativity Peace is a documentary chronicling the director’s 16-country tour across the globe, promoting and teaching the so-called art of transcendental meditation to at-risk individuals – alcoholics, drug addicts and anyone in search of meaning with a few hundred quid to spare. It’s transcendental meditation
into the beautiful mind of an eccentric. Because if nothing else, we could all benefit from a few more Greek chorus-related cinematic visions. David Lynch’s latest film about Transcendental Meditation (Meditation, Creativity, Peace) will be screened at the Students Union on Sunday 13th May at 7.30pm. Free entry for students.
Spectacle over substance: have we lost our taste for the finer things in a mad-dash rush for instant gratification? production and then charge vastly more at the box office. James Cameron’s Titanic is good example of this, cashing in on the centenary of the sinking of the real ship and making a profit despite adding no artistic value to a pre-existing film. The same often goes for the soulless – but now apparently necessary – special effects provided by CGI. This is a development that allows filmmakers to do things that they could never have dreamed of before – but it can also be abused to create vacuous films of dumb spectacle, sold to an audience on the assumption that ever-improving computer tech makes the expenditure worth it. Theatre and art, meanwhile, seem to be largely untouched by the drive to technological commercialisation. Theatre has remained largely unchanged since the dawn of the computer age, and stage actors are already in 3D. That said, there’s an entire
district of London dedicated to big-budget performances which stress spectacle over intellectualism: the West End. Compared to alternative or regional theatre, West End shows tend to follow the Hollywood model of spectacle, star names and aggressive marketing directed at tourists, often in productions that are adaptations of blockbuster Hollywood films, like Shrek the Musical. That’s not to say that the West End is devoid of artistic value, however: the sheer immediacy of theatre, of any kind, renders it artistically more valuable than a lot of blockbuster movies. Film is vulnerable to commercialisation because it’s a medium dependent upon technology, while theatre can be performed anywhere – so, for the most part, it clings to its ‘grassroots’ character and creative integrity. Yet the introduction of big money to any medium tends to create vested interests, and
so we move towards a world of easily-replicable and profitmaking ‘products’. Thanks again to technology, specifically the Internet, a lot of it is now available online – much of it for free. There are now many ways of obtaining films and TV shows online: Netflix, iTunes, LoveFilm to name the legal ones. Along with the growing influence of Youtube, spattered with adverts, all of these posit entertainment as a product: a package to be consumed, slurped down like so much Coca Cola, rather than sipped slowly like a fine wine. Once viewed, then swiftly disposed of. Although these mediums are undeniably useful, they change the way we think and interact with artistic forms, and reduce their artistic value to a commercial one. The digital era, for all its exciting advances, has opened the doorway to an increased exploitation of art by the industries that surround it.
There’s a genuine danger that our idea of artistic value could be subverted by the technological subjugation of artistic value to ‘production values’: a ‘superior experience’, at a superior cost. Technology can and often does provide new
mediums for artistic discourse. But equally, when in the hands of cynical business moguls, it empowers neither the artist nor the audience, and makes nobody think. It only helps the people raking in the cash. Joshua Adcock
3-D has sparked a trend toward the commercial, which has trickled down to the gallery and stage
Flickr: simonsays
Staying true to his policy of entrepreneurialism, David Cameron recently applauded the British film industry’s commercially successful films, calling for more of the same. No mention was made, however, of small-budget, artistically driven films – implying, by omission, that the latter were somehow irresponsible for putting art ahead of making big money and ‘entertaining’. This begs the question: should we place a higher value on broadminded blockbusters and CGI fuelled action-fests, which are both expensive to make and in general grotesquely profitable, rather than the plethora of smaller budgeted art-house films? It looks to be very much a closed issue for some. The key to understanding the problem is technology. ‘True 3D’, for instance, may seem to enhance the experience of seeing a film – but in truth, it’s a gimmick, the latest excuse to pour more money into film
Epigram
14.05.2012
17
Spare us all the gory details
Arabella Noortman unearths our culture’s historic obsession with the grotesque
from it. Violence and horror has provided humans with entertainment for centuries, as plays such as Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus and Middleton’s The Changeling are testament to. An exploration of our culture’s relationship with the horrific leads us to consider the tension between nature and nurture - do we learn a love of violence or is it simply part of our programming? It’s true that exposure to violent films and video games from an early age can desensitise us, but to what extent does humanity have an innate capability for sadism? I can’t find a definitive answer,
but it does raise very interesting ethical and psychological questions over why a propensity towards violence exists within us at all, and where ethical boundaries should be drawn. Even without carrying out horrific acts, are we sick, perverse or unhinged to enjoy watching or reading about them? I think it is worthwhile to mention the role of sex and gender here, which are inextricably bound up in portrayals of the horrorific. Our libido is one of our strongest impulses, and its primal potency can easily slip into fetish, which can in turn slip into the downright horrific,
as the Marquis de Sade makes quite clear in his polemical, pornographic novel 120 Days of Sodom. It is also important to differentiate between ‘horror’ and ‘terror’. This distinction was first drawn two centuries ago by Ann Radcliffe, who characterised terror as the sensation of anxiety and dread that we experience prior to actual horror, saying that it ‘expands the soul and awakens the faculties’. According to Radcliffe, horror, on the other hand, ‘freezes and annihilates them’. Horror is therefore associated with unequivocal displays of atrocity, and feelings of revulsion, whilst terror is the fear and suspense that precedes it. Terror has the imaginative scope of things yet to be seen and yet to be done, lacking the ethical dubiousness of horror which is unambiguous and full on. The cultural history and significance of horror provokes sociological, philosophical and psychological questions that, whilst perhaps evading any concrete answers, can offer at least some insight into the everperplexing human condition.
TEN DRAWINGS BY LEONARDO DA VINCI Bristol Museum 31 March - 10 June 2012 Free entry
sketching the muscles in the shoulder and upper back, da Vinci notes that they are similar to the muscles in a bird’s wing that allow it to fly - surely one of the earliest examples of comparative anatomy. It is these quiet moments of genius that make his work so pleasing. Often, it seems, the scope of his ideas was far too advanced for the time he was living in. His designs for war machines look like something sketched by a ten year-old boy high on Lucozade - incredibly imaginative, ridiculous and impractical, they were never actually built. Unfortunately this seems to have been a common theme for da Vinci’s drawings - his designs were too ambitious and his interests too varied for him to settle on anything long enough to finish it. This is what makes these
Proudlock chillin’ with his bitches
Channel 4
RWA
drawings so important, though. For a man whose imagination and intelligence seemingly knew no bounds, he left very little in terms of finished projects - a handful of paintings, none of the textbooks that he studied so tirelessly to produce. Instead, he filled thousands of pages in notebooks which have thankfully been preserved as a testament to his incredible mind. The image often fed to us of Leonardo da Vinci is of someone who occupied a level of intelligence so high that most mere mortals can never hope to understand him. What this small exhibition shows is something quite different - a man of boundless imagination, thrilled and fascinated by the world he lived in and eager to convey this wonder to others, but finding it too much to do all at once. One of the drawings, produced toward the end of his life, is a small doodle depicting the Apocalypse. Fire flashes in the sky and tiny skeletons rise from their graves, while above is a small passage in da Vinci’s unreadable scrawl, presumably proclaiming a vision of the end times. Actually, it turns out the writing is his attempt to describe the shapes of different clouds in the sky; I think that’s rather sweet. Josh Gabbatiss RWA
Bristol Museum and Art Gallery is currently holding a small, free exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings titled, imaginatively, Ten Drawings by Leonardo da Vinci. Small and free it may be, but it’s well worth a look. Selected from the Royal Collection, the drawings include all the things for which da Vinci is most famous, from his exquisite studies of human anatomy and botany, to his somewhat wacky designs for war machines. What makes these drawings so incredible is the insight they provide into one of the most
amazing minds in history - not because of the incredible skill in their execution (although said skill is undeniable), but rather because of their roughness (the notes scribbled in da Vinci’s unmistakable mirror-writing that accompany them and the hasty sketches that border the more detailed studies are a long way from the pristine works of the Old Masters which is perhaps more familiar to many). Instead, these drawings present us with a man who, though he lived 600 years ago and is considered by many to be one of the greatest polymaths who ever lived, was a real person who filled his sketchbooks with every little idea that popped into his brilliant head. There are very few aspects of life that are not covered in da Vinci’s sketchbooks, and the attention to detail is amazing. While
Before I start writing this, I’d like to acknowledge that I know how much hate I’m going to receive for this piece. In fact, I’m pretty certain that I can hear the contract for my student flat next year being ripped up as I’m typing, such is the love my housemates feel for the Fulham set that we now know as the cast of Made in Chelsea. Now, please please don’t get me wrong. When they came to Bunker on the same night as my bar shift over in Stoke Bishop, I could have cried. My dreams had been shattered. I’d have given anything to fight it out with ten other desperate girls in the club’s VIP section just to touch Spencer’s manly stubble, only to ask Proudlock how he manages to rock that crucifix earring, or simply to tell Rosie how much of a cow she was to poor, dear Millie. I was an absolute Made in Chelsea addict, but I’ve now realised the error of my ways and I want to help you, yes you, to see the light and to step away from E4 at 10pm every Monday night. This vision of clarity came to me when I settled down excitedly around a week ago to watch the first episode of the new season, words can’t explain the anticipation I felt. But as I sat there, eyes fixed on Spencer’s private plane flying into a Berkshire airfield, I began to look at myself and ask, why
am I so interested in this? Firstly, there’s hardly a scrap of the show that’s actually true, especially given that the cast don’t even live in
Chelsea! Now, the concept of a scripted reality show is not new or controversial, TOWIE has cemented the place of shows like this in our country’s culture since 2010. However, can we really be proud of being glued to watching the daily lives of people we don’t even know and who have achieved relatively little, with the obvious exception of Francis Boulle, creator of a site to rate the sexiness of our MPs, the man is a complete genius! To be honest, my real anxiety
Young while the paintings age...
Flickr: jamesrlb
‘Boundless genius’ in Da Vinci’s drawings
Where do Britney Spears, public schoolboys, and Michael Portillo’s lips hang out? Room 101, that’s where. Sian Edwards argues why Made In Chelsea should join them...
Channel 4
RSC’s 2011 production of Macbeth exposes Shakespeare’s fascination with the horrific
RSC
Modern society’s penchant for horror is made even more apparent by the newly released film, The Cabin in the Woods. As a horror movie it displays a refreshing self-awareness of the genre to which it belongs, playing on the stereotypes that characterise the cinematic cult of horror. This film is more sophisticated and thoughtful than the plethora of homogenous teen horror movies we’re all familiar with, however. It implicitly comments on the rise of horror films that lack any originality, or artistic integrity: the horror film that is simply satiating the appetite for gratuitous gore. Think Hostel, The Human Centipede, and Saw - which had an indulgent six sequels, each promising to be more violent and disturbing than the last. As much as we may claim to detest these films, it’s clear that there are more than enough people who are thrilled by scenes of brutality and human suffering to make their production financially worthwile. And it would be misguided to think that this public demand is a modern phenomenon - far
Culture’s Room 101
about the programme is that it’s mainly based on vacuous gossip and meaningful (or shall we say meaningless) pauses, broken up only by a few sweeping views of London and some bouncy club music that tries to make the show seem more exciting than it really is. Spending our nights watching shows like this cannot be positive. Being able to glimpse in to the lives of the rich and spoilt is tempting, but I’m personally not sure that I want to anymore. Yes, their lives are glamourous and they go on as many holidays in one year as I have in my entire life, but ultimately, they reflect exactly the kind of characters that would make terrible friends, chatting meaningless nothings to you all day long whilst making sure that they look picture perfect at all times. By wasting an hour of every week on them, all we’re doing is approving of their absurd actions and also sending a message out to TV execs everywhere that they can send out mindless drivel like this and we’ll eat it up, all because it comes in a good looking package wearing designer brands and a posh accent. Totes.
Epigram
14.05.2012
Music
Editor: Nathan Comer
Deputy Editor: Pippa Shawley
music@epigram.org.uk
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@epigrammusic
Being a so-called ‘British Institution’
Nathan Comer converses with iconic artist Robert Wyatt about his long, prolific and distinguished solo career
An enduring and unfaltering career in any field will usually result in a number of grand monikers. This is particularly true for Robert Wyatt, whose impact on British musical life has resulted in a plethora of illustrious titles flung at him by journalists. Recognition must be given to some writers for sheer creativity; Pitchfork called the singer ‘the Santa Claus of British counterculture’, while MOJO donned him the ‘godfather of righteous jazzpop’. But the most prevalent of these epithets is ‘British
“
I’d guess humans have been singing and dancing round the campfire since the dawn of time
”
institution’, a curious and somewhat meaningless term that baffles Wyatt. Especially bizarre is the obsession with the ‘British’, which he deems ‘paradoxical’. ‘To me, national borders are basically just created for administrative convenience. I’m a xenophile, if anything. But maybe that in itself is a consequence of the way the British Empire mutated into the commonwealth. The way our immigrant population consists mainly of descendants of our oppressive colonial
regimes, now here as equals. The Empire implodes – and about time too. Musicians in particular benefit from this: I can’t imagine our music without the input from what used to be called ‘black music’.’ And as for being called an institution? ‘It must be the beard,’ he jokes. But while it may be an essentially vapid term, if any musician deserves such grandiose sentiment, it’s Robert Wyatt. Since his days as drummer for The Soft Machine in the 1960s, Wyatt has been a purveyor of consistently unpredictable, thought-provoking music. In addition to his prolific and distinguished solo output, he is also renowned for his collaborations with other venerable artists, whose ranks include John Cage, Björk and Hot Chip. Most recently, he worked with Bristol-based jazzrock band Get The Blessing, contributing vocals to their album OC DC. Born in Bristol himself, Wyatt reveals that the band sent him an early copy of the album, and he found a track therein ‘so completely sing-alongable-withable’ that he felt compelled to join in. Jazz has indeed been one of Wyatt’s musical passions for many years, and its influence can be heard from his Soft Machine drumming to certain inflections in his
solo output. But he doesn’t see the lackluster interest in the genre as an issue for its future. ‘It doesn’t bother me if people don’t like jazz,’ he says. ‘We are all children of our times. For me jazz was the
most fascinating music of all. It’ll keep soldiering on, not because many people buy it, but because musicians love playing it – even if only for each other!’ While jazz has been a source
of enthrallment for Wyatt throughout his career, it is pop that has been a constant presence in his output. This may seem like an odd statement to a casual listener; his music is often characterized
by extended instrumentals and improvisatory elements. But the core of his work, from the romantic ode of his classic ‘Sea Song’ to the devotional duet of ‘Just As You Are’, is rooted in the immediate drama of pop music, however caught up they are in more experimental or abstract forms. His relationship with popular forms is longstanding, though he admits that his record collection ‘fizzles out by around the early 60s. I feel no pressing urge to update it, since I’m still in love with the music that first inspired me to play.’ For Wyatt, pop music is an eternal comfort, elaborating ‘pop music is music for everybody. I’d guess humans have been singing and dancing round the campfire as a collective way of transcending the rigours of daily life since the dawn of our history.’ Exactly when we can expect to hear new material from the artist is unclear – he insists that his ‘working life is improvised’ – but there is no doubt that he will continue to be an intriguing, creative force in music. Even though the implications dubbing him a ‘British Institution’ may be questionable, there remains the sentiment that it refers to something or someone of continuous power to enthrall. And if there is any living performer that warrants this recognition, it’s Robert Wyatt.
Just another attempt at a ‘Madchester’ revival? For a handful of acts the decision to reform has been rewarded with further acclaim, with Blur and Pulp dazzling at recent festivals. But any returning band’s motives will inevitably be questioned, with many accused of cashing in on past glories rather than reforming for musical reasons. However, this is evidently not always the case. Manchester’s Inspiral Carpets reformed in August 2011, but branding the five-piece as money-grabbing opportunists would be wholly unjust and inaccurate. Originating as a psychedelic garage band in 1983, the Inspirals achieved their most commercial success after original singer Stephen Holt was replaced by Tom Hingley in 1989, signalling a transition to a more poppy, ‘baggy’ sound. With Holt now back in the Inspirals line up and a return to their garage sound evident in new single ‘You’re So Good For Me’, the band understandably arrive at Thekla
in a visibly buoyant mood. ‘We’re all really excited,;the vibe in Inspirals is really positive at the moment. We did Sheffield a couple of weeks back but tonight is the first night of the tour proper. It’s a great time to be in the band,’ enthuses bassist Martyn Walsh. Holt is similarly excited; the band’s performances on their tour of South America supporting Interpol in November 2011 were his first after a 23-year absence. Somewhat surprisingly, and
rather impressively after such a long time out, the frontman has slotted back into performing with consummate ease. ‘It’s been so easy because everyone’s made it so easy. The others have so much experience and that’s definitely helped me,’ he explains. ‘We were having to check his back that he’s not an automaton!’ jests Walsh. ‘If we’d decided to make the next chapter of Inspirals with somebody else there would have been a lot of people questioning
it, whereas with Steve it makes perfect sense.’ The band speaks with a selfassured confidence, animated yet under no illusions that the upcoming tour will be an undemanding perfunctory exercise. ‘We’re paying for everything ourselves. The tour, everything. We wouldn’t be doing this if there wasn’t a demand for it, we’re really excited to see what happens,’ explains Walsh. The five-piece’s comeback coincides with the return of two other iconic Manchester acts, the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays. The Inspirals stress, however, that for them at least this was not an attempt at a ‘Madchester’ revival. ‘We were talking about this and I had started working with the band before the Roses had made any sort of announcement, the Mondays too. We’ve never copied bands, we’ve got our own unique way of doing things’, clarifies Holt. Walsh elaborates further: ‘We’re writing new material
and that’s what’s making us feel even more relevant. It’s got to sound Inspirals but also like it’s been recorded in the 21st century rather than in 1990’. Again, the band displays a willingness to progress rather than to regurgitate an older sound yet are also aware that younger bands may not welcome their return to the fold. Rather than throw a negative light on this, however, Walsh sees it as a positive. ‘It’s quite refreshing seeing these young bands saying ‘why are these old bastards getting back together?’. If us getting back together can kick-start more bands doing things on their own and saying ‘we’re gonna do stuff our way’, then great.’ If the band were looking to send out a message to younger bands then they certainly succeeded in doing so on stage later that evening. Opening with the lively ‘Commercial Rain’ and crowd favourite ‘Joe’, the Manchester five fused old and
new in an energetic set which encapsulated so much of the earlier enthusiasm displayed by the band. Admittedly much of the sold out Thekla crowd would have been there first time round, with Holt’s earlier prediction that ‘most of the crowd will be bald and asking for extra large t-shirts’ proving amusingly prophetic. Nevertheless, one could not fail to be impressed by the intensity of the Inspirals sound; new single ‘You’re So Good for Me’ and the rambunctious ‘Dragging Me Down’ (both driven by Clint Boon’s distinctive Farfisa sound) quite literally rocked the boat, whilst the classic ‘This is How it Feels’ proved that the Inspiral Carpets still sound relevant in today’s increasingly diversified music scene. As the band closed on the anthemic ‘Saturn 5’, there was most definitely a sense that there was still much more to come from the experienced five piece. Not bad for a bunch of ‘old bastards’. Kieran O’Brien
Epigram
14.05.2012
25 19
Music and illustration
Keep it simple
Rishi Modha meets Robert Taylor of Los Campesinos! to discuss his artwork Stepping out onto a stage with a ukulele and an overhead projector, Robert Taylor (alias Sparky Deathcap) cut a peculiar figure when opening for Los Campesinos! in 2009. Performing acoustic tracks backed by a stream of handdrawn illustrations on a screen behind, tying together a cohesive multimedia narrative heavily underpinned by a wry sense of humour, this particular image is one that manages to capture many sides of a multi-faceted artist. Motivating unusual modes of performance is more natural to Taylor than attempting to categorise his own varied body of work. ‘The main advantage is that people don’t really look at you when you perform, as you have this big screen to distract the audience.’ Labelling his work isn’t quite so straightforward; ‘it’s always a bad idea for an artist of any sort to try and invent labels for themselves (no matter how generic and vague) or categorise what they do too specifically. I prefer to produce the work and then see how everybody else defines it.’
SIMPLE THINGS 06 May 2012
genius and I’m a great admirer of his work. I used to fret quite a lot about how I could ever find a place as a singersongwriter that incorporates
to thank for reinvigorating Taylor’s enthusiasm for producing artwork later on; ‘I started producing comic strips and satirical cartoons
drawing when he so completely dominates that role.’ Carving out a niche wasn’t the reason behind the adoption of illustrations into his live sets; ‘it was always something I did from very early on. My dad and grandpas on both sides are very talented artists and so I had a lot of encouragement. My dad used to bring home meters and meters of these concertinas of old green, dot matrix computer printouts from the planning department at Newcastle Council where he worked. I used to just spend all my free time doodling on that.’ In fact, the noble art of student journalism is
for the student newspaper and that reignited my interest somewhat and upon graduating I just divided my time between music and drawing and working stupid, dead-end jobs.’ Clearly a natural progression for the singer-songwriter to use artwork to illuminate his music, but his comics stand somewhat distinct from his music, insofar as the humour is far more apparent upon first glance. ‘I think humour is quite a difficult thing to get right when you’re inexperienced. If you get it wrong you can turn your entire output into a joke.’ The source of inspiration for
Some of Taylor’s work
One sense of defining an individual can come from examining how they differ from their peers. Now a fulltime member of the band he once supported, Taylor differentiates himself by being able to contribute a wide repertoire of skills, from ‘sex rapping’ (a term faithfully coined by messageboard users to describe the method of delivery of Sparky’s lines in ‘By Your Hand’) to designing artwork for single releases and subscription-only ‘zine, Heat Rash. In terms of peers who fulfil a similar role to Sparky as a solo artist, only one springs to mind; ‘Jeffrey Lewis is a
humour when used, does strike a chord, feeling more like wry observations than scenarios constructed for comedic effect alone. ‘I spend a lot of time travelling and sitting in airport departure lounges and coffee shops watching the world go by. Then suddenly you start to notice that everything in the world is totally bizarre and weird. Everyone’s just trying their best not to say something really crazy.’ Nonetheless, a dark sense of humour finds its way into the songs produced on the Tear Jerky EP, but is incorporated into a wider commentary, incorporating aspects of melancholia as well as just humour. Despite appearing distinct, both humour in comics and the pathos induced by his songwriting fit together cohesively as an interpretation of the world, where Sparky Deathcap finds his own place alongside his influences. ‘Regardless of medium, it’s probably the way artists view and interpret the world around them that interests me. I like art that deals with the here and now particularly, preferably in a wry, melancholic way. I find it weirdly comforting to be able to trace the same essence through the writing of Lorrie Moore, the poetry of Billy Collins, the art of David Shrigley and the music of David Berman. It’s as if your favourite artists are all sitting down for coffee and get on like a house on fire.’ More of Sparky Deathcab’s illustrations can be found on www.tearjerky.co.uk
Only its second year, and already Bristol’s Simple Things festival has mutated rather rapidly, shedding last year’s venues in favour of an entirely new selection (ranging from Thekla in the centre to Lakota in Stoke’s Croft, as well as The Fleece, the o2 and TB2) and a corresponding step up in the size of Warp signee bookings (last year’s Clark to this year’s Squarepusher). More stages, of course, means more stuff to see: from headliners Simian Mobile Disco, Ghostpoet and Caribou to Vice’s guitar-heavy Fleece linuep to the Numbers showcase, and a hell of a lot more besides. It also means the pretty much inevitable price-rise, almost double last year’s. Thus far as a conceit it all sounded neat, just like last year; avoiding (most) of the hassles associated with your regular weekend music festival, and all in a compact one-day package. All of which is great, if you’re of the demographic appealed to (digression: a relatively hard to pin down bunch, butgeneralising wildly - the young, trendy, student or recently extwentysomething crowd plus usual ageing music fans plus outliers); like last year, the artists selected were generally newish, found on blogs and playing either smaller venues or filling out clubs, pumping out a predictably unpredictable collection of genremangling goodness. And there was enough variety to satiate even those with the most net-addled attention spans: Grimes’quirk-outs, Space Dimension Controller’s appropriately interstellar techno, Male Bonding doing their guitary thing, etc. As was frequently remarked, there were multiple, radically different festivals on offer. Problem is, however, that unlike last year, stage-hopping to catch the diverse array of stuff on offer was much more difficult: the inevitable clashes (Factory Floor Vs Lunice Vs Marcellus Pitman was particularly horrible, or the fact that the main headliners were on at pretty much exactly the same time) were compounded by the fact that Thekla to Lakota is a pretty
sizeable trek. Never mind the fact that you can’t really get drunk to speed up the walk because the drinks are eye-gougingly expensive festival-wide. Add to that no announcement of stages/ times until the thing actually begun- plus a two-hour musicfree dead period after wristband collection started - and the usual inability to process e-tickets at any speed and it’s less of an appealing prospect. But it’s not as if it was all poor; bouncing and policing throughout was remarkably hands-off, and queuing to enter venues definitely wasn’t the norm. And, of course, most of the music I did see was fantastic: Forest Swords’ spectral, thoroughly modern take on dub at a depressingly empty Thekla wowed, as did Lunice’s unbelievably high-octane set of continuous bangers at the Numbers Showcase. Special commendation must go to HudMo x Rustie immediately after, however: their Brick Squad via Glasgow via everything genre demolition was an absolute joy to behold; both producers’ own tunes giving those moments of mass electrification that are so fleeting and so, so wonderful, while the rest of the set was wilfully eclectic without feeling rootless or cobbled together. The problem with Simple Things is at this size is simple: the names are nearly bigenough to justify it becoming a festival proper spread out over a few days, but unless you’re nearsuperhuman it was pretty much impossible to catch a satisfying percentage of the artists you paid to see over the course of one day. I understand a number of venues fell through a few days before, and scheduling is never going to be perfect, but, nevertheless, it’s not hard to feel short-changed for what was essentially a great night out plus a few bands at a much steeper cost than usual. With a little bit of tweaking and fine-tuning, ST could become a serious contender on the scene: the variety of artists is eclectic but the organisers certainly have their fingers on the proverbial pulse. So: either complicate things a little bit more, spreading it out over a few days, or, well, simplify it back down; going for the half-way house compromises the quality. Mathew Pitts
Epigram
14.05.2012
20
Reviews BLOOM DELICACIES Beach House Simian Mobile Disco Bella Union29 2010 November 14 May 2012 Delicatessen
Darlings of Baltimore, Beach House, return here with their fourth album, consolidating the woozy atmospherics of Devotion and the sprightlier pop of Teen Dream to make their most fully-formed, expansive effort to date. It’s not that this is a vastly greater set of songs than earlier LPs; it preserves the distinctive feel of their sound, and pushes it to a listening experience of near-total absorption. With Beach House, there is the sense of an eagerness to be above and beyond trends (the ‘chillwave’ they preceded, the hype-cycles of the Pitchfork-approved) that was threatened by the runaway success of 2010’s Teen Dream. Instead, after they’d finished touring that album and ideas for Bloom were beginning to surface, they turned down an extended run of larger venues and media appearances to return to their small recording studio in native Baltimore. Critics might suggest a lack of ambition in a band happy to churn out a new album every two years, always with some sense of development but pretty much the same sound, working within their limited means. But part of the beauty of a group like Beach House is their self-containment: the
DR DEE Damon Albarn Parlophone 7 May 2012 The esteemed and seemingly restless Damon Albarn returns, shaking loose the constraints of Blur, The Good The Bad & The Queen and Gorillaz to produce the first album released under his own name. And what an ambitious project it is - Dr Dee comprises recordings of the music that Albarn composed for his opera of the same name, which was performed last year at the Manchester International Festival. The opera documents the life of Elizabethan mathematician and occultist, John Dee, whose life’s work involved not only advancing algebra, but also attempting to communicate with angels. But for anyone hoping for an album that deals with transcendental themes, prepare to be disappointed. Albarn’s obsession is the same it has always been: England. Indeed, throughout the album, the folk inflections connote the pastoral scenes of the ex-Blurite’s beloved homeland. At its best, such as on ‘The Dancing King’ and ‘Apple Cart’, the album is a true delight, sounding like a culmination of Albarn’s solo experiments. Elsewhere, however, it sounds like a pop musician with highfalutin classical aspirations, and – as is often true when this is the case – disappoints. Eleanor Bluth
UNPATTERNS Simian Mobile Disco Wichita 14 May 2012
feeling you get that they’d float along making this music for years even without critical or commercial recognition. Earlier albums occasionally overindulged in a dreamy, drifting feeling, sounding like the kind of thing that would make apt background music at countless dinner parties of trendy thirty-somethings. On Bloom, they’re reaching for a greater emotional range, and even when the listener is immersed in the general lushness of it all, there’s always a melodic or lyrical refrain, a spiralling guitar or synth line that recaptures the attention and, after a few listens, admiration. The building climax of album closer ‘Irene’ is probably as dramatic and unsubtle as the pair could bring themselves to be. Then, characteristically, it’s followed by hidden bonus track ‘Wherever You Go’, made up of the kind of coy melancholy the band have made a speciality of. Perhaps it’s that kind of move that defines Beach House: never straining themselves too far, never giving too much away, and perhaps reluctant to move away from the formula that has always worked for them and their devotees. Eliot Brammer
THE ONLY PLACE Best Coast Wichita 14 May 2012 If you’re on a Windows computer and know how to use the Run command, try typing in ‘surfrock’ and chances are you’ll quickly be faced with a notepad window filled with a stream of endless, mindless drivel about some combination of beaches, hangin’ out, and being angsty and insecure. Congratulations, reader – you’ve just written the majority of a Best Coast album. Now give every song the same chord sequence and ask a friendly music producer if he or she can make every song sound as identical as possible and you’re set for life. Now cobble together some of the angstier lyrics into two ‘sad songs’ and put these anywhere in the tracklist you care to. You’re done. Seriously though, who is listening to this? Is there a demographic out there wishing it wasn’t too young for Radio 2? Some indie kid making a mix CD for his gran? A sulky surfer subculture? The Only Place is a joyless, tiresome lump of a record which offers nothing more than 35 minutes of background noise. This is a colossal waste of time and effort for both the performers and the listener. David Biddle
The path taken by James Ford and Jas Shaw on Unpatterns can be succinctly described as a second brave foray into the world of techno, though that would be understating the scope of their third full album release. But this record is all about understatement, or at least wielding the refined power derived from taking a subtler approach to electronic dance music than their previous outings. Dispensing with the high-profile collaborations which defined 2009’s Temporary Pleasure, big names like Beth Ditto and Damon Albarn come nowhere near the credits on Unpatterns. In fact, the feel of the record is antithetical to the title of Temporary Pleasure’s lead track, ‘Audacity of Huge’. This doesn’t try to be huge; refusing to pander towards the commercial, but may well mark an audaciously shrewd step for Simian Mobile Disco. Shunning the mainstream for more underground influences, at its best Unpatterns takes clear influence from Futuregarage productions, with the tropes of Rustie and Sepalcure making it onto the likes of ‘Seraphim’. Simian Mobile Disco use the familiar sounds to provide perspicacious reflection upon current underground trends, whilst maintaining a fresh
IN THE BELLY OF THE BRAZEN BULL The Cribs Wichita 7 May 2012 The first thing anyone faces when they see this album is the title, followed by the barrage of questions that come with it. Why is it so long? Does it have a deep, meaningful purpose? Why is its deep, meaningful purpose only meaningful to like-minded people? After pondering these questions, you can came to two conclusions. One, that The Cribs could indeed use alliteration and two, that pondering the meaning of the title is a lot more interesting than the actual music in the album. Although this is not to say that they didn’t try. The authentic neo-90’s sound of the album is both impressive and painstaking. The big, loud choruses that are often used are occasionally interesting, (‘Come On, Be a NoOne’) and they even have deep, meaningful lyrics in the music (‘I Should Have Helped’ and ‘Stalagmites’). However, after all this deepness and meaningfulness, the album is bound to leave people uninterested and uninspired. In the end, it sounded like every other ageing indie rock band hoping to play on the main stage at Reading and not quite having the originality to get there. Ten points for effort though. Charlotte Woodley
perspective. The influences on the record are varied, with ‘Cerulean’ opening in a manner oddly reminiscent of Why? on ‘A Sky For Shoeing Horses Under’, before giving way to squirming synths and an unstoppable drumbeat fashioning a solidly geometrical tune. It stands out as a highlight alongside ‘Interference’, a track which will surely soon be gracing dancefloors worldwide, with noodling synths reverberating over unrelenting rhythmic whirring to create a smooth showstopper worth shouting about. To have utilised the sounds of the underground and continued with scholarly dedication to advancing the genre of electronic dance music without courting the commercial is admirable. However, it’s lacking the visceral impact that previous records have held; the moments of understated brilliance perhaps don’t vindicate the record as a whole. Requiring more punch to entice the casual listener, it feels like it’s exhausted its capacity for a hit on ‘Interference’. Not a record that will have many but the most dedicated listeners reaping its full rewards, though with the growing popularity of artists such as Burial, a more refined approach may breed success. Rishi Modha
INSTINCT Niki & The Dove Mercury 14 May 2012 Pop has become a commodity, inspired by the piecharts of marketing experts, engineered to shift units in the most inoffensive way, and exported by a level of advertising indoctrination that would have put even Stalin to shame. It is this cynical world that Niki & the Dove subvert. Despite being signed to a major label, their music is passionate and experimental, with all their eccentricities laid across a background of inventive production. This, their debut, was written in their native Sweden before they knew that anybody would hear it, with the result that Instinct is brilliantly unselfconscious, leaving tracks like ‘Somebody’ to be ambitious, flamboyant, and unapologetically honest. It is the euphoria and pain of melodramatic lead single ‘Tomorrow’, though, that gives a big, Swedish middle finger to Mr Cowell’s minions, encompassing all the imagination and instant-appeal that should define pop music. Instinct is far more than a collection of singles, with the darkness and ferocity of ‘Mother Protect’ and the hopelessness of ‘Last Night’ being just a couple of examples of the depth that is practically banned from our musical landscape. While Niki & The Dove allegedly dislike the concept of ‘perfection’, with Instinct they really have come remarkably close. Phil Gwyn
Epigram
14.05.2012
21
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Epigram
14.05.2012
Film & TV
Editor: William Ellis
Deputy Editor: Ant Adeane
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Is Kim Jong-Un the new David Brent? Epigram meets UBU’s very own Ted Wilkes, whose ambitious project to travel to North Korea for the purposes of comedy has seen him and Chris Richards reach the final stages of a competition promising €50,000 worth of funding to the victor You studied film at university; where did you study and did you enjoy the course you were enrolled in? I studied quite a theoretical film course at Southampton University, and I really enjoyed my time there. It inspired me to stick around universities, as you can see. As a part of my course, I did a documentary module which I actually wasn’t very good at; I got quite low marks, so I think this project was born out of a desire to prove the people who gave me bad marks wrong, to some extent! Was it always comedy you were thinking of going into when you embarked on the course? Yes, definitely. I think the best way to tell a story is by making people laugh, and the best things to laugh at are often quite tragic. I thought Embracing Kim would be a great thing to start with. So the idea of travelling to the DPRK could be thought of as a really exaggerated version of the comedy born out of tragedy idea employed by shows such as The Office? That’s what we’re hoping for at least. How did you become aware of the Digital Comedy Lab
competition? And what inspired you to submit this idea? Basically, when I moved to Bristol, I was looking to become involved in something creative. So I searched online for pitching competitions – I’m more of a writer than a director, really. I saw this and thought, ‘I’ve got to apply and see what I can do’. Originally I started with a completely different idea, but I went online one day, and saw that Kim Jong-Il had died. The only thing I knew about him was that he had had a starring role in Team America! So I googled him and read about Kim Jong-Un; I saw what a hard upbringing he’d had and thought he needed a cuddle. You pitched your initial idea via a YouTube video, and now you’ve done a five minute promo in order to win over the judges. What have you done for your promo? We went to the DPRK embassy in London, knocked on the door there, and they didn’t let us in. But we managed to get a few interviews with people outside, and then kicked a football over the back fence to see if they’d let us have it back - I’m probably on a list somewhere. It’s a very ambitious project.
How do you expect to be received when you try to enter North Korea as a visitor? Well, I’m hoping they won’t know that we’re coming, firstly. But, there are travel companies which will take you in, and you can actually go as a foreign journalist. They’ll take you on guided tours of Pyongyang – you’ll never be allowed outside of the city, and you’ll be able to film only what they want you to, of course. But hopefully when we come back and re-interpret it, we’ll be able to show the human side of the DPRK, whilst also taking the micky out of it at the same time. Do you expect to actually get within cuddling distance of Kim Jong-Un? No. I actually am having a recurring nightmare that we do get within touching distance of him, because obviously, being that close to a World Leader, you can’t be an idiot – you’d have to ask the hard questions. So really it’s more about the journey than the action – the journey will be the fun part, and hopefully that’s what we’ll show. What are you hopes for the film if it were to get made? That everyone doesn’t hate it; that it brings about World Peace - we can dream. But no,
mainly to have a good time with it, and to be able to hang it up as something that I’m proud of after it’s completed. What about screenings? Well hopefully it would get an independent release. If we do get the money, there’ll also be an opportunity to go out to America and meet people. The Digital Comedy Lab is owned by BeActive media, and they distribute things in Portugal and Brazil. For them, it’s an opportunity to explore new markets, and for us it would be great to make use of their already-existing distribution
channels. But, if not, I’d quite happily put it on YouTube and just let people watch it. Have you seen what your competitors are offering? Yes. There are a whole variety of projects, and I’ve loved watching what other people have come up with. We all received the same brief, but people have gone in lots of different directions with it, and I’d be very happy to miss out to any one of them, because they’re all fantastic. I know it’s a tough question, but what do you reckon your
chances of success are? 1 in 6 is the simple answer. But no, we’ve received a fair amount of interest, so I’ll say I’m quietly confident. And finally, who are your greatest inspirations from the world of comedy? Morgan Spurlock’s been a big inspiration, but a lot of people have been telling me I’m a lot like Louis Theroux, except not quite as awkward, which is good. I really enjoy slapstick comedy, so I’m hoping to bring a lot more of that into the project, but we’ll have to see where it takes us.
An enigmatic insight into a unique way of life Jasper Jolly visits Bristol’s Watershed cinema on the harbour-front to immerse himself in Ben Rivers’ Two Years at Sea It will never hit the multiplexes, but there has been, for some time now, an anti-movement in film, a reaction to the outlandish special effects spends and fast pace of any of the barrage of tent-pole films (or events, as marketers would like you to say) heading our way this summer. Two Years at Sea is firmly in this tradition, named ‘slow cinema’ by some, which aims to be the complete opposite of anything Hollywood has to offer. This disparate group of films, only beginning to be grouped as a genre, is characterised by long single takes, stillness, and glacial pacing. Two Years at Sea bears all of these hallmarks. It is a deliberately difficult film, centred on Jake Williams, who lives a kind of hermetic life in the Scottish wilderness. Partly documentary, partly fictional, perhaps re-enactment is the most accurate term for Williams’ actions on camera,
as we follow him going about his daily, solitary life. And that really is that. Director Ben Rivers gives us nothing more – no dialogue, no voiceover, no other characters (aside from a black cat). Rivers processed much of the film in his kitchen sink, and it was shot on a handwound Bolex camera with black and white 16mm film, on a budget as minimal as the film, which gives it an appearance which is grainy and blurred. Williams is an enigmatic presence at the centre of the film. He is a recluse in a long tradition – think of Grizzly Man or Into the Wild – and so our natural reaction is to assume that he has some kind of strange wisdom inaccessible to the normal man or woman, perhaps in the simplicity of his life. Indeed, it seems to be an effort to find pleasure, and even humour, in this simple life – scenes such as the aforementioned cat watching a washing machine (the
influence of Youtube? Surely not?) cannot help but raise a smile. To determine what the film means further than this though, or whether it means anything at all, is hard. We see him at the most intimate moments – naked in his makeshift shower, sleeping, even reaching for loo roll – but it’s questionable that we ever really know him. Long shots of his face by firelight, or reading a book, show a man thinking, but do not show what the man is thinking. Even the
title seems to have no relation to the film itself, except perhaps in one of the central images, that of Williams floating on a raft. It takes prior knowledge to see the link: Williams spent two years in the Merchant Navy to fund his lifestyle. All of this mystery is a really effective way of alienating a cinema audience, brought up with plot and character development. Rivers’ background goes some way to explaining why he is not afraid of the inevitable hostility to a
film which is so determined to give away nothing: his is a name more often seen in art galleries – this is his first feature-length offering. His style is clearly more suited to that medium. Over 88 minutes of near silence, the long contemplative takes begin to invite the most dangerous emotion in the viewer: boredom. This is where thinking about this film becomes uncertain. There can be no doubt that the extended, almost motionless shots can be trying. But then
Two Years at Sea is not meant to be entertainment. It presents an ideal of escapism, but it is not a work in which the audience should lose themselves; it is self-consciously an art object, even down to the way in which it was handmade. To dismiss it outright because it does not conform to expectations of narrative, character, or visual quality is to fall into a trap. You are meant to question why you are watching it, and how you react to it. Two Years at Sea will never have a wide appeal. It is mysterious, difficult and sluggish at an hour and a half. But its images remain after the credits (consisting of three names) have rolled. This, in the end, seems to be the point of slow cinema. Its effectiveness is not measured immediately, but rather in the hours and days afterwards, when the images return, for reasons which remain elusively, but profoundly, unclear.
Epigram
14.05.2012
29 23
Hollywood’s hot shots under one roof AVENGERS ASSEMBLE Director: Joss Whedon Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlet Johansson
I have been looking forward to the Avengers film since I saw Iron Man in 2008. As a nerdy PhD student, there is nothing I want more than a rich, gorgeous, genius boyfriend. And one that is a superhero? Even better! Iron Man was the first film produced by Marvel Studios. It was soon followed by The Incredible Hulk (June 2008), Iron Man 2 (April 2010), Thor (April 2011) and Captain America: The First Avenger (July 2011). All were great films; the release of each one made the audience more excited for the group to come together. As a result, after four years of anticipation, Avengers Assemble was the biggest superhero film of our generation even before its release on April 26th. Avengers Assemble begins with a voiceover describing an alien race, the Chitauri’s, upcoming attack on Earth. The movie then cuts to Nick Furry (Samuel L. Jackson)
meeting Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) at the S.H.I.E.L.D. research facility in the midst of evacuation. The agents go into a basement lab to find that the Tesseract (or Cosmic Cube) has begun spontaneously emitting radiation. Shortly after their arrival, Loki (Tom Hiddleson) materializes from the Tesseract. Thor’s adopted brother disables his surrounding agents before taking the Cube and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), who he has placed under a spell. The film then moves to the title sequence. There is nothing technically wrong with the opening scenes of Avengers Assemble. However, they provide an unfortunate preview of film’s flaws – it is a
collection of flashy fight scenes with little plot to back them up. Marvel released prequels for the four main Avengers to prevent their combined film from being complicated by back-stories. It was a good idea; unfortunately, Marvel omitted the plot of Avengers Assemble in addition to character development. The plot omission manifests in the audience having limited knowledge of Loki’s motives and resources. The brief opening sequence tells viewers little beyond what was inferred from the Thor Easter egg and no additional information is given later. Therefore, the viewers do not know why Chitauri want to attack Earth or how powerful they are. As a result, we do not
Superlative horror thrills
resolved favourably. As usual, everything comes in threes so there is a third issue with the film: its difficulty incorporating characters that were not fully introduced in the prequel movies, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. The agents are either introduced with no back-story, such as Hawkeye and Agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), or too much screen time is dedicated to unimportant background, such as with Black Widow. Of course, it is obvious why Johansson has more scenes than necessary: her tight black catsuit. The time taken to film her would have been better off dedicated to Hawkeye; with multi-purpose arrows and birdlike vision, he is not simply a
Can we see clearly now?
THE CABIN IN THE WOODS
MARLEY Director: Kevin Macdonald Starring: Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley, Jimmy Cliff
Director: Drew Goddard Starring: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth
by Fran Kranz) describes them. Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford as the two technicians in control are wonderfully funny, and thoroughly enjoyable to watch. The five friends have an excellent dynamic, helped by the talented actors portraying the hapless stereotypes of the blazed burnout, the alpha male jock, the dumb blonde and so on. The standouts are the engaging Kristen Connolly as the innocent, virginal hero and Fran Kranz, who spends most of the film extremely high, and all of the film making the audience laugh with his frazzled musings. The film’s plot and narrative are genius, and the narrative
also holds a biting (excuse the pun) satire throughout that keeps the laughter count high. You could argue that in its subversive mocking of the clichés, it does lose some of the fear I’m sure Whedon and Goddard hoped to instill but it does still have a few good scares. If that was the only sacrifice in making a truly memorable film then I’m sure they can be forgiven. Come the end of 2012 I will eat my hat if this isn’t on everybody’s list of their top films of the year. It’s an utterly superb film, with a very wellrounded feel, and I honestly haven’t enjoyed a horror film this much for a very long time. Gareth Downs
Kevin Macdonald leaves no stone unturned in this authorized documentary about the life of Bob Marley, charting his rise from humble beginnings deep in the hills of Jamaica to his eventual status as a worldwide musical deity. The documentary mostly consists of interviews with a myriad of people close to Marley and some rare footage and photos of Marley himself. The interviews and other material are then carefully arranged to fit his life, which is neatly told in chronological order. The real success of the documentary comes from Macdonald’s ability to tell a story, as Marley’s life is laid out like a parable. Early in the film we find out that Marley lived in poverty and that the small community there rejected him for being mixed race. By the time the film draws to a close, we see footage of Marley’s funeral with pretty much all of Jamaica in attendance, showing the reverence he had gained. The film illustrates his global
bobmarley.com
discoverthecabininthewoods.com
As a champion of the horror film genre, I was excited by the revamp that The Cabin in the Woods offered. Not much was given away by the trailer, and even less is given away by the tagline: ‘You think you know the story.’ The basic plot sounds like the clichés we have come to love and expect from these teen-slasher flicks, where five friends visit a distant relative’s house in a remote place and consequently kick the bucket in increasingly visceral manners. However, as the tagline suggests, all is not as it seems and they soon realise there is a much greater power that they must fight if they wish to survive. The idea that the teens are being controlled and herded into this situation, like lambs to the slaughter, is not a concept that creators Joss Whedon (who is also enjoying success with his film Avengers Assemble) and Drew Goddard (Cloverfield) have hidden, and the film swaps from a satisfactory level of fear in the woods to the very funny ‘puppeteers’ as Marty (played
feel involved in the fight against them. The film does not have time to explain its main battle because half the movie is wasted with the Avengers working through interpersonal issues. Tony Stark’s (Robert Downy Jr.) usual cocky attitude clashes horribly with Captain America’s (Chris Evans) do-gooder personality; Thor (Chris Hemsworth) wants to deal with Loki on Asgard, not Earth; Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) struggles with irrelevant personal issues; Hawkeye is brainwashed by Loki; and, as usual, no one can control Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). As a result, an hour is dedicated to fights that the audience knows will be
very skilled agent, he is almost a superhero. Without a doubt, the highlight of the film is its humour. In a surprising accomplishment, every line that is intended to be funny is so: Tony Stark is witty, the Hulk unleashes his rage humorously, and Agent Coulson is adorably star-struck by Captain America. In addition, the CGI is well done and the sound track is brilliant. Finally, for hard-core Iron Man fans like myself, Marvel redeems Tony Stark after his obnoxious turn in Iron Man 2. Overall, I recommend Avengers Assemble if you are a superhero enthusiast or want some laughs. However, do not expect the best film of our generation. Avengers Assemble is exactly what its title suggests: an assembly of superheroes fighting side-by-side; nothing more, nothing less. In addition, the 3D adds very little so save your money (although, if you happen to be in London, the IMAX is a great experience). Hopefully, Marvel will redeem itself with Iron Man 3, which will be released in May of next year. Until then, read up on Thanos; the Easter egg suggests he will be the group’s next villain. Deborah J Durbin
significance and slowly builds him up as godlike, if only to show that underneath he was just a man who lived by a lifelong commitment to a set of values. Marley is a unique documentary in that regard. One caution for the viewer: this is not a concert, and no single song gets played out in full. But the film makes up for this by giving an account of the evolution and deconstruction of reggae music. Many fragments of Marley’s music reverberate throughout, providing an uplifting tone to the documentary’s subject matter. I expected something about Marley’s religion and spirituality to make an appearance, but it is emphasised in a surprising
manner with increasing importance as the documentary progresses. Rastafarianism is dealt with candidly. Rastafarians, we see, believe that the emperor Haile Selassie I (1892 - 1975) is the literal reincarnation of Christ. Importantly for the Rastafarians, Christ’s return in the form of an Ethiopian emperor culminates in one prophetic message: ‘everybody is supposed to be happy, live in peace, love and unity’. It’s hard to misinterpret that. The film does its aesthetic best to capture that same set of values that Bob spent his life trying to instill in others. Marley couldn’t have come at a better time. This is enlightening cinema. Ben Springett
Epigram
14.05.2012
Science
Editor: Nick Cork
Deputy Editor: Emma Sackville
science@epigram.org.uk
deputyscience@epigram.org.uk
@epigramscience
Going out with a bang: military science In the last issue of Epigram Science, Mary Melville explores the power of the dark side - the role of the military in funding research Mary Melville Science Reporter
National Nuclear Security Administration / Nevada Site Office
Epigram Science has dedicated its pages this year to developments and innovations that offer a potential benefit to mankind. The scientific method equips researchers to confront disease, create alternative energy sources and intervene before vulnerable species become extinct. In this, the last issue of the academic year, we turn instead to the dark side - the involvement of military organisations in research and the technologies that have cost thousands of lives in their development. It became apparent during World War I that the nation to invest most heavily in scientific enterprise would wield an irresistible tactical advantage. Chemists raced to develop increasingly potent poisonous gases, physicists worked to locate and sink the ships of their opponent’s navy and the engineers who conceived the tank are credited with breaking the stalemate of trench warfare. The Second World War only served to strengthen this synergistic bond between scientists and the military. Defense contracts provided money and jobs, funding researchers to provide ever more advanced and devastating technology. The result was the atomic bomb – a weapon that has only been detonated twice as an act of war, at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, yet has caused the deaths of over 200,000 people. Subsequent technological progression and international posturing during the Cold War sustained this legacy of military funding, accelerating and streamlining research.
Some innovations are so advanced as to be almost indistinguishable from science fiction. This year a new military spy has usurped James Bond: a
$12 billion
US Military yearly research budget robot disguised as a jellyfish. This ‘robojelly’ is made of two silicone structures and can move around without assistance. Powered by oxygen and hydrogen obtained
Upcoming Event
from the surrounding sea, its only waste product is water. This means that ‘robojelly’ can stay submerged for extended periods while maintaining constant surveillance. It isn’t the first time scientists have exploited marine life for military purposes. A US Navy programme was reported in the 1960s to have trained dolphins to detect enemy submarines and lay underwater mines. It is also rumoured that some of these dolphins – in keeping with their reputation as the smartest animals on the planet, second only to humans – escaped on their first mission following months of training The British Humanist Association and University of Bristol Atheist, Agnostic and Secular Society present:
and were never seen again. Details are patchy. But that’s the point – military research is concealed behind a veil of secrecy, for reasons supposedly in the national interest. It is therefore impossible for taxpayers to know whether their investments are being used effectively or ethically, or indeed to hold researchers to account. The US Military currently invests $12 billion each year in science and technology research. Although the majority of this budget goes towards the development of increasingly lethal weaponry, some funding inadvertently promotes
beneficent discoveries. Resources and manpower have been poured into the creation of an HIV vaccine for US troops – were this to be made publicly
“
Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.
”
- Julius R. Oppenheimer
available, the potential benefit for nations with endemic rates of HIV infection would be immeasurable. A common accusation though
is that research with an inherent public value might be held back to retain a military advantage. Government agencies can request to read over and edit any report published as a result of their funding, retaining legal control over its contents. In a move that shook the academic community, John Reece Roth, formerly Professor of Engineering at the University of Tennessee, was imprisoned in January after being found guilty of breaching the US Arms Export Control Act. Roth had been awarded a contract with the US Air Force to develop the guidance systems of unmanned drone aircraft. The Act prevents the transfer of sensitive information of a military nature to foreign nationals – in 2008 Roth was charged with exporting such information after allowing his Iranian and Chinese graduate students access to his research. He will serve four years in prison. On seeing the power that he had helped to unleash, Julius Oppenhiemer – ‘the father of the atomic bomb’ – is famously reported to have uttered, ‘now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds’. As military science advances at an ever-increasing rate, it draws with it the likelihood of further developments of similarly devastating potential. It’s an uncomfortable fact that perceived military need drives technological innovation – no society is as focused and productive as when it is at war. With such advancements however come a burden of responsibility that governments must be prepared for and willing to shoulder. The threat to international instability can be hard to mediate when destructive discoveries fall into antagonistic hands. An unprecedented insight into the complex care of cancer patients at Great Ormond Street Hospital:
One To Watch
Great Ormond Street - A Difficult Line
Richard Dawkins & Susan Blackmore in Conversation
Thursday 17th May BBC One - 2:35am
Tuesday 22nd May - 7:00pm
Original Broadcast: Tuesday 8th May BBC Two - 9:00pm
Chemistry Lecture Theatre 1
Watch on BBC iPlayer:
Tickets: www.aass.org.uk
www.bbc.co.uk/ programmes/b01hn6rf
BBC
Shane Pope
£5 - AASS Members £7 - All Other Students
Epigram
14.05.2012
25
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Epigram
14.05.2012
26
Bristol bash UWE in Varsity showdown Dave Cuthbertson Rugby Club Captain Bristol 15 UWE 8
Dave Cuthbertson
On 30th April 2012, the title was decided. The indomitable force took on the ‘noisy neighbours’, whose delusions of grandeur had grown after some disappointing and faltering results for the champions. On this occasion however, the upstarts did not succeed. The cauldron-like atmosphere at Bristol Rovers’ Memorial Stadium was not a bit hampered by the simultaneouslyoccurring Manchester derby and anticipation of the University of Bristol Rugby Club’s Varsity matchup against their UWE counterparts was reaching fever pitch. The Twitterati were going crazy, one player posting ‘Off to get my “Why Never Me?” t-shirt printed in the unlikely event that I score’ - he didn’t by the way - and the official UBRFC feed claimed to have ‘Seen on the triangle...UWE Rugby burning down!.’ #loverugbyhateUWE was appearing all over the place and renditions of ‘Bristol Man’ rang around the stadium. This was a young, talented Bristol side, though with messrs Simpson and Gammell having earned more Varsity caps between them than the rest of the side
A jubilant crowd celebrate Bristol’s victory over arch rivals UWE
put together, it was a largely inexperienced outfit. Despite promising to be a
“
Despite having a significantly smaller pack, Bristol were punching well above their collective weight and dominating the scrum
”
glorious evening of sunshine and revelry, by kick-off the
heavens had opened, and Bristol’s hopes of playing fast, attractive champagne rugby were dashed. Instead, burden fell upon one of the youngest members of the side, fresher fly-half Steve Boatman, to kick Bristol into a 3-0 lead with a penalty from under the posts. After a period of UWE pressure, coming predominantly from the attacking play of their excellent fullback, they brought the scoreboard level at 3-3. Bristol began to turn the screw and were spending long
periods in the opposition 22. Despite having a significantly smaller pack, Bristol were punching well above their collective weight and dominating the scrum. After a break from Michael Simpson, playing in his last Varsity after three performances at the Memorial Stadium, Bristol looked to be about to score in the corner, and but for the rain and a broken finger from excellent young prop Oli Rix, would certainly have done so. Instead Bristol had to settle for another 3 points from the
boot of Boatman. As half-time approached, UWE sniffed an opportunity, touching down over the Bristol line for what turned out to be the only try of the game. Two more 3-pointers from Boatman gave Bristol a slender but fully deserved 12-8 lead going into the interval. As the monsoon-like conditions continued into the second half, so too did the scrappy nature of the game. Despite a number of half-breaks from Number 8 Humphrey Kayange, and bullocking ball
carries from man of the match Josh Leslie, the killer instinct eluded Bristol. Scrum-half, captain and UBRFC veteran Greg Nicholls controlled the game brilliantly with an astute and gutsy performance, whilst Erasmus student Guillaume Brady bossed the lineout and made a number of crucial turnovers when UWE pressed the Bristol line late on. Another penalty from the magnificently assured Boatman widened the gap to a converted try and Bristol’s defence held firm, with some brutal and bone-breaking tackling from replacements Cosmo Elms and Charlie Reed, the final score remaining 15-8. Though a number of senior players move on to pastures new, the side is a young one, and will undoubtedly bounce back strongly from what was a disappointing season for the 1st XV. The team has the youthful cohesion and enthusiasm necessary to turn this into an excellent side in future campaigns. Team: 1. Rix 2. Kerr 3. Leslie 4. Brady 5. Burrows 6. Stephenson 7. Conchie 8. Kayange 9. Nicholls 10 .Boatman 11. Munton 12. Hobart 13. Mortimer 14. Gammell 15. Simpson 16. Brown 17. Tice 18. Toksylkin 19. Newberry 20. McAviney 21. Reed 22.Elms
Mythago’s Manchester mudslide into the Bronze Age Matt Dathan Frisbee Club Captain
The chase - Matt Oliver - and the three men in the wall - FredNeville Jones, Chong Jia Hao and Tom Burchess - defended like beavers. They turned the game in Bristol’s favour and the following point saw Joe Brown lay-out to get a turn-over from Manchester’s first pass. It was a game in which heroes were born and, from that moment on, Bristol were invincible, going on to thrash Manchester 12-5. It
was the team’s best and most memorable game of the year and it meant Bristol was the top team from the Western region. A semi-final against a formidable team from Cork was next. Uncharacteristic individual errors gave Cork an early lead and, although Bristol cut out the mistakes and started to show some of the form seen in the previous game, including Josh Kyme’s double lay-out to save a wayward pass, Cork’s
offense was too consistent and Bristol’s man-defence was not intense enough. The match finished 11-8 to Cork. Considering the Irish had beaten Cardiff 12-1 and Southampton 11-6 previously in the tournament, Bristol had given Cork their toughest test yet. So Bristol then faced Edinburgh to decide who would win bronze. If there were individual mistakes in the last
Matt Dathan
The University of Bristol Ultimate Frisbee first team won bronze medals at April’s Outdoor BUCS National Championships in Manchester. The third-place play-off against Edinburgh possessed all the ferocity of a seventeenth century Anglo-Scottish conflict, but Bristol finally prevailed to win the unexpected and coveted prize of thirty-five BUCS points, helping the University rise up the overall BUCS points table. It was Bristol’s first top eight finish in four years, having yoyoed between the bottom of division one and top of division two in recent years. Bristol, nicknamed Mythago, qualified for division one Nationals in March, having beaten Exeter to finish third in the Western region, and went into the competition as the region’s dark horses. We took a small squad of twelve players to the tournament, confident the team’s demanding fitness regime would pay off.
Bristol faced challenging opposition in the group stages in the form of Sheffield, Portsmouth and Oxford. Despite trailing Sheffield 4-7 at halftime in the opening game, they scored four points in a row and eventually won the game 11-10 in sudden death. In the next game, Bristol shocked everyone at the tournament with a convincing 13-2 victory over Portsmouth. Against Oxford they again started slowly, and at 2-5 Dathan threw a risky roll-curve into the back of the end-zone. Through a crowd of players, Phil Smith emerged and leapt like a salmon to catch the disc, a grab that Brodie Smith, the world’s most famous player, would have been proud of. This moment inspired another come-back and, having won the half 7-5, Bristol survived an Oxford fight-back after another sudden-death point. Bristol had topped the group and secured a top-eight finish! On Sunday morning, Bristol faced Manchester. It was a very close first eight points; then came a mammoth point, where Bristol played a zone defence.
match, there were even more individual moments of class in this final encounter, including Matt Oliver remarkably catching a disc with his legs. With the scores at 9-8 and an offence point to win the match, Bristol’s deep players, Seb Shapland and Sam Jones, combined to win the game and the team celebrated with a mudslide, whilst the reality of winning a BUCS medal started to sink in. To think that Bristol would have qualified for division one was a goal that the captain admitted at the start of the year was a tall order. To think they would have finished top eight was an unrealistic goal, and to think the club would be returning from Manchester with a medal had been an incredible dream. However, looking back, it’s not surprising that Bristol have achieved so much, considering the hard work and commitment that has characterised the club over the past year. Next year is promising to be an exciting time for the University of Bristol Ultimate Frisbee Club.
Epigram
14.05.2012
27
Windsurfing Silver bags BUCS bounty Dave Cox Windsurfing Club Captain
Starboard. A special shout out goes to Luke Fitzgerald, who bagged a silver in the beginners’ race - a serious achievement considering he first struggled into a wetsuit (backwards we might add) in October.
“
These achievements are the best the club has seen in years
”
Dave Cox
Louis Morris also deserves a mention for his 5th place finish in the men’s advanced race, despite his disappointment as it was his first finish off the podium this year! Louis has dominated this season’s individual racing series, bringing home a brand new wetsuit and being crowned SWA Race Champion 2012. Louis’s dominance, along with Chris Guest also claiming several podium finishes throughout the series, meant that Bristol was a force to be reckoned with all year round. These achievements are the best the club has seen in years and come as a welcome surprise, because the club focuses primarily on teaching beginners, free sailing and enjoying ourselves. However, SWA events go far beyond racing. In fact the great part of the student windsurfing events is that most people are beginners, with plenty of
experienced instructors on hand to give advice. There is a series of events hosted by different universities throughout the year (both flat water and wave sailing), with Bristol hosting our own in conjunction with UWE. The events are exceptionally good value and great fun, providing two big nights out, pro windsurfers on hand giving demos and advice, top notch demo gear for all to use, live bands and various other forms of entertainment. The club also runs weekly beginner trips to the lake throughout the year for just a tenner - you can learn to windsurf for a fraction of what you would pay anywhere else. Bristol is also ideally placed for more advanced windsurfers to head off to the wealth of top quality spots in south Wales and the south coast. This year the club has gone from strength to strength and not only in the racing results. Last summer we jetted off to Morocco for two weeks of beers, sun and windsurfing. This year, we’re off to Club Vass in Greece – one of the world’s top windsurfing centres. We also have brilliant weekly socials, ranging from pub golf to three legged races and, of course, the infamous 6 in 60 challenge. If you are interested in getting on a board or just socialising at events, it’s not too late to join.
Dave Cox
Windsurfing is undoubtedly one of the most dynamic, varied, and exciting sports offered at Bristol University. We are a welcoming and social club, catering for all abilities from first-timers to national standard racers. The club has enjoyed a very successful BUCS Championship this year, bagging loads of prizes. On 21-22 April, Bristol joined windsurfers from universities around the country at the BUCS National Championships at Calshot, near Southampton. The three man team from Bristol - Louis Morris, Chris Guest, and Iain Brown - shone through a tough fleet to come within 1 point of being crowned national champions, eventually collecting the silver medals
behind hosts, Southampton Solent. Fortunately for Bristol, the Trio’s performance at events throughout the year ensured the silver medal was enough to seal their place as the winners of the student windsurfing association (SWA) team race series. This achievement earned the prize a £1000 board for the club, courtesy of series sponsors Boardwise. The bounties don’t stop here either. The SWA is an organization that prides itself on getting everyone involved at all levels - being able to windsurf in the beginners race series is not a requirement, but in fact an unfair advantage. Bristol finished second overall at the BUCS event, taking into account all race positions and participation numbers, winning a demo day with world industry leaders Tushingham &
With a big trip to Poole planned after exams, a whole new season next year, bigger events, the Tushingham demo day and the legendary Aussie Kiss Student Windsurfing Festival next October. Once the rain dries up you will also be sure to see us up on the downs doing a bit of land windsurfing. You can find us on Facebook or come along to Alterego on a Tuesday from 8pm, we’d be more than happy to welcome you to the club.
Scan the barcode with your smartphone to watch videos from the SWA Nationals 2012, or watch at http://goo.gl/90UCc
Crooks’ nick Intramural title Undefeated Bristol claim Gold at Championship Final Giles Littlewood Sports Reporter
It was a climax of Barclay’s Premier League proportions but, after an anxious wait, Garth Crooks’ Team of the Week were finally confirmed as the 2011/12 Intramural Premiership champions in the final week of the spring term. Their closest rivals, Alma Villa FC, were left with a game in hand at the business end of the season to capitalise and move above Crooks’ by a single point. The league leaders could only wait helplessly, in the knowledge that an Alma win would send them tumbling into second place. As it happened, Alma could only manage a 0-0 draw with Nice Fridge FC, seeing Crooks’ retain the top spot and clinch the honours. Over the course of the season, Crooks’ produced some truly titillating football. This was reflected in several impressive score lines, including the 11-0 drubbing of CHHB. With the aid of their venerable shot-stopper, Stuart Tower, Crooks’ band of committed
(and occasionally aggressive) defenders conceded just nine goals, compared to Alma’s twenty one, over the course of the season. At the other end of the pitch goals flowed freely, and often magnificently, from the boots of captain Tom Rowe and company. Rowe’s goals in particular often left an expression of sheer bewilderment and despair upon the faces of the opposition - to which his teammates could do nothing but respond with a shrug and a murmur of ‘he does that every week.’ Why always him?
“
Mr. Crooks himself, would undoubtedly be the proudest man on the planet
”
Dan Layton, named ‘Player of the Season’ at the team’s annual awards ceremony, drew accolades for his displays of enthusiasm, akin to those of an enamoured spaniel, and a passing ability arguably comparable to Paul Scholes.
The depth in Crooks’ squad was apparent and every player contributed a vital dimension to the team’s success during the campaign. The man voted ‘Most Improved Player’ for two successive seasons, Marco Guerrini, proved to be a real handful for the opposing defences, with his quick feet and inconceivable levels of stamina. As a result, pitch-side cigarettes are reportedly being trialled by the England team ahead of Euro 2012. Such is Marco’s rate of improvement, in fact, that he is currently awaiting a phone call from the Italian Football Federation with regards to his participation in this summer’s tournament. The league title marks a pinnacle in the meteoric rise of a humble group of UH freshers from 2009-10, to the most prestigious achievement in the Bristol Intramural universe. The eponymous professional, Mr. Crooks himself, would undoubtedly be the proudest man on the planet if he knew of his association with such a magnificent group of footballers.
Nick Wilkinson Sailing Club Captain Bristol Sailing Club have convincingly won BUCS gold medals with a 100 per cent record at the Match Racing Championship Final. Saturday 28th April saw good winds for the day’s racing. In all seven one-on-one races, the team - James Goss, Nicholas Wilkinson, Oliver Sloper, Elliott Parsons and Emma Lombard - sailed higher and faster than each other boat. The winds built steadily all day, making racing more challenging, but with good tactics from Goss, the team led each race from the outset. It was only in the penultimate encounter, against Portsmouth, that saw Bristol put under real pressure. After receiving a penalty, the team was forced to complete a 360 degree spin before the end of the race. The spin was achieved just before rounding the final mark,
at which point Portsmouth held us out of the mark. The manouvre was a deliberate rule infringement that put them in a controlling position, resulting in two penalties. This allowed Bristol to sail the final downwind leg at speed and win the race. Sunday’s racing was unfortunately called off due to the excessive wind. Therefore, at the end of the round robin, Bristol were clear winners. This
achievement proves they are a worthy team to be selected to represent BUCS and Great Britain at the FISU Match Racing Worlds this summer. Bristol Sailing Club is now second in the UK for performance over all four disciplines, ahead of south coast rivals Portsmouth, Exeter and Plymouth, our best position to date. Southampton tops the tables and will be the team’s main rival next year.
Epigram
14.05.2012
Sport
Editor: David Stone
Deputy Editor: Paddy von Behr
sport@epigram.org.uk
deputysport@epigram.org.uk
@epigramsport
Bristol battle in Olympic Stadium John Brierly Sports Reporter
A record breaking 46,000 spectators saw Bristol compete on the Saturday
ten and smash her own best time by 40 seconds. In the women’s middle distances Hannah Pollak and Aoife Kelly, in the 800m and 1500m respectively, both ran well to qualify for semi-finals and each posted a personal best time in the process. From the men, the best performances came from Will Hartley and freshers Ben Winstanley and John Ashcroft. Will had a nervous wait in the heats of the 400 hurdles to see if he had got through in a ‘fastest loser’ position after hitting the final hurdle hard but was deservedly given a place in the semi-finals where he ran well to place ninth overall, again in a new personal best time. In the 400m flat, first-year English student, Ben Winstanley ran consistently well in the heats and semi-finals, and looks set to be a star of Bristol athletics in the future. St Helens-based John Ashcroft ran well within
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himself in the heats and raced very competently in a tough semi final to add his name to the long list of Bristol athletes who achieved personal bests My own Olympic experience began on Saturday evening in the 4 x 400m relay. The team of Will Hartley, myself, Joe Thornton and Ben Winstanley were somewhat underdogs heading into the first heat lining up against the athletics superpowers of Birmingham, Sheffield Hallam and Leeds Met Carnegie. The tension was slowly building as we moved from the purpose built warm-up track to the main arena, down the same corridors that Usain Bolt and Mo Farah will be guided down in the coming months. We were then led out onto the track in front of a crowd of 46,000 excited spectators to line up for the race. Our first leg runner, Will Hartley, set off at a fantastic pace and managed to make up the
John Brierly
May Bank Holiday weekend played host to the biggest event in BUCS’ history, the University Outdoor Athletics Championships, which attracted a crowd of 55,000 people over four days to the Olympic stadium to watch some of the best athletes in the country pitted against each other. Bristol University Athletics Club fielded a team of 30 athletes from various disciplines, including international athletes and members of the university high performance squad. The star of the weekend was Andrew Woods in the 800m. Andrew came fifth in the 1500m in the indoor competition and was set to do well outdoors. Posting the fastest time in the heats and running a personal best in the semi-finals, Andrew was clearly on good form, and in the final he didn’t disappoint. Although a brisk pace was set from the off, the pack was still tightly bunched with 200m to go, and it was going to go down to a sprint finish and a test of strength. Coming down the home straight Andrew was locked in a tussle for the third position and was closing in all the way to the line, but just fell short of the bronze medal to achieve a richly deserved fourth place in a time of 1:51.46 mins. The first Bristol athlete to compete in the stadium was Welsh international cross-country runner Gwenno Brown, who set the first of her two personal best performances of the weekend in the 5000m heats. In the final Gwenno replicated her fantastic first round performance, and then some, to break into the top
stagger on several other teams before handing over to me. I just had one idea in my head, get into the lead and stay there, and I pushed hard from the off. Breaking to the inside lane after 100m, my plan seemed to be working, I had caught Leeds and Sheffield and had open track in front of me. As I continued round the top bend the noise of the crowd built up almost as strongly as the lactic acid in my legs but I knew I had to keep pushing. I managed to hold the lead to the halfway point before handing over to fresher Joe Thornton who appeared to have a similar mentality. Running from the front in a 4 x 400m can often be quite daunting but Joe pushed hard and was still in the lead coming up to the bell and the final changeover. Ben Winstanley took over the baton for the final leg and set off on a well judged 400m. Unfazed when the fourth leg athlete
Bristol University Olympians
from Sheffield Hallam came past with 200m to go, Ben dug in and started to inch by inch claw back the lead, and by the line the two runners were neck and neck, taking the decision to a photo finish. The big screen displayed what we had all been dreading, Sheffield had won by 0.08s, but we had set a new club record by seven seconds and qualified for the final. As we were guided away from the track we were greeted by former Olympian Seb Coe and the Epigram Sport Editor for interviews before being funnelled back into the depths of the stadium and the madness was over. For everyone involved, be they from BUAC or elsewhere, this truly was an unforgettable weekend and for many was a once in a lifetime opportunity. The overall standard of competition in this Olympic year was incredible with five championship records being broken, and for Bristol athletes to compete as well as they did is an incredible achievement.
With the London 2012 Olympic Games quickly approaching remember to look out and cheer for our Bristol University Olympians past and present. Whilst not all the GB team has been announced you can be sure the following will be there or thereabouts: Laura Bechtolsheimer Dressage
Claire Hallissey Marathon
Lawrence Clarke Hurdling
Selected Results Andrew Woods: 4th 800m, 1:51.46 mins Will Hartley: 9th 400m hurdles, 54.85s Rainer Groh: 10th Long Jump, 6.57m Charlie Hawkes: 14th High Jump, 1.90m Will Hartley, John Brierly, Joe Thornton, Ben Winstanley: 8th, 3:23.08 mins Ben Winstanley: 16th 400m, 50.58s John Ashcroft: 15th 1500m, 3:51.87 mins Gwenno Brown: 10th 5000m, 17:06.34 mins Aoife Kelly:18th 1500m, 4:43.00 mins
Dilly Newton Hockey
Georgie Twigg Hockey
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