Epigram 292

Page 1

University of Bristol Independent Student Newspaper

www.epigram.org.uk

2nd November 2015

Two Students threatened with arrest after careers fair protest

Comment

Members of Bristol Left protested against the presence of major arms companies at the Engineering and IT careers fair

isn’t that

discusses why Feminism pretty Page 11

Travel Chris Makin recalls the 8.3 magnitude Flickr / Brett Jones

earthquake in Chile Page 28

Arts Clifton Cathedral: Beautiful or Ugly?

Flickr/ John Lord

Epigram/ Henning Heller

Students unfurl a banner protesting the presence of arms companies at the careers fair.

Two students at the University of Bristol were threatened with arrest after they dropped a banner from the balcony reading ‘Arms off campus: Education for liberation not warfare.’ The two students are members of Bristol Left and were demonstrating against the presence of arms companies at the Engineering and IT Careers Fair on Wednesday 21st October. ‘Within one minute [of hanging the banner] security came. It seems that there was a lookout on the balcony who left when we got there, even before we took out the banner, and presumably notified them. [They] tried to take the banner off, so we removed it so it could be re-used, and then made us leave,’ one of the students told Epigram. ‘When we were on the pavement in front of Wills [Memorial Building] we were threatened with arrest by the police officer, who was there under the Section 5 Public Order Act, who made some false claims about what we had done. We were then forced to go to Senate House and talk to the Pro-Vice Chancellor. We were threatened with disciplinary action, including suspension, if we didn’t show our IDs to security. ‘The aim of the action was to raise awareness about these companies and the trade these companies are profiting from and fuelling conflicts and oppressive regimes all around the world. Continued on Page 3

Darcy Rollins

Flickr: Kiesha Jean

Becky Morton Deputy Features Editor

Issue 292

Page 39

Diversity, Drugs and Student Satisfaction: New Film + TV Vice Chancellor grilled at Question Time Event Ciara Lally Online Editor

concern about the drop in student satisfaction, which has seen Bristol rated 106th in the National Student Survey. The panellists assured students they wanted to improve the student experience, and develop the University’s position as a worldclass research and education destination. Professor Guy Orpen said ‘I care more about what our students tell us about their experiences than statistics, however far too many are unhappy.’ continued on page 3

Cycling exposed on the big screen: The Program Page 41

BFI/LFFPRESS

Professor Hugh Brady told students last week that he ‘was surprised that the University had not invested more in Arts and Social Sciences’ when he first joined Bristol. The new Vice Chancellor was part of a panel at the first University Question Time event of

the year last week, which saw 150 students assemble in the Anson rooms to question key University figures. Chaired by Epigram editor Sarah Newey, the panel also comprised of Laura Ho, Postgraduate Officer at Bristol SU; Dr Kelly Moule, Reader in Bio-Medical Education; and Professor Guy Orpen, Deputy Vice-Chancellor. Questions raised included debate on Bristol’s drop in university rankings. There was clear


Epigram

02.11.2015

News Editorial

2 Editor: Sarah Newey

Deputy Editor: Adam Becket

Deputy Editor: Becki Murray

editor@epigram.org.uk

abecket@epigram.org.uk

becki.murray@epigram.org.uk

A note from the editor

Inside Epigram Features 10 The changing face of the Islamist Jihad Adele Fraser highlights that Jihad is not necessarily a bad thing

Science and Tech 12 Students waking with the Devil on top Melanie Wedgburg investigates Sleep Paralysis as a consequence of student life

have cuts to higher education. We almost certainly have less money to play with, and we will have to make difficult cuts.’ His colleagues on the panel, Guy Orpen and Kelly Moule, had similar opinions. It was clear that all three were concerned about student welfare and thought the service was ‘wonderful,’ yet focus was placed on reducing the need for the counselling service. Guy suggested that he was ‘keen that we avoid the need for counselling,’ while Kelly suggested the need to ‘improve the resilience of students and ease their transition into university.’ This is all, of course, very important; yet it is only one side of the solution. Ruth Caleb, chair of Universities UK’s mental well-being working group, was quoted in a BBC article in September suggesting that each year, the demand for student counselling services is rising by 10%. There’s simply no way that services can keep up without an increase in funding.

It was an honour to chair the first University of Bristol Question Time event last week - especially as I managed to get through the event without falling off my chair, something Epigram’s Deputy Editors were convinced I was going to do. The event raised a number of issues, from junior doctor contracts, to the price of accommodation, to drug use at Bristol. The aim was to start a constructive conversation between students, the University, Students’ Union; this was certainly achieved. Indeed, it was especially positive that the panelists were willing to stay and have further discussions with students after the event, demonstrating that they really are committed to listening to our ideas. One issue I found particularly interesting, and I think deserves greater attention, was the discussion surrounding mental health provision. Student Minds have estimated that 27% of students experience ‘mental distress’, but that university counselling services across Britain only have the facilities to support 7-10% of students with a mental illness. I don’t know the statistics for Bristol Counselling service, but I know several people who have had to wait months to be seen. The issue here doesn’t lie in the quality of the actual service being provided, but the waiting time, which is caused by a lack of funding and resources. The University has many difficult decisions to make regarding allocation of resources, but mental health, in my opinion, is something worth investing in. It was therefore disappointing that Professor Hugh Brady made no commitment to increased funding for the Student Counselling Service. Although he acknowledged the importance of the service, he commented that ‘the world we live in is one where we have to

Sarah Newey

Fares Kammourieh

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43 The Minds Behind the Mic

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Michael Holroyd writes on the dangers of drug use in the music industry

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News

Epigram 02.11.2015

3

@epigramnews Editor: Sorcha Bradley

Deputy Editors: Abbie Scott; Dalia Abu-Yassien

Online Editors: Emily Faint; George Clarke

sm.bradley@epigram.org.uk

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Students suggest reaction to protest ‘heavy handed’ Becky Morton Deputy Features Editor Epigram/Fares Kammourieh

Panelists left to right: Kelly Moule, Guy Orpen, Sarah Newey, Hugh Brady and Laura Ho

University stress interest in student views that students received that email. I think students should be at liberty to express their own opinions.’ Concerns that the University management were out of touch with student issues were raised, however, when Orpen, Moule and Brady all appeared unaware of issues surrounding drug use at Bristol. This followed a question from the floor suggesting that Bristol has a ‘rampant drug problem’ with some students ‘feeling pressurised into taking drugs.’ The evening provided a constructive discussion surrounding just a few of the issues concerning students, and throughout the new Vice Chancellor stressed his desire to involve students in the consultation process. Yet Brady also did little to rule out controversial measures such as the further expansion of student numbers, and cuts in funding to the under-resourced mental health care at the Student Health Service, stating that ‘difficult choices will have to be made.’

Imogen McIntosh

suggesting that ‘[we] look at what others are doing well nationally, and put our collective minds together.’ Other issues discussed included continued from front page continued expansion of the student ‘My experience at this university population, support for refugees has showed that the most powerful and the provision of mental health learning experience is when students services. are conducting research, which is a very different way of learning than in other institutions.’ The panellist’s also debated diversity ‘I care more about what at the University of Bristol, and Laura Ho stressed that ‘quite frankly, there is our students tell us about something seriously going wrong here.’ their experiences than 0.7% of PhDs are given to BME statistics, however far too students, and black students make up many are unhappy.’ 1% of home undergraduate admissions, yet get 4% of third class degrees. Although Kelly Moule responded The University was also questioned by suggesting that the curriculum about an email medical students needed internationalising, Laura received suggesting they remain stressed that there was a difference ‘apolitical’ regarding junior doctor between internationalisation and contract protests. diversification. Both Professor Guy Orpen and The Vice Chancellor stressed that Professor Hugh Brady directly the University ‘aspire to become an contradicted these instructions. Orpen incredible diverse institution’, before commented that ‘we were unaware

Ciara Lally Online Editor

Continued from front page ‘We also wanted to highlight the issue that these companies are given a big platform to recruit and research by the university and the education system generally. As we understand it, education should be emancipatory and encouraging people to think and act in a critical way about the world and our society,’ he continued. Bristol Left supports a ban of arms companies at careers fairs and the boycotting of weapons companies and research by the university and science departments. The group had been granted a stall at the fair and also handed out leaflets with information about the unethical practices of arms companies and other businesses present, such as Amazon and PwC. According to a spokesperson for the society, the response to their campaign has been largely positive. ‘It seems like a lot of people were really supportive of the action. Many agree that these weapons companies are deeply immoral, that the arms trade is a horrible industry and that weapons companies shouldn’t have a platform in universities,’ he told Epigram. ‘The two guys who dropped the banner were hauled down the Will’s Memorial building stairs in a clearly disproportionate reaction to a peaceful demonstration,’ commented Stephen, a biology student at the University of Bristol. Rachel, a third year politics student agreed. ‘The world would be a better place without arms trading

companies and students should be encouraged to avoid them. The point of an education establishment is to give young people the knowledge to be able to pursue careers that help the world for the better, rather than encouraging them to do jobs that are unsustainable, destructive and unethical.’ However, a second year Engineering student, who wished to remain anonymous, commented, ‘I understand that individuals may be opposed to arms companies, but I think it is right they are represented at careers fairs. They are a major employer, especially for engineering students, and we have a right to know what jobs are available to us.’ The university careers service responded with a similar argument. ‘The Careers Service’s view is that students who are concerned about certain companies exhibiting at careers fairs are entitled to protest peacefully. However, the Service also believes that students who are interested in working for such companies are equally entitled to be able to interact with them unhindered,’ said Stuart Johnson, Director of the Careers Service at Bristol. Bristol Left has run a longstanding campaign against the presence of arms companies at university careers fairs. Last year, the society protested outside Wills Memorial Building against the presence of BAE Systems at the Autumn Careers Fair, handing out leaflets to students. In the past, Bristol Left have also staged ‘die in’ protests outside BAE stalls at careers fairs, as well as running their own stalls to provide alternative information about the arms companies present, including Thales, Airbus Group (EADS) and BAE.

Bristol students challenge Yiannopoulos talk persuasions, and for it to serve as a platform for different, sometimes controversial views to be expressed. ‘Yiannopoulos has become a prominent critic of gender politics and is regularly interviewed on both the BBC and Sky News discussing these issues.’ ‘If you so strongly disagree with his views, we encourage you to come to the talk and challenge his views through a question and answer session.’

Yinnapoulos has described transgenderism as ‘a psychiatric disorder’ in a previous article

The Journalism Society also said: ‘Please also note that any views held by Yiannopoulos are not necessarily views held by the society.’ Dualeh told Epigram in response to the statements made by the Feminist Society: ‘I’m proud that there’s a large community of students who stand against transphobia, misogyny and

Yiannopoulous’ invitation to speak has caused widespread debate on Facebook

oppression like FemSoc. ‘With Milo’s views on sexual assault, transgenderism, inviting him to speak on the topic of gender politics is jeopardising the security and safety of students.’ She also claimed that the invitation extended to Yiannopoulos ‘breaches our union and NUS values by allowing someone who refutes certain gender identities and condemns rape survivors a stage to use discriminatory language.’ Epigram reached out to Charlie Oxborough, President of the

Flikr: Official Leweb Photos

Hannah Dualeh, a student equality activist, has called for members of the University of Bristol’s Journalism Society and Feminism Society to oppose the arrival of Milo Yiannopoulos, a British journalist and founder of online tabloid magazine, The Kernel, who is currently due to speak at the University on Friday 20th November. Yiannopoulos has been invited by the University of Bristol Journalism Society to give a lecture titled ‘The Challenges of Gender Politics,’ a subject that has sparked major debate within the student body due to controversial statements he has publicly made in the past. Dualeh, who initiated the protest, posted a link to a previous article written by Yiannopoulos regarding his thoughts on transgenderism as ‘a psychiatric disorder’ in the Facebook event page for the lecture. ‘I only joined this event so I could inform members in case they didn’t know that the invited speaker to

this event, Milo Yiannopoulos, has been banned from attending other universities such as the University of Manchester for making transphobic comments, and denying rape culture,’ Hannah posted. The University of Bristol Feminism Society also published a statement to students on Facebook: ‘As a committee, we do not support the University of Bristol Journalism Society’s decision to host Milo Yiannopoulos on November 20th, 2015. ‘We feel that this violates the university’s safe space policy and we are not in favour of the kind of hate speech and vitriol that Yiannopoulos perpetuates. ‘We believe that all societies should uphold the safety and security of all students at the University, and we feel that the Journalism Society has failed to take this essential factor into consideration.’ The University of Bristol Journalism Society has responded to the growing dispute with the following statement: ‘We appreciate that some of you may not agree with the views of Milo Yiannopoulos. We are keen to bring people into the society of all political

Emily Faint Online News Editor

University of Bristol’s LGBT+ Society, for a response to the situation. ‘I am disappointed that Bristol University Journalism Society has favoured to host ‘journalist’ Yiannopolous, in place of a speaker who could present a genuine, welcoming discussion on gender politics,’ Charlie responded. ‘I hope that students seek to uphold the society’s reputation by not honouring Yiannopolous with a platform, and understand that his views represent neither truth nor any form of good journalism.’


Epigram 02.11.2015

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Jeremy Corbyn gives rousing speech in Bristol

“ ‘Without tackling the issue of voter registration our job will be so much harder’

Hibaq Jama, a labour councillor for the Lawrence Hill ward opened the rally warning that many in her ward, one of

brought forward by twelve months the full implementation of Individual Electoral Registration (IER) to 1st December 2015. The Electoral Reform Society has warned that the changes will bring registration rates down, potentially making the problem of disenfranchisement even worse.

‘Yesterday I asked the Prime Minister about Tax Credits, to be fair I don’t think it’s his strongest subject’

‘Those who designed the system knew full well who would be effected by the change,’ accused Corbyn, going on to declare that ‘when we win the 2020 election we are going to make sure we have a system that makes sure everyone can vote. It is a democratic right.’ ‘Yesterday I asked the Prime Minister about Tax Credits - to be fair I don’t think it’s his strongest subject,’ quipped Corbyn. ‘I have personally received a lot of media abuse over the last three months

Imogen McIntosh

Police reject refugee aid The French authorities have rejected the materials sent over by the organisation Aid Box Convoy, which included the materials from Banksy’s Dismaland as well as other humanitarian aid to help refugees. A group of volunteers from Bristol took 150 aid boxes, including the remains of Banksy’s Dismaland to a refugee camp in France on Friday 9th October. The materials were needed to provide humanitarian aid to the 1,000 refugees currently living in a camp in Northern France. Nine vehicles and 27 volunteers were involved in the convoy, which took five tonnes of firewood and building materials, enough to build five cooking shelters. However, when the convoy arrived and began constructing the temporary shelters, the French police turned up and told them to leave as they had no planning permission.

Jeremy Corbyn at the Trinity Centre

but I will not respond to it because our arguments for social housing, schools, the NHS and transport get through because that’s the only things we’re talking about.’ To finish, Corbyn urged the packed room that this ‘cannot be done by individuals, it must be done collectively.’

The mayoral election will take place on 5th May 2016 along with local government and police and crime commissioner elections. To make sure you’re not one of the people who misses out on their chance to vote make sure you register online, it only takes three minutes and you will need your National Insurance number.

Meningitis Student Awareness

Refugee camp in Calais

Esme Webb News Reporter

Epigram/ George Clarke

Jeremy Corbyn made a flying visit to Bristol last week to throw his support behind Labour’s mayoral candidate, Marvin Rees. The Labour leader gave a short but rousing speech at the Trinity Centre in Bristol’s Lawrence Hill. More than 800 people registered to come to the rally in under 48 hours. The Labour party has received over 70,000 new members in the last month following the wave of popularity caused by the new leader.

the poorest in the UK, will be knocked off the electoral register if Conservative plans to change the rules go ahead. Jama went on to introduce Marvin Rees, who cautioned that at the ‘last mayoral election just 27 per cent of eligible voters took part,’ going on to say that ‘inequality is increasing all the time; we are already economically disenfranchised, having the vote is where you start.’ ‘Speaking of political change, it’s all about Jeremy Corbyn,’ said Rees, praising the politician’s ‘authenticity of leadership’ and the way he’s ‘opening up spaces for us to ask the meaningful questions,’ before welcoming the Corbyn to the stage. ‘In Marvin we have an incredible candidate’ opened the new Labour leader. ‘I will be here campaigning for him next year. He will open the door for everyone to come in and make a great city; that’s the kind of politician we want, one that opens the door for others, not opens it and closes it behind them.’ The leader of the opposition then changed tack to talk about the main issue of the day: voter registration. ‘Without tackling the issue of voter registration our job will be so much harder,’ he urged. Cameron’s government have

Imogen McIntosh, the co-founder of the organisation, explained that the volunteers had believed that ‘no planning permission would be needed as the shelters they were building were ‘only temporary.’ The shelters they were aiming to construct were ‘only two-sided and were going to provide roofed, communal cooking areas.’ The volunteers were told by the Police to stop immediately otherwise the materials would be confiscated. The aid group appealed and made a video in order to show how easy it is to dismantle the temporary shelters and to highlight that they weren’t a permanent fixture; they were a temporary solution to help improve the poor living standards of the refugees. However, the French authorities simply said that the organisation would ‘never be able to build on the site.’ Imogen McIntosh is frustrated by how difficult it is to get aid to these camps. Despite this set-back, the organisation is not giving up and continues to give support to

the refugees. They plan to go back in a week in order to see whether anything else can be done. According to Ms McIntosh, who has seen the living conditions of the refugees first hand, ‘it is important that shelters are built otherwise people will die, especially as it gets colder.’ She went on to explain that ‘after running away from war, the refugees are absolutely terrified’ and it is dreadful how ‘they are now being treated like animals.’ The organisation, Aid Box Convoy, would appreciate extra support. Any skills are useful. You can contact the organisation via their email address which is: aidboxconvoy@gmail.com. ou can also find out further information through their Facebook page titled, Aid Box Convoy Bristol. If you are able to give a donation, big or small, visit their Justgiving Page which you can access via their Facebook page. Ms McIntosh emphasized that even giving ‘just five pounds can make a massive difference.’

Noa Leach News Reporter Meningitis Now, the leading UK charity for meningitis, teamed up with Bristol University to create Student Awareness Week, which took place between the 19th and 25th of October. The initiative aimed to enlighten students on the symptoms of meningitis, frequently confused with those of a hangover, and increase the number of vaccinations administered to first years. During Awareness Week there were also many flyers and posters around campus, including ‘symptoms cards’, in an attempt to increase student awareness. One in ten cases of meningitis are fatal. The bacteria live in the noses and throats of about one in ten of the population and are spread between people through coughing, sneezing, and kissing – all common to a fresher. ‘The highest risk of meningitis is in the first year of university, particularly in the first few months,’ according to the NHS. The charity has also created an interactive website, ‘Fight For Now’, written ‘by young people for young people.’ It encourages those affected by meningitis to share their stories and for teens to get involved in their support system in return for care and information. ‘Our vision is a future where no one in the UK loses their life to meningitis and

everyone affected gets the support they need to rebuild their lives,’ it explains. Professor Mumtaz Virji and Dr Darryl Hill from the University of Bristol are also heading a research team which could ultimately lead to one vaccination against all strains of the disease. Many cases of meningitis are ignored by students due to its similarity in appearance to flu, hangovers and the effects of drugs. Headaches, throwing up, confusion, sleepiness and dislike of bright lights are all indications of meningitis, but only a few may be shown at any point. ‘Awareness and a quick response is key to beating meningitis,’ Mark Hunt, Head of Communications at Meningitis Now, explained

George Clarke Online News Editor

Many cases of meningitis are ignored by students due to its similarity in appearance to flu

First year students are especially vulnerable due to a sudden exposure to pathogens and bacteria from all over the UK and other countries. According to the Meningitis Research Foundation, the vaccine has been administered to nearly 4,000 students at the University of Bristol. The vaccine is free to those at highest risk, which is a category that new students fall into. To ask any questions or book your vaccine, call the Student Health Centre on 0117 330 2720.


Epigram 02..11.2015

5

Clifton residents react to ‘Studentification’ Dalia Abu Yassien Deputy News Editor Residents’ Associations in the Clifton area have recently been creating initiatives to combat what they claim is ‘a time bomb’ caused by increasing numbers of students settling in the area. The Richmond Area Residents’ Association (RARA) and the Oakfield Residents’ Association (ORA) submitted a report to the mayor in August entitled ‘The Studentification of Clifton,’ a move which followed a quarterly City Council forum meeting where residents voiced their frustrations over the issue. The report defines ‘Studentification’ as ‘what happens when increasing concentrations of students move into residential areas, totally altering their character.’ Aside from the obvious and direct physical impacts such as noise levels or night-out debris (Dr Patricia Smith, Secretary for RARA, told Epigram that freshers’ month is known among residents as ‘vomit month’), the report outlined the economic impacts caused by students. For example, there is a palpable shift to businesses that cater mainly to

student needs. However, the report implied that students themselves are not fully to blame for the changes in Clifton; the exploitative private housing market was implicated, an issue interestingly also of concern to students. The initiative that arose out of this report was rebranded ABC (Action for Balanced Communities), although it is interesting to note that the agenda for the 13th October Neighbourhood Partnership meeting still lists the issue as ‘Studentification’. Bristol City Council issued a response in September to the ‘Studentification in Clifton’ report. The response stated that there have been attempts to attract students to the City Centre area, which currently has 6500 student beds and ‘a further 500 with planning permission,’ and claim to have recently developed ‘a robust policy approach to the management of new shared housing, including HMOs.’ It is estimated that students in Bristol (including both UoB and UWE) make up around 10 per cent of the total population. According to data presented by the ABC initiative, the tippingpoint at which the situation becomes a challenge to ‘social cohesion’ occurs when HMO (Houses of Multiple Occupation) inhabitants exceed 20 per

cent of the population. Around 25 per cent of Clifton’s residents are students. They also claimed that council city planning strategies dealing with the expansion of the University are ‘10 years behind the curve.’ Their aim is to ‘stem the flow of planning decisions in favour of new student housing in areas under pressure’ in order to ‘tackle an aggressive student housing market that has no interest in community coherence,’ suggesting the Council’s current strategies are not enough. ‘Why is it that the only planning document that’s available for planning officers is ten years out of date, completely wrong, wasn’t completely delivered, and doesn’t even touch UWE?’ Dr Patricia Smith commented. She cites the recent radical expansion of the University (the total number of undergraduates has risen by 37 per cent in the last decade), weak council policy and an aggressive and indifferent private sector housing market as the driving forces behind the issue. ‘This is a nightmare. No one is controlling either students, student numbers, student accommodation… it’s just growing,’ she stated. The recent events indicate an escalating discontent among residents at the changing

social landscape of Clifton. They also follow the distribution of ‘anti-student’ leaflets in Cotham in March. ‘Fortunately we don’t live in a world where it’s acceptable for any authority to say who can and cannot live in “their” neighbourhood depending on their occupation or any other feature of their identity,’ said third-year English student, Sian Jones. ‘The report seems surprised that the renting sector is manipulating tenants - this is a nationwide problem affecting millions across the country and is not uniquely caused by students. The writers of this report are actually surprised that such a problem has touched the people of Clifton.’ ‘Studentification in Clifton is not an issue, but a good thing,’ said Max Lonsdale, an Ancient History third-year undergraduate. ‘The people in Clifton have a strong community, which students successfully play a part of. Economically, I have always felt that students are a good thing. Students are a bit like quantitative easing for a community, they inject government money straight into the pockets of the local residents. In this way, there is room for exploitation, especially from landlords. I have never felt like a burden on the community because I am a student, I am another person who is part of the community.’

Flickr / ~Pil~

Developers have been constructing more HMOs in Clifton

Grants inadequate for student life in Bristol Ben Parr Investigative Reporter

Wordpress / StrikeJobs

70 percent of students who receive maintenance grants also have to rely on their parents to afford the cost of living at the University of Bristol, an Epigram survey has found. Students who are from low income families can currently receive a maintenance grant of up to £3,387 to help support their living costs. However, less than 1 percent of those who took part in the survey said that their maintenance grant covered their living costs. 70 percent of respondents claimed that they have to rely on extra money from their parents, and a further 76 percent said they had to work to help cover their cost of living, and many relied on both their parents and a job to supplement their grants. The Conservative government’s 2015 budget pledged to scrap maintenance grants for university students starting in September 2016, and instead replace them with a loan which will only have to be paid back after graduation and when they are earning over £21,000 a year. The NUS has described this change to the system as ‘detrimental to hundreds of thousands of the poorest students’. Aoife, a third year Veterinary Science student, told Epigram: ‘I find it really difficult to afford my living in Bristol with both my maintenance grant and loan. I am from a working class background and I’m having to rely on money from my parents which puts a huge strain on them and money I have saved from working in the summer between

necessary placements to accredit my degree. The system needs a complete overhaul.’ More than 200 students took the survey on the cost of living at the University of Bristol, more than a quarter of which relied on maintenance grants. A Spokesperson from the University commented: ’We appreciate that financial management can be difficult for all students, and particularly for those from low income families. We have put in place a range of support measures including living cost bursaries for students from families on low incomes, and we provide financial advice for all students as required. There is also a discretionary fund to provide financial assistance for students who have a particular financial need. Many students work part-time whilst they are studying, which can provide useful experience as well as income. We provide opportunities for students to work-part time within the University, and can provide advice about finding part time work elsewhere. We suggest that full time students do not work more than about 15 hours a week, to leave sufficient time for academic study.’ The vast majority of those not on maintenance grants also claim rely on parents and working for extra income. One student even claimed they relied on escort work to supplement their cost of living. Responding to a question on how they afford the cost of living, another student answered: ‘Working 20+ hour weeks in a supermarket to survive, including summer holidays. Whilst others fill up their CV’s with internships and work experience. Nothing could have prepared me for how segregated lifestyles can be at the University’.


Epigram

02.11.2015

Features

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Editor: Alex Green

Deputy Editor: Becky Morton

Online Editor: Richard Assheton

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On the offensive: arms companies come under fire from Bristol Left Becky Morton Deputy Features Editor

“ Between 2001 and 2006, the University of Bristol received £21,109,941 through projects sponsored by military organisations

explanation for the willingness of institutions to allow these companies a presence at careers fairs. A 2007 report by the Campaign Against Arms Trade found that between 2001 and 2006, the University of Bristol received £21,109,941 through projects sponsored by military organisations. These include arms companies such as BAE Systems and QinetiQ. Practices such as these have been the subject of student-led campaigns, for example at University College London, where students successfully pressurised the university to sell its shares in Cobham PLC in 2009. Other university societies including those at Oxford, Cambridge and Exeter have also taken a stand against arms companies. In 2013 a bill was passed by Goldsmiths Students Union banning all arms companies from campuses. Warwick University Students’ Union has had a ban in place since 2009. In February 2014 Bristol Left presented a motion at the Bristol Students’ Union Annual Members’ meeting (AMM), which resulted in the passage of two actions. The Union now supports ‘any action that seeks to raise awareness of BAE’s questionable business practices or oppose their presence on campus’ and agreed to prevent arms companies ‘from advertising themselves and recruiting in all UBU space.’ The final action of the motion, which proposed the Union put pressure on University management to ban BAE from future careers fairs, however, was not passed. On 21st October, two members of

“ The [Careers] Service believes that students who are interested in working for such companies are equally entitled to be able to interact with them unhindered’

‘The only area that significant numbers of students (still I think the minority), seem to disagree with us on, is the idea of banning BAE from campus – whilst still supporting us distributing alternative information. However, often

Flikr: Waldopepper

University of Bristol careers fairs are no strangers to controversy; groups such as Bristol Left have long opposed the presence of arms companies at these events. Last year, Bristol Left protested outside Wills Memorial Building against the presence of BAE Systems at the Autumn Careers Fair, handing out leaflets to students. In the past, they have also staged ‘die in’ protests outside BAE stalls at careers fairs, as well as running their own stall to provide alternative information about the arms companies present. Sponsorship of university research by arms companies is another source of controversy and for sceptics, a potential

Bristol Left were threatened with arrest after hanging a banner reading, ‘Arms off campus: Education for liberation not warfare,’ from the balcony in the Great Hall of Wills Memorial Building at an Engineering and IT Careers Fair. One student described to Epigram how he was removed by Security Services and threatened with arrest by a police officer, before being taken to the Senate House to speak with the ProVice Chancellor. There, the two students were threatened with disciplinary action, including suspension, if they did not show their University ID cards to security. The group also held an alternative information stand at the fair and handed out leaflets with information about the unethical practices of arms companies and other businesses present, such as Amazon and PwC. ‘The aim of the action was to raise awareness about these companies and the trade - these companies are profiting (i.e. making money) from and fuelling conflicts and oppressive regimes all around the world,’ a spokesperson for Bristol Left told Epigram. ‘We also wanted to highlight the issue that these companies are given a big platform to recruit and research by the university and the education system generally.’ One member of Bristol Left pointed out that the large amounts of money paid by arms companies for stalls at careers fairs may influence the University’s policy towards them. ‘Given how much money the University receives from these companies it is perhaps not surprising that the University cares more about allowing these companies to advertise than allowing students to campaign against them,’ he argued. Members of the group generally support both the banning of arms companies from campus and the boycotting of weapons companies and research by the university and science departments. According to the society, the response to their campaign has been largely positive. They see the passage of the motion supporting their campaign against BAE Systems in the Students’ Union AMM as a reflection of this.

BAE systems has been charged with corruption and accused of selling arms to dictators

when we talk in more detail about the corruption and the dictatorships they supply with arms, they are sometimes persuaded,’ he told Epigram. One fourth year physics student supported the actions of Bristol Left. ‘At a time where we are seeing the devastation of war and the refugee crisis, seeing arms companies represented and welcomed is outrageous.’ However not everyone agrees. ‘I understand that individuals may be opposed to arms companies but I think it’s right they are represented at careers fairs. They are a major employer, especially for engineering students, and we have a right to know what jobs are available to us,’ a second year engineering student commented. Stuart Johnson, Director of the Careers Service at Bristol, responded with a similar argument. ‘Students who are concerned about certain companies exhibiting at careers fairs are entitled to protest peacefully. In fact the Service enables this by allowing student societies to have an official stand at the entrance to the fairs, as Bristol Left did this week. However, the Service also believes that students who are interested in working for such companies are equally entitled to be able to interact with them unhindered,’ he said. So why do many students oppose the presence of arms companies, and BAE Systems in particular, at careers fairs? The obvious answer is that many believe the production of arms to kill

is inherently unethical and that the university should not be complicit in promoting such companies. Concerns however run deeper than mere moral opposition. Arms companies, particularly BAE Systems, have been involved in some highly problematic and, in some cases, illegal activities. BAE Systems is the third largest arms producer in the world and has sold arms to dictators and regimes accused of human rights abuses, including Saudi Arabia, which is ranked a shocking 163rd out of 167 countries on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s ‘democracy index.’ In March 2011, armoured vehicles sold to Saudi Arabia by BAE were used to suppress pro-democracy protesters in Bahrain. BAE Systems also provides operational support to the armed forces of Saudi Arabia and was involved in the bombing of Yemen in 2009. BAE Systems has also been subject to allegations of corruption. In 2004 UK’s Serious Fraud Office had begun to investigate BAE deals with countries including Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Tanzania, however this was terminated by the intervention of Tony Blair. In 2010 BAE Systems was fined and charged with corruption over a £28m radar deal in Tanzania, which took place in 2002. BAE Systems is not the only arms company to come under fire. In 2011, Chemring, an arms producer with UK headquarters, was accused of selling gas grenades to Egypt, which were used in the repression of pro-democracy protests.

Irrespective of the ethical concerns raised by arms companies, there remains a strong argument that students have the right to choose a career based on their own judgement.

The popularity of the ‘Careers Beyond Profit’ fair last year is a testament to the willingness of students to choose more ethical career paths

We may disagree with the morals of many companies, from banks to oil firms, but arguably this does not give us the right to dictate where other students can look for work. In a difficult economic climate, arms companies are a lucrative business. There are however, alternative options available in more ethical areas, such as the renewable sector. The popularity of the ‘Careers Beyond Profit’ fair last year, which showcased a variety of opportunities in the third sector, social enterprise and sustainable business, is a testament to the willingness of students to choose more ethical career paths. Perhaps the answer to such controversy over arms companies is to provide students with the full picture, through events such as ‘Careers Beyond Profit’ and the campaigning of groups like Bristol Left, allowing them to make informed decisions about their future.


Epigram

02.11.2015

7

Bristol lags behind in student diversity Tom Horton Features Writer

“ If students are primarily from a white British background, the university is only serving to entrench inequalities

Uncovering the reasons behind the lack of diversity at the university is difficult. The city’s ethnic diversity is broadly in line with the national average (council statistics state that 16 per cent of Bristolians belong to a BME group). It therefore seems hard to attribute the university’s diversity issues to the city in which it resides. Another diversity issue that the University of Bristol faces is the high percentage of students who went to a private school. However, this also fails

Epigram/Richard Assheton

The University of Bristol’s student body is unrepresentative of the generation from which it has come in many ways, perhaps most notably in its lack of ethnic diversity. Along with a large proportion of the country’s other top universities, the student population is not ethnically representative of the country at large. According to the university’s last diversity report (published in the 2013/14 academic year) 11 per cent of Bristol’s students domiciled in Britain come from a BME background. This is compared to the 20 per cent ‘sector wide average’ quoted by the university.

to explain the lack of ethnic diversity at the university; according to the Independent Schools Council 29.1 per cent of pupils in the private sector come from a BME background. The diversity statistics seem even stranger when you factor in that such a high proportion of students come from London, one of the most diverse cities in the world. Despite so many Bristol students coming from the capital, it seems that the university is still much more attractive to people from a very specific demographic. Whilst it may be difficult to explain why this has come to be the case, it is much easier to see why this ought to change. Obviously, there is a very clear moral argument as to why having the country’s BME communities underrepresented at university is wrong. Graduates tend to secure the best jobs, and given that this is one of the best universities in the country, if students are primarily from a white British background then the university is only serving to entrench inequalities. However, as well as being an issue that could potentially have broader ramifications for society at large, the lack of diversity is surely a very serious issue for the university itself. The university surely aims to create an intellectual community of the highest quality possible and by seemingly failing to appeal to certain sectors of society then the university is missing out on recruiting talent that would raise the standard of study. There is very strong evidence to support this. A recent study by Bristol’s own Centre for Market and Public Organisation used 2013 GCSE data to prove that London schools outperformed those in other areas

A panel discussion at a celebration of Black History Month held at the Students’ Union

of the country as a result of the city’s diversity; white British pupils tend to do worse at school than those from a BME background and so schools with greater diversity will generally do better. It seems reasonable to think that the same could be true of universities. The university’s equality and diversity policy contains a commitment to ‘advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.’ Essentially, this means that the university has made a formal commitment to providing greater opportunities to people who might unlawfully be discriminated against,

including ethnic minorities. The university has well established widening participation schemes in other areas. The ‘Students in Schools’ program pays students to go into schools in an effort to encourage pupils who go to state schools in more deprived areas to consider applying to university, and in particular to Bristol. Surely there is a strong argument for the university seeking to increase the intake of students from BME backgrounds too. The panelists at the University Question Time event were asked about the issue, and Proffessor Hugh Brady, the Vice Chancellor, told the audience:

‘We aspire to become an incredible, diverse institution. Let’s look at what others are doing well nationally, and put our collective minds together. ‘We have to recognise it is an issue and increase internationalisation and community outreach at a wider level.’ Guy Orpen, Deputy Vice Chancellor, also stressed that the University has an active research group accessing widening participation after Laura Ho, Postgraduate Education Officer at Bristol SU, said: ‘Quite frankly there is something seriously going wrong here. Something is not working. I’d love to see the university commit to researching BME discrepency.’

Degrees on the dole - but don’t despair yet Fran Newton Features Writer Three years, twenty-seven grand, the healthy functioning of your liver (potentially); that seems like a big chunk of life to invest in a degree. And I hate to break it to you, but according to The Guardian, more than half of us who

get one will probably end up in a job that doesn’t require one. With the government’s beady eye trained on apprenticeships, we’re not left with much to hold up against nongraduates. They have £20k salaries and sophisticated workplace skills by the time they are 21: we are left, like the proverbial drunk uncle at a funeral, shouting through tears about our ability

Flickr: University of Denver

A record high of 590,000 students still chose to apply to university in 2015

to analyse the metrics of a sonnet. Jobs that graduates do end up in tend to be in higher salary brackets, but they’re also more competitive. Picture a thousand History of Art graduates recreating Guernica for the same job at the National. Last year, The Huffington Post revealed that although courses battling academic snobbery (like Sports Science) don’t rank well, a more traditionally respected degree like English or History won’t leave you much better off. All three fall amongst the 20 least employable disciplines. The value of essay writing has gone out the window: nowadays, it’s all about technology. Arts? Schmarts. So if you are studying something more valuable, like Computer Studies or Engineering, after which you might reach that mystical pot of gold at the end of the exam, give yourself a pat on the back. We’ve all heard the fairy-tales of the billionaire dropouts. Richard Branson left school at 16, and is now worth £2.7bn. Alan Sugar referred to university as ‘a waste of time.’ These are the people whose burning cash fires the bubbling observation that a degree - unless you hit up the Bullingdon Club - is far from the key to the gates of career heaven it used to be. In 2011, The Guardian did a series of articles called ‘What to do with a degree in…’ That just says it all. But, despite all this meaningless

suffering, The Telegraph reported a record high of 590,000 students applying to study in 2015. A university degree must still be of some use. In reality, many employers do value an arts degree. We’ve all heard about the ‘transferable skills’ we gain from research to public speaking and constructing arguments. These are skills employers regularly specify in job description. You are not going to get on a graduate scheme with any top law firm or investment bank without a degree. In an increasingly competitive economy, a degree is a key differentiator between applicants. Employers such as PwC, Teach First and Deloitte specifically target undergraduates for their internships and graduate schemes. And a degree is more than simply an academic qualification. How often do people react to the news of someone going to university with, ‘Ah yes, Steve’s daughter went there, she got a 1st!’? Rarely. They’re more likely to go off on a spiel about Steve’s daughter’s dashing, lacrosse-playing husband that she met in that city, and recommend a nice pub. To some, university represents purgatory between the divine academic world, and the fiery pits of an office job. We get to study something we love for another three years, buying time before we have to face the *whispers menacingly* ‘real world.’ If a qualification was all we expected from university, the Students’ Union

wouldn’t exist. Freshers’ week would consist of early morning study sessions, and even earlier nights. Most campuses would be way out in the wilderness, where students have to walk several miles to go clubbing or find clean drinking water (not pointing any fingers, Warwick). In The Student Room’s top-five list of why students ‘really’ go to university, the only career-related point is ‘to delay going into employment.’ The rest involve escaping parents, a party lifestyle, the chance to start again.

” Both History and English fall amongst the 20 least employable disciplines

Even if the certificate you hold at graduation ends up lining the bin, there’s a general consensus that it is the people you throw your hat with (just picture Cameron, Osbourne and Johnson) and the time you spend fighting for causes, discovering new directors and falling over in beginners’ salsa lessons, that you’ve really gained. Your degree might be useless, but your life here is not. Besides, there’s always a master’s.


Epigram

02.11.2015

10

The changing face of the Islamist Jihad

Feggy Art

A Muslim preacher preaches the original message of Jihad: a spiritual struggle against oneself with sin.

Adele Fraser Features Writer When you hear the term ’Jihad,’ there are certain things you can’t help but think of. Terrorist attacks, those horrifying Bin Laden videos… It is instantly associated with Islamist doctrine and is most commonly translated as ‘Holy War.’ Even people who feel they are ‘in the know’ cannot be blamed for assuming that this is the ‘direct translation.’ Technically, they’re not wrong. In this day and age, colloquially it does indeed mean this. However, on a purely linguistic level, Jihad actually means ‘struggle’ or ‘striving.’ The confusion arises because the definition originates from writings in the Quran and ambiguous teachings by the prophet Muhammed. Jihad describesanindividual’s internal and external efforts to be a good Muslim. The focus is very much on informing others about the Islamic faith. ‘Military Jihadism’ can actually be used to describe how Muslims protect the faith using means other than violence. It can involve legal, diplomatic or economic means. Incidentally, in direct contrast to popular belief, in its original form, violence is a last resort. The use of violence also comes with strict parameters.

‘Innocents’ including women, children and the disabled must not be harmed and all peaceful actions from the enemy have to be accepted. But as we know, the common understanding of Jihad is not this. Much to the sadness of individuals named Jihad, the term is intrinsically linked with militant Islamists. Extremist groups including Al-Qaeda and IS have adopted this current definition. Despite current hostility between Al-Qaeda and IS, the groups are fundamentally tied by their similar views of Jihad. These perceptions have created a whole new ‘Jihadist ideology’ that involves a violent interpretation of Islam. This leads us to ask whether or not Jihad has been somewhat hijacked by political groups. There is a significant distinction between living a life by Islam and those who promote Islamist doctrine. Modern Muslims attribute the Arabic term to many struggles which can also seemingly exclude religious issues. For instance, an individual may be an amputee, without a leg; their Jihad would be to try and overcome this obstacle in their life in order to walk and run as well as someone without their disability. However, due to the nature of a ‘struggle’ and how it involves trying to ‘overcome’ an oppressive force, it is not

surprising that the word is often applied to a purposeful religious war. But when did this shift in meaning happen? Before the First Crusade, Islam and Christendom had coexisted for centuries in relative religious equanimity. The operative word in that sentence, however, is ‘relative’; there were frequent territorial conflicts between groups. However, although religious reasoning existed, the ideological influence of this wasn’t as significant until the Crusades. From 1071 onwards, the Turkish conquests of Anatolia and southern Syria broke the reasonably stable balance of power that the re-energized Byzantine Empire had developed with earlier Islamic powers over the 10th and 11th centuries. By the start of the First Crusade in 1096, Muslims had taken half of the Byzantine Empire’s territory. For Muslims, the Crusades did not necessarily begin as a ‘Holy War.’ Jerusalem was not a Holy City on the same scale as Mecca; from their perspective, it was much less significant. To begin with, the conflict seemed similar to other petty power struggles that were breaking out in the Middle East. Because the Muslim groups were not united, they could not have called a fullscale holy war. It did, however, evolve into

one as the Christians stayed in the region for a longer time. It turned out that Christians were not exactly sympathetic to Muslims. The continuance of their ‘warpath’ approach manifested itself in massacres, which illustrated the true force of organised Christianity for the first time. Funnily enough, this caused some resentment.

” There is a significant distinction between living a life by Islam and those who promote Islamist doctrine. Whilst the Christians devolved into factional conflict, religious leader Saladin rather ruthlessly created a unifying religious identity. Unfortunately, this religious identity sometimes led to the vilification of the West. The Muslim world has never really recovered from the cultural impact of the Crusades. This ‘us vs. them’ mentality has pervaded Islamic history ever since. Without going into the plethora of wars fought in the name of violent Jihad, it clear that this stance is still relevant today. Amongst religious fundamentalists, Jihad is still a rallying cry. This arguable ‘perversion’ of the original meaning of Jihad is directly

linked with the current conflicts in the Middle East. Although famously a horrendously delivered line, Bush’s statement that: ‘This Crusade, this War on Terrorism, is gonna take a while,’ highlighted a key shift in political rhetoric after 9/11. Muslims were now the enemy, and the leaders of the ‘free world’ were on a path to destruction. The American ‘axis of evil’ outlook has contributed to an accelerated increase in Islamophobia. According to the Metropolitan police, over the last year hate crime against Muslims has risen by 65 per cent. This has caused Muslims to feel further ostracised in society and has arguably led to the increased radicalisation of young Muslims. So how does this affect us? It is undeniable that in terms of the target demographic of our latest threat IS, young people are right in their sights. Many British students have reportedly run away to Syria to join IS. Whether it be the British pharmacology student, the three Bethnal Green school girls, or the five Holland Park School boys, they have all been young, vulnerable, radicalised and have gone to fight or marry in the name of IS. This is directly related to IS’ complex media strategy. Their unprecedented use of online tools to circulate their propaganda has been ruthlessly effective regarding recruitment. They do not only uses Facebook to

promote their terrorist activities, but have also developed their own app and instant messaging service. IS may be calling for a restoration of an archaic form of Islam, but there is nothing archaic about their new society. This new form of online terrorism, combined with the increasingly Islamophobic rhetoric we see from the media and in the UK generally, has directly hindered efforts to combat the issue. Considering the ‘youth’ aspect of the issue, from the 21st of September, the UK government have decided to enact laws which legally oblige universities to ‘prevent’ the radicalisation of students on campuses. This involves policies which may infringe upon free speech, and institutions—including the Bristol SU—have expressed concern that the bill specifically labels Muslims as suspects. This is not exactly helpful in preventing feelings of social isolation for Muslims and could arguably add to the slow march towards radicalisation. It is hard to know how much Jihad has deviated from its original meaning. However, it could be argued that an understanding of its purely religious meaning is vital to understanding Islam, and to the prevention of both Islamophobic sentiment and radicalisation itself.


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Feminism isn’t that pretty

Twitter reacts

Darcie discusses why beauty brands need to stop trying to sell feminism to self-identifying females

Darcie Rollins Comment Writer

Personally I would ascribe more importance to confidence in my brain rather than in my beauty.

The whole cast of pretty people and angel-faced kids speak with the sort of onscreen sincerity that only a really good director can achieve. At such overblown sentimentality my inner cynic sighed… but after a little reflection, my inner perky optimist rebutted (I’m somewhat indecisive) -- ¬surely this is a message that empowers girls? It is trying to take established and embedded sexist ideals and destroy them. What on earth could be wrong with that? Huffy cynicism aimed at tear-jerking ads aside, perhaps the pragmatic optimists have it; the fact that such an empowering point of view is being used, as opposed to a sexist one, is a sign of how much momentum and mainstream power feminism is gaining. Such power should be applauded, just as this advert should be too! That said - and this may appear an obvious point – even though ads with penguins and Tom Odell serenading are incredibly cute, we mustn’t forget that they are trying to sell us something. Therefore in thinking about an ad selling feminism, we need

Flickr/ Kiesha Jean

To be completely honest, the Always advert left me with an inner debate rather than an actual opinion. It also left me with a burning question of whether advertising can sell feminism. For those who have not had the joy of being moved by it, it involves a producer asking girls, women, a man and a boy to show what ‘like a girl’ means to them. The adults and young boy run with all the negative and weak connotations that the phrase brings. The young girls, however, apparently unmauled by gender constructs that come with age, spoke with determination and fire (cue the groundswell of inspirational music).

And then they said, ‘Girls can’t do that’ .... So I did it anyway haha.

to think about what said something is. Always sells sanitary towels and tampons. On the surface there seems nothing problematic about a brand using feminism to sell something that females do need. But, when we look closer, in fact there is something problematic with that. Bear with me while I examine another ad that has sold feminism, along with its product, to demonstrate what I mean. Let’s remember that Dove advert. You know, the one with the doorways of ‘Beautiful’ and ‘Not Beautiful’ and the everyday women having to decide, then discuss, which one to walk through. Is a lack of confidence in their looks an issue for women? Clearly yes. But is it the most important

If you really want to sell us feminism, sell it to our brains, not our beauty, nor our biology.

one for women? This is undoubtedly a question with many valid answers so I will only try to give my own, though I believe many others may agree with me. Personally I would ascribe more importance to confidence in my brain rather than in my beauty. Ads which focused on aiding this would appeal to

me more. By focusing on the myth that all women suffer from agonising self-esteem issues, Dove are in a strange way implying this is our ultimate concern. This is naturally to be expected by a creator of beauty products, which leads me onto another problem. The ‘we are all beautiful as long as we believe it ourselves’ message is lovely on the surface. However, the choice of focusing on beauty with women as the ever radiant, attractive objects of society, as opposed to intelligent individuals, is what underlies this campaign message. My reaction upon such ads is one I’ve never quite been able to put my finger on until writing this; that feeling of having been just a little patronised. But naturally this is what happens when advertising takes on feminism. In order to sell their products they appeal to the embedded societal values, inadvertently strengthening gender conventions in order to get as many people as possible to buy their products. Ads relegate feminism to the feminine - the beautiful and the biologically female. Ultimately, I doubt it can really sell an empowering message or promote a healthy mind set in doing so. When beauty companies try to sell us feminism, what they’re really doing is keeping women to the very spheres they already feel confined to. If you really want to sell us feminism, sell it to our brains, not our beauty, nor our biology. Please just sell it with pens or books instead!

Epigram Comment’s caption competition To mark the visit of Chinese Presdient Xi Jinping, Epigram poke fun at our relationship with China

Flickr / Number 10

Flickr / Number 10

Flickr / Number 10

@AdamBecket

@JdotAdotKdotL

@StefanRollnick

Think you can do better? You probably can. Send your best captions to @EpigramComment and make sure you follow us to take part in next issue’s competition!


Epigram 02.11.2015

12

Finding it hard to quit? Vaping 95 per cent less harmful than smoking Gina Degtyareva Science Writer

parts and refillable tanks. Vapers can also choose their own nicotine strengths and flavours. A whole subculture is emerging dedicated to vaping these type of devices. The e-liquid, which is turned into vapour, typically contains nicotine dissolved in propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, flavouring, and this is then inhaled into the lungs. The effects of each of these on the human body have been extensively studied. There are health concerns to do with the flavourings and the breakdown of the ingredients as well as contaminants. Nicotine is also toxic, but isn’t at the doses given in e-liquid. However, although it can carry some risks; all these concerns are negligible when compared with the damage smoking causes. Another important development in e-cigarette research is that there is no evidence so far that e-cigarettes

Flickr-www.ecig.co.uk

Trying to quit smoking is a hard feat to accomplish, especially for a student. An independent review released by Public Health England this August estimates that smoking e-cigarettes (also known as vaping) is around 95 per cent less harmful than smoking tobacco. This review also comes with the finding that they are fast becoming one of the most popular and effective ways of quitting smoking. Smoking is a risk factor for 6 of 8 leading causes of death in the world including heart disease and lung cancer. The tobacco industry design cigarettes to deliver nicotine, (the addictive substance), in the perfect way to make you addicted as fast as possible and make it very hard for you to quit. Unfortunately, along

with nicotine comes tar and carbon monoxide too, which are the main harmful substances that lead to disease. I attended a public discussion on e-cigarettes with talks by Marcus Munafò from the University of Bristol School of Experimental Psychology and Linda Bauld from the University of Stirling, where I learnt a lot of interesting information. These e-cigarettes have been found to deliver nicotine in an almost identical way as a cigarette, delivering a high concentration to the brain in around 10-15 seconds. This could be a reason why the new generation e-cigarettes have been found to be more popular than nicotine patches and gum. These other products don’t simulate a cigarette as well. The new generation of e-cigarettes are different as they are customisable with all replaceable

Flickr-www.vaping.com

are acting as a route into smoking for children or non-smokers. The vast majority of e-cigarette use is by smokers or ex-smokers. From the evidence we currently have available it has also been found that ecigarette vapour poses no health risk to bystanders. However, worryingly, the number of people who believe that e-cigarettes are equally or more harmful than smoking has increased from 8.1 per cent in 2013 to 22.1 per cent in 2015. This is likely due to confused evidence and ‘scare stories’ in the media as it is still new technology. This is disturbing as this perception may be keeping millions of smokers from quitting. In the university smoking policy, e-cigarette use is currently banned in all places where smoking is banned, which is inside all university buildings. This equal treatment could actually be detrimental and add to the perception that e-cigarettes are as harmful as cigarettes. However,

there could be hope as Director of Health and Safety at the University of Bristol Peter Adams and Professor Marcus Munafò both confirmed they are starting a discussion with the university to try and change the policy to ban smoking on the premises as well as in buildings but allow vaping on the premises. If this goes ahead it could provide a model for other universities where vaping is also currently treated like smoking. This will hopefully show that they are not equally detrimental to health and send out a message that the university supports people using e-cigarettes to help themselves stop smoking. So don’t believe the rhetoric, ecigarettes could be regulated and licensed medical products by 2016 and being prescribed on the NHS alongside their other Free Stop Smoking Services, helping us quit, instead of harming us.

I wouldn’t be surprised, therefore, if it becomes one of the first apps to go when I run out of storage on my phone, despite how much fun I had playing it. As a result, I’d probably recommend it more for keeping boredom away on long train journeys to and from Temple

Meads than relying on it to help you achieve that illusive 1st on your next assignment. 7/10- A throwback to the old brain training games of your youth, but too much content is behind a pay barrier.

App of the week: Peak Becki Murray Deputy Editor

aboutmodafinil.com

Despite feeling slightly offended at the suggestion that I should review this Brain Training app, I actually found myself enjoying it. Designed with the help of scientists from Yale and Cambridge universities, the app promises to provide some of the most advanced brain training exercises, as a ‘mobile gym for your brain.’ Once you complete the free sign up, you need to complete what will probably be the least active ‘fitness assessment’ of your life to allow the app to gauge your current capabilities. You then receive a personalized workout every day, which adapts to help you work on any perceived weaknesses in your cognitive ability. The concept works a lot like physical exercise, seeing a little bit of training a day as the key component for healthy brain development, in areas such as memory, mental agility and language skills. So if you struggle with remembering to return your library

books on time or find it really difficult to focus in your two-hour seminar, this could be the app for you. To try and encourage you to continue ‘training’ your brain each day, you receive Peak points whenever you complete a game as well as having the option to set daily reminders. It’s surprisingly easy to start getting competitive with yourself, especially when you start to see your scores improving and it’s nice to know that something that could get as addictive as Angry Birds is actually doing your brain some good. As the app is personalised, when you improve in certain areas the app adapts too, with levels ranking from Beginner to Grand Master. This ensures that you are always challenged by the set tasks and don’t get bored or stop improving. You can also track your progress on a whole host of graphs which allow you to see your monthly progress as well as compare where you place in comparison to others in your age group. The best statistical element is definitely the Brain Map which lets

you to see, more specifically, the areas in which you excel and those in which you could need more work. The biggest drawback of the concept is that a lot of the additional games and advanced training plans are locked until you upgrade to Pro and pay extra.


Epigram

02.11.2015

13

Taking history out of context: Streep’s T-Shirt blunder Comment writer Lewis Graham looks back on the early twentieth century and discovers parallels between old and new feminist movements

Lewis Graham Comment Writer Earlier this month, Time Out ran a feature piece on the film Suffragette, in which Meryl Streep, promoting her role as movement leader Emmeline Pankhurst, posed in a t-shirt bearing the phrase ‘I’d rather be a rebel than a slave’. The slogan, sounding closer to a racially-insensitive Simon & Garfunkel rework than a feminist battlecry, attracted controversy online, with many saying that the phrase carried racist connotations. As one commentator put it, the slogan ‘suggest[ed] that black people had the choice of enslavement’.

of the word ‘slave’ referenced the very specific act of coverture, whereby a woman’s legal status was delegated to being the property of her husband. In 2015, it does not. Yet what Time Out fails to appreciate is that since the offending slogan appears splashed across a plain white t-shirt, donned by Streep, and circulated on social media, it is completely divorced of any of this ‘proper context’ whatsoever. Regardless, Time Out’s half-apology - Streep and her co-stars have as of yet not commented on the issue - shows that it did not intend to provoke allusions to slavery or racist sentiment. Well, that’s a relief. But the complete lack of oversight from the publisher here, and the actresses involved, shows that important dimensions of race so integral to the unequal status of women in society are still foreign to

many mainstream feminists. This is unfortunately epitomised by Streep, a white woman, starring in a film about white women.

Time Out and Meryl Streep are in danger of promoting a vision of equality which is as white now as it was 100 years ago.

Historical figures are not immune to criticism. Even the most important figures in the women’s

rights movement have said and done things which ought not to be celebrated. Suffragette membership comprised almost exclusively of white women. Black women, being mainly lowerclass, faced two distinct barriers to suffrage largely ignored by the mainstream suffragists. Emmeline Pankhurst, played by Streep, went on to become a Conservative party member who, amongst other things, expressed her support of colonisation. Racism is embedded in the history of the women’s movement (and, indeed, most historical social movements). By failing to exercise critical judgment over the ‘slave’ quote, Time Out and Meryl Streep are in danger of promoting a vision of equality which is as white now as it was 100 years ago.

Even the most important figures in the women’s rights movement have said and done things which ought not to be celebrated.

Flickr / BBC Radio 4

Of course, since slavery in the United States was perpetuated by influential, rich, white Americans, use of the word ‘slave’ naturally raises alarm bells when coming out of the mouth of an influential, rich, white American. In response, Time Out defended the slogan, saying that it epitomises the idea of ‘fighting the impulse to be a “good girl”’ - an unfortunate choice of language - and that the quotes should be taken in their proper context. They’re absolutely right. The quote was taken from a 1913 speech by Emmeline Pankhurst, and she uses, in hindsight, language which appears offensive in 2015. That isn’t to say that she was wrong to say it, or that the quote shouldn’t be lauded, but it must be remembered that the language of the Suffragettes in 1913 ought to be kept in that context. In 1913 Pankhurst’s use

Just over 100 years ago, Emmeline Pankhurt said ‘She would rather be a rebel than a slave’ - a phrase influenced by the socio-political situation of the time

Speaker’s Corner: Performance isn’t everything Stefan Rollnick tries to show us what we can achieve when we spend less time worrying about how many bedrooms our future house will have

Stefan Rollnick Deputy Comment Editor

Is this what will define you as a person? Or is there more to happiness than that?

the trial was independent on whether they had won the lottery or lost the ability to walk, proving further that the final outcome and the paradise of job security may be useful, but it’s by no means the secret to happiness. What can this teach us about how we live our day to day lives? Well put simply, don’t be afraid to give yourself a pat on the back every now and again. Whilst it’s good to be motivated, consistently raising the bar every time we reach

Flickr / Univerisity of Bristol

‘It will all be worth it when you get that job.’ For those of us who are lucky enough to have parents, teachers and friends who want us to do well, we constantly find our minds wandering to a non-existent paradise, where we have a job, a house, and a young child who is already grade eight on the oboe. Thanks to the industrial nature of our post-war education system, children have become no more than ‘future units of labour’, whose only goal in life must be to strive towards a stable job, as if that is the only thing that can bring them happiness. Whilst I don’t want to introduce any sort of Russel Brand-esque nihilism into this conversation, as there are many benefits that come with having a stable job (there are many people for which this is a necessity to feed a family), there clearly isn’t enough emphasis on what makes us happy. A goal which, might I add, isn’t necessarily synonymous with moving to the Far East and becoming a Buddhist monk. A happy life and a productive life can be almost indistinguishable, so why do we feel the need to force productiveness at the expensive

of short-term happiness? Clearly to be truly productive you have to be happy; so surely we should see more parents pushing their kids to make sure they’re enjoying life? However,looking through the tinted spectacles of the industrial revolution, being relaxed and happy isn’t synonymous with high efficiency, so it isn’t a priority. Modern society isn’t a factory, it’s a world of inter-disciplinary collaboration and creativity, and we need to adapt our attitude to education accordingly. Life is a journey of ups and downs without a final destination, and to put a definitive end goal in front of a child to get them to work harder makes a mid-life existential crisis inevitable. To reach the ‘final destination’ with the belief that you can now switch the engine off, only to realise it was just a mirage, is enough to break the spirit of anyone. It is well documented by psychologists that having one big goal is less likely to make you happy as the single dopamine rush will quickly dissipate leaving you dissatisfied. Instead of this, if we focus on each little victory along the way we get a sense of continuous achievement and success. Professor Dan Gilbert famously claimed that we have the power within us to manufacture our own happiness, which is just as good as the real thing. He did a survey where he measured the happiness of paraplegics and lottery winners just after their respective life-events, and then re-measured it three months later. His findings showed that the happiness of any individual in

our goals kicks our self-esteem until it curls up in a forgotten corner of our mind. Growing up in a world where we’re constantly being told how hard we’re going to have to fight and scrap, just to get by, it’s very easy to despair. But I’d encourage you to remember the lottery winners and the paraplegics. Let’s not be scared into following someone else’s dreams, let’s be the generation that finally said no, we’re going to do what makes us happy.


Epigram

02.11.2015

Science & Tech

@EpigramSciTech Editor: Alfie Smith Deputy Editor: Matt Davis Online Editor: Amy Finch

asmith@epigram.org.uk mdavis@epigram.org.uk afinch@epigram.org.uk

UoB researchers revolutionise experimentation Sophie Zhang Science Writer Have you ever wondered how your laptop functions as you are surfing the web and doing calculations for your assignment at the same time? The evolutionary microprocessor chip inside most computers allows us to perform multiple tasks on one machine. Currently, the researchers at the Centre for Quantum Photonics at the University of Bristol are developing a programmable quantum computing optical chip to take micro processing to another level entirely.

The major difference between a ‘classical’ computer and a quantum computer is in the way they each record positional states. A classical computer encodes data into binary digits to carry out tasks. It is the ones and zeros technique that most people are at least somewhat aware of. A quantum computer, however, uses quantum bits and applies the rule of superposition, the fundamental principle of quantum mechanics, to go beyond this simple binary. The individual bits can be in any one of a

Flickr- Tom Small

Instead of building a new chip for every experiment, the same quantum processor can be rewritten

vast number of positions. This ability allows a quantum processor to tackle the huge amounts of information required to model complex processes, say a drug pathway in the human body, faster than ever before. PhD student Jacques Carolan and Dr. Harrigan at the Centre for Quantum Photonics explained that their ‘programmable quantum computer chip is revolutionary in its ability to be controlled.’ Unlike most other attempts to build a quantum computer, wherein chips have to be built specifically to perform

a single task, the computation performed by the chip at Bristol can be changed by ‘cleverly altering its temperature.’ Their team has put together a model that illustrates how their new chip design functions. It includes a laser source, a singlephoton source system and a series of single-photon detectors to perform multiple experiments on the optical chip in a relatively short amount of time. Instead of building a new chip for every experiment, the same quantum processor can be rewritten with the new model build around it,

which saves a huge amount of time. However, one major challenge lies in figuring how to connect engineering and quantum physics. Even though it’s theoretically possible, it’s very difficult to replace the laser source and single-photon detectors with several silicon slices from an engineering perspective. But once this problem is solved, a whole table of lab equipment will be replaced with a single piece of optical chip with several silicon pieces that can be replaced as the experiment changes. This research project will also have

an impact on the options available to computer science students at Bristol. According to Jacques Carolan, researchers at Bristol have collaborated with Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) company in Japan to manufacture this quantum microprocessor chip. This is being paired with a new Ph.D program called Quantum Engineering, which began earlier this year. Bristol is quickly becoming a world leader for quantum research and may have a big part in the way all computers work in the near future.

Students waking with the Devil on top Melanie Wedgbury Science Writer

“ The belief is that the body paralyses itself to prevent the individual acting out their dreams

‘You wake up in your bed just like you normally would. You get up to get a drink and then you just get pulled down by a force. It feels like someone’s sitting on you. You’re paralysed and unable to scream. But it feels like you are awake, not in a dream. I found the best way during the attack to shorten it was just to give in.’ The paralysis doesn’t necessarily have to be felt throughout the whole body, it may just be that the sufferer

cannot talk for a short while. The attacks can range from a few seconds to a few minutes and although they are not harmful, they can be extremely distressing. The reason this happens is due to an error in the bodies defence mechanism that protects an individual during the REM (Rapid Eye Movements) period of sleep. REM sleep is a period in which the brain undergoes a lot of activity. The muscles in the body are paralysed except for those involved with breathing and movement of the eyes. REM sleep happens when an individual dreams and the belief is that the body paralyses itself in an attempt to prevent the individual acting out their dreams as they happen. Factors that increase the risk of suffering from sleep paralysis include irregular sleep patterns, sleep deprivation, anxiety, depression and the use of illegal stimulants like MKAT, MDMA, speed and cocaine. A recent study showed that 70 per cent have admitted to using these substances and a smaller percentage admitted regular use. With causes like lack of sleep, anxiety and drug use, it is not surprising that students are at high risk of sleep paralysis. Several treatments have been shown to work in managing or curing this condition, most of which are focused

Wiki creative commons

A student’s life in the modern world is hectic and full of stress. A young person is expected to be full of energy and able to cope with working, studying and partying. The longterm effects of this lifestyle are rarely brought up in the wider media. Recent studies have shown that university students are in the highest risk category for developing a condition known as Sleep Paralysis. The symptoms are straight forward. Sleep Paralysis is a condition in which an individual will be temporarily paralysed upon falling into or waking up from sleep. It is however more common upon waking. It can be accompanied by a hallucination but this isn’t a common occurrence. An example of this includes a situation in which a sufferer, waking from a nightmare, will being unable to move. As well as being unable to move they will experience the brief visual image of a figure sitting upon their chest. This type of image is common and has been depicted in art for many years. A very famous piece being ‘The Nightmare’ painted in 1971 by Henry Fuseli. The artwork shows a woman

in white lingerie lying across a bed. Her head is draped downwards and she appears to be in an unconscious state, as a devil of some kind sits upon her chest. The artwork was said to have been inspired by the artist’s own experience of sleep paralysis. Em Vasicek is a young woman from Bridgwater, Somerset, and has regularly suffered attacks of sleep paralysis. Initially the attacks were once a week but have since been reduced to once a month

around changing the habits of an individual. The aim being to improve the quality, length and regularity of sleep. Positive approaches include reducing the amount of stimulating drinks containing caffeine in the

evening, such as tea and coffee. Ensuring the sleep area is clean and tidy. Keeping on top of mental health and reducing drug use. These however are not quick fixes and usually it takes some time for the condition to fade.


Epigram 02.11.2015

15

Finding it hard to quit? Vaping 95 per cent less harmful than smoking Gina Degtyareva Science Writer

parts and refillable tanks. Vapers can also choose their own nicotine strengths and flavours. A whole subculture is emerging dedicated to vaping these type of devices. The e-liquid, which is turned into vapour, typically contains nicotine dissolved in propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, flavouring, and this is then inhaled into the lungs. The effects of each of these on the human body have been extensively studied. There are health concerns to do with the flavourings and the breakdown of the ingredients as well as contaminants. Nicotine is also toxic, but isn’t at the doses given in e-liquid. However, although it can carry some risks; all these concerns are negligible when compared with the damage smoking causes. Another important development in e-cigarette research is that there is no evidence so far that e-cigarettes

Flickr-www.ecig.co.uk

Trying to quit smoking is a hard feat to accomplish, especially for a student. An independent review released by Public Health England this August estimates that smoking e-cigarettes (also known as vaping) is around 95 per cent less harmful than smoking tobacco. This review also comes with the finding that they are fast becoming one of the most popular and effective ways of quitting smoking. Smoking is a risk factor for 6 of 8 leading causes of death in the world including heart disease and lung cancer. The tobacco industry design cigarettes to deliver nicotine, (the addictive substance), in the perfect way to make you addicted as fast as possible and make it very hard for you to quit. Unfortunately, along

with nicotine comes tar and carbon monoxide too, which are the main harmful substances that lead to disease. I attended a public discussion on e-cigarettes with talks by Marcus Munafò from the University of Bristol School of Experimental Psychology and Linda Bauld from the University of Stirling, where I learnt a lot of interesting information. These e-cigarettes have been found to deliver nicotine in an almost identical way as a cigarette, delivering a high concentration to the brain in around 10-15 seconds. This could be a reason why the new generation e-cigarettes have been found to be more popular than nicotine patches and gum. These other products don’t simulate a cigarette as well. The new generation of e-cigarettes are different as they are customisable with all replaceable

Flickr-www.vaping.com

are acting as a route into smoking for children or non-smokers. The vast majority of e-cigarette use is by smokers or ex-smokers. From the evidence we currently have available it has also been found that ecigarette vapour poses no health risk to bystanders. However, worryingly, the number of people who believe that e-cigarettes are equally or more harmful than smoking has increased from 8.1 per cent in 2013 to 22.1 per cent in 2015. This is likely due to confused evidence and ‘scare stories’ in the media as it is still new technology. This is disturbing as this perception may be keeping millions of smokers from quitting. In the university smoking policy, e-cigarette use is currently banned in all places where smoking is banned, which is inside all university buildings. This equal treatment could actually be detrimental and add to the perception that e-cigarettes are as harmful as cigarettes. However,

there could be hope as Director of Health and Safety at the University of Bristol Peter Adams and Professor Marcus Munafò both confirmed they are starting a discussion with the university to try and change the policy to ban smoking on the premises as well as in buildings but allow vaping on the premises. If this goes ahead it could provide a model for other universities where vaping is also currently treated like smoking. This will hopefully show that they are not equally detrimental to health and send out a message that the university supports people using e-cigarettes to help themselves stop smoking. So don’t believe the rhetoric, ecigarettes could be regulated and licensed medical products by 2016 and being prescribed on the NHS alongside their other Free Stop Smoking Services, helping us quit, instead of harming us.

I wouldn’t be surprised, therefore, if it becomes one of the first apps to go when I run out of storage on my phone, despite how much fun I had playing it. As a result, I’d probably recommend it more for keeping boredom away on long train journeys to and from Temple

Meads than relying on it to help you achieve that illusive 1st on your next assignment. 7/10- A throwback to the old brain training games of your youth, but too much content is behind a pay barrier.

App of the week: Peak Becki Murray Deputy Editor

aboutmodafinil.com

Despite feeling slightly offended at the suggestion that I should review this Brain Training app, I actually found myself enjoying it. Designed with the help of scientists from Yale and Cambridge universities, the app promises to provide some of the most advanced brain training exercises, as a ‘mobile gym for your brain.’ Once you complete the free sign up, you need to complete what will probably be the least active ‘fitness assessment’ of your life to allow the app to gauge your current capabilities. You then receive a personalized workout every day, which adapts to help you work on any perceived weaknesses in your cognitive ability. The concept works a lot like physical exercise, seeing a little bit of training a day as the key component for healthy brain development, in areas such as memory, mental agility and language skills. So if you struggle with remembering to return your library

books on time or find it really difficult to focus in your two-hour seminar, this could be the app for you. To try and encourage you to continue ‘training’ your brain each day, you receive Peak points whenever you complete a game as well as having the option to set daily reminders. It’s surprisingly easy to start getting competitive with yourself, especially when you start to see your scores improving and it’s nice to know that something that could get as addictive as Angry Birds is actually doing your brain some good. As the app is personalised, when you improve in certain areas the app adapts too, with levels ranking from Beginner to Grand Master. This ensures that you are always challenged by the set tasks and don’t get bored or stop improving. You can also track your progress on a whole host of graphs which allow you to see your monthly progress as well as compare where you place in comparison to others in your age group. The best statistical element is definitely the Brain Map which lets

you to see, more specifically, the areas in which you excel and those in which you could need more work. The biggest drawback of the concept is that a lot of the additional games and advanced training plans are locked until you upgrade to Pro and pay extra.


Epigram

02.11.2015

Letters

@EpigramLetters Editor: Sophie Hunter letters@epigram.org.uk

Crucifix on Campus: an open letter

‘I love being at Bristol Uni atm bc i can go to Waitrose everyday and not be judged by my friends for buying Duchy Originals water.’

@KingDapo-

‘Walking to a lecture only to see the red ‘recording’ light is on and suddenly not giving a shit about what the lecturer says anymore.’

@rmfarley9-

‘Bristol: “But we brought a GIRL!” #universitychallenge’

‘I sin, because it makes for a very enjoyable and fulfilling lifestyle’

I am glad to say that I live in a democratic and liberal society where holding hands is no longer frowned upon, the frigid strictures of previous eras have thankfully melted away. Evidently when I was asked ‘Why do you sin?’ the word ‘Sin’ was used euphemistically to allude to the evident non-marital relationship I was and still am enjoying. Thanks to religion, sin is used pejoratively to refer to improper behaviour. These behaviours including both the self-evidently wrong; for example murder, theft and rape and the debatable; such as alcohol consumption, substance experimentation, premarital relationships and blasphemy. I would like to suggest that if we play devil’s advocate (pun fully intended) and accept the idea that a pre-marital relationship is a sin, then my answer to his question is simple: ‘I sin, because it makes for a very enjoyable and fulfilling lifestyle.’ In all honesty however, I don’t for one second believe my relationship is a sin at all and whilst I advocate freedom of speech, it is offensive for him to suggest to me that it is. My message to the erstwhile disciple and the suffering daily audience, in light of the above, is as follows. To my mind you cannot construct a convincing argument proving that you hold a superior moral position to my own simply because you believe and I do not. Moreover, I think I have proved that the symbolism invoked by your words and the cross you carry is morally questionable. By all means continue as you are, but is there really any difference between yourself and those socially shunned individuals who shout, wave placards and sell pencils in a cup, when you insist on not merely publically announcing your faith (which might occasionally be irritating but is well within your right to do) but also advising others on their deportment and their lifestyle. You ended your short conversation with me by stating that ‘Jesus loves you.’ Well, without ranting about the suspect evidence for Jesus’s existence, or further demonstrating the morally dubious actions of the biblical hero (which included by the way the introduction of the concept of eternal damnation in Hell – you won’t find mention of Hell in the Old Testament) I would simply like to add that I would rather Jesus didn’t love me and it is my right and the right of my fellow students, to live our lives (so long as we do not hurt others) free from the unrequested advice of the religiously indoctrinated.

Should religious symbols be prevalent on the university campus?

Flickr / ironpoison

Dear Editor, Living in Bristol you get used to seeing and hearing some funny things walking along the street, occasionally these things are bemusing and thankfully they are rarely concerning. However, to be pointedly asked by a stranger ‘Why do you sin?’ when strolling across the University precinct with my girlfriend, was not only concerning but also, to my mind, quite offensive. This incident demonstrated to me the odious phenomenon within our society which gives license to people to question and even interfere in the harmless behaviour of others if they can only position themselves under the umbrella of religion. The stranger I alluded to happened to be holding a full size wooden crucifix and thus was making a clear statement of his loyalty to the Christian faith. This letter does not demand that he no longer be allowed to stand in the precinct, after all he has a right to peaceful protest and we have no obligation to listen to him. However, I would like to point out from an explicitly liberal and secular perspective that perhaps both he and his audience would do well to consider the full implications of the messages he is trying to put across. The reason I took umbrage at what on the surface seems a rather petty incident is twofold: firstly, it is none of his business whether I am holding hands with someone or not and secondly, his possession of a cross and his concomitant claims to moral superiority are arrogant, misguided and socially pernicious. It is this second point that I will address first. The symbolic significance of the Christian cross is primarily that it represents a central element of the Christian faith – what is commonly referred to as the ‘Easter story.’ The belief that the only son of God, Jesus Christ, gave his life in return for the absolution of humanity by being executed via crucifixion and subsequently being resurrected is a central theme of their faith. In their eyes it represents God’s omni-benevolence towards humanity, Christ’s absolute sacrifice and the subsequent debt of gratitude that all humanity is born into when they exit the birth canal of their mothers. Let us take a minute to consider this moral belief which is broadcast whenever the cross and its holder appear on our precinct – I owe some of the following analogy to Christopher Hitchens. If I (a typical imperfect student) should take one of my housemate’s bananas this represents a theft of property. My housemate in all likelihood will forgive me, but I will still be guilty and have to live with the guilt of having committed an immoral act. Should one of my close friends take it upon themselves to protect me and claim responsibility for that theft, accepting any subsequent repercussions, then I am still guilty and my warm-hearted friend can never alleviate that. This case study may seem frivolous, but the argument beneath it is far from that. I did not ask Jesus to die on the cross for me, I do not believe that his

sacrifice (if it occurred at all) in anyway alleviates my guilt and to believe that it does is morally questionable. A society reliant on vicarious redemption is not a healthy or responsible one. One can begin to see why a man standing on the precinct holding the cross is on dodgy territory when he starts to offer moral advice to passers-by.

@Cxlliope-

A look back at my #firsttermproblems Helena Elliot Letters writer First Year: Term 1 It’s September. You are finally a first year, a ‘fresher.’ You’ve flown from the nest and landed yourself in what can only be described as a prison cell where you’re supposed to live for a 9month sentence. First problem: how do I make a friend? Did you sit in your room for a few minutes on your own wondering this same thing? Don’t worry, so did everyone. But just like everyone, you got up and went to see if you could casually strike up a conversation with someone in the kitchen, thus becoming best friends for life with them (that was the idea, anyway). A few days into Freshers’ Week and you’ve make a few odd friends here and there, but there’s no group. I mean, everyone needs a group right? How are you going to make a Whatsapp group chat if you don’t have a group? You don’t have a group to Whatsapp when you get lost on a night out, or a group where it’s socially acceptable to form a dance floor circle and drop a squat in the centre because you’re with ‘the gang’ (just me?). It takes a little while before random mixes of people divide into suitable herds. Term starts and you’re excited to have your first lectures. There comes the problem of actually getting to lectures. How much time do you leave? You attempt to make yourself look attractive for your first day (good first impressions and all) and leave your room with 15 minutes to spare. They said the number 16 bus only takes 15 minutes, so that’s all right, right? Wrong. The queue for the bus stop is so long you can’t quite see the end of it. Still, over the first few weeks, you get

Sam Head Letters writer

Tweets of the fortnight:

pretty good at arriving on time. That is, the one per week that you actually go to. Monday mornings you just write off, Bunker Monday makes Tuesdays a no-go, a tragic Tuesday Lizard Lounge ruins Wednesdays, Wednesday sports night makes – well you get the picture. Also, how are you supposed to sleep when there’s always one drug-fuelled room party happening nearby at any 24 hours of the day? So by the time the end of term comes round, you realise you have learnt approximately 0 things. But first year doesn’t count, so it’s okay.

Now you actually have to spend more than an hour on your essay

A month into first term (2 months for some), it’s probably about time to wash your clothes and change the sheets. You carry your dirty laundry through the hall to the laundry room, passing just about every attractive person in the entire building – obviously. ‘How the hell do you use these industrial monsters?’ you think. It wasn’t even that they were complicated to use or didn’t have instructions, but if you came from Surrey or London it’s likely you’d never done your own washing in your life. Quick call to mum sorts you out, before you realise you actually have to have certain coins to use the machine (‘Why does it take 20p and pound coins but not 50p!?’). Finally, term ends for Christmas with one last monstrous problem: second year housing. This is where it gets bitchy. You secretly start panicking and/or wondering about whom you’ll

end up sharing with. People start being brutally honest about who they can’t stand or who they like the most. Finally, when you have a housing plan in place and have sorted everyone into his or her most appropriate houses, there’s the one person who kicks up a fuss and it’s back to square one. Second Year: Term 1 Fast forward to the beginning of second year. You are finally away from halls where you’re kept up by seven different ‘DJs’ who think it’s great to practice at 5am while high on drugs intended for horses, rodents or iguanas (I don’t even want to know). No more problems right? Wrong. Your housemates are already bugging you. Don’t they understand you just don’t want to talk in the morning? You swallow the feeling your choice of housemates may have been a bad idea. Next it’s time for your first party. The problems become endless: the bickering starts. Do we need a theme? We haven’t invited enough people. Housemate 1 blames housemate 2 for blindly inviting everyone in the year. You panic nobody will like your theme. Housemate 2 shouts at housemate 3 for not contributing any effort to the party planning. You panic nobody will show up, a day later panic you’ll be so overcrowded the police will turn up. Meanwhile, your workload has jumped up. First year seemed so simple. Now you actually have to spend more than an hour on your essay, starting it a week early rather than the night before. This year actually counts! Final Year: Term 1 Three problems concern you at this time: what you’re going to do with your life, how you’re going to possibly pull off one of those dissertation things, and that you’re still single.


Epigram

Puzzles

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Editors: Suzie Brown; Andrea Philippou getinvolved@epigram.org.uk

Codeword

Numerator

Each number represents a different letter. Using the given letters, can you decode the whole grid of words? 11 22

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206 B in the H B 20 T in the P L 1024 B is a K 12 S of the Z 2 is the F P N

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02.11.2015

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12 = Average 16 = Good 20 = Excellent

E I O R H A A R D

Backronym

This week’s backronym:

UCAS

(Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) Your task: come up with a more fitting description using the same initals. You mustn’t use any of the words from the real meaning, or their derivatives. Tweet your ideas to @epigrampaper using #backronym The best backronyms will be posted online with the puzzles solutions.

Sudoku

I’m sure you know the rules by now.

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Answers will be revealed online at epigram.org.uk

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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^ANSWERS HIDDEN HERE

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A taster from Bristol 24/7

Ferguson: The Dear Leader Three years have gone by since George Ferguson was voted in as Bristol’s first elected mayor. Louis Emanuel takes a look at his colourful first term as his challengers prepare for May’s election. a hornet’s nest” with RPZs. His citywide roll-out was temporarily reduced but not halted. Was this enough to dampen the flames? No. Often seen arriving to meetings on his electric bicycle and with a separate policy of 20mph zones in full swing too, Ferguson was branded by some as a “car-hater”. It is not a stretch to imagine the joy on the faces of many a critic when Ferguson was caught speeding in a council car on the Portway - hitting 35mph in a 30mph zone in Shirehampton shortly after approving £2.3m for the 20mph project. Even Jeremy Clarkson enjoyed that one, having a pop on his last ever Top Gear. By March 2015 it was no longer a joke. Snide criticism and petitions boiled over into angry calls for resignation at a council meeting where Ferguson was called a “self-aggrandising dictator” by Clifton campaigner David Newman. “The RPZs are one part of the jigsaw which is going to make the city a better place,” Ferguson said in his defence, facing jeers from the public gallery in a scene later broadcast on the ITV documentary Parking Wars. “I want to make sure our children breathe clean air and we don’t take anything off their life expectancy.” Keen ears in City Hall would notice this was a pretty signature response used to justify his “strategic” decisions, sometimes without the backing of councillors. It is also a response which summerises Ferguson’s holistic vision of the city. An architect’s vision, perhaps. Evidence of this vision can be found in the push to build an arena behind Temple Meads, the council’s purchase of the crumbling former Royal Mail sorting office across from Platform 14 and the growth of Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone.

While undoubtedly succeeding in his goal of raising the profile of the city on the national and international stages, Ferguson’s time in Bristol has been mired by local controversies Alongside support for the pedestrian-friendly route from Temple Meads to the ss Great Britain known as Brunel Mile, the regeneration of Redcliffe Way complete with grand Europeanstyle plazas in the shadow of St Mary Redcliffe Church and changes to the city centre, Bristol has started to look like a city with a plan. Ferguson and his focus for change has succeeded in turning heads across the city, the country and even the world. Despite the criticism for tax-payer-funded trips to countries including Ireland, Switzerland, France and China, and a growing carbon

Bristol 24/7

“I’ve listened to you. Now fuck off.” It was May 10, 2013, just six months after his surprise election victory, when George Ferguson offered some sage advice to a notorious critic. Almost (but crucially not quite) drowned out by the drum and bass at the unveiling of a statue in the Bearpit, he was caught on film telling serial botherer Paul Saville where to go. The moment is a window into a man whose colourful style and leadership stretches beyond the crimson of his trousers. And it is a decent reflection of the stubborn and dissenting character of the city that he leads. It didn’t take long before the words of this unpolished, non-partisan politician who openly speaks his mind – often debating with the public on the ground and on social media – were immortalised in a video, a drum and bass remix and a line of commemorative t-shirts. The moment also spawned posters and stickers replicating a famous piece of graffiti by Shepard Fairey of Andre the Giant with the word “Obey” below Ferguson’s face. This remains an image routinely circulated on social media every time the former architect uses his power to force through controversial policy without the support of councillors. To many, this is akin to our mayor acting like a dictator. A few months before the unfortunate Bearpit episode, Ferguson had revealed some crowdpleasing policies on his first day in the mayor’s office. Unpopular Sunday parking charges, brought in only weeks before, were scrapped. The Council House name was changed to City Hall. And the new mayor announced he would be receiving his salary in Bristol Pounds – gaining him national headlines. But it didn’t take long before he unveiled his most controversial and divisive policy of his three-year tenure and one that still haunts him: residents’ parking zones (RPZs). Started tentatively by the previous Lib Dem administration, the policy was carried through with vigour by the electric car-driving Ferguson, who used his new powers to announce a citywide roll-out. This was a strategic decision, he said. One that was necessary to cut congestion. Cue the revving of the engines of the noisy car lobby kicking into gear. For the rest of his time in office, Ferguson has been accused of imposing an unwanted policy without the blessing of the people. His supporters would point out that he was only doing what nobody had the wherewithal to do before - and not dithering in the meantime. Being Bristol, there were of course protests. Most were minor, resulting in some devious vandalism like filling filing new parking meters in St Paul’s and Montpelier with expanding foam. But some went further. Traders in Clifton Village who claimed they could be put out of business with the new parking restrictions hired a World War Two Sherman tank which they drove down Park Street to City Hall, where Ferguson was meeting with councillors. The mayor eventually conceded he had “kicked

footprint, meetings abroad with foreign mayors, leaders and businessmen has got people searching for Bristol on the atlas. Perhaps the most notable win abroad for Ferguson came when he succeeded in bringing the European Green Capital to Bristol – “the city with the sense of fun” according to the judges at a glittering ceremony in Nantes broadcast live on the Millennium Square big screen. But back at home things have never been as rosy as they seem from the outside. While undoubtedly succeeding in his goal of raising the profile of the city on the national and international stages, Ferguson’s time in Bristol has been mired by local controversies over things like the sale of Bristol Port for £10m, severe cuts to the budget, MetroBus protesters being removed from the treetops in Stapleton, a rather nasty fly infestation in Avonmouth and, ironically, the Green Capital programme of events. Quickly dubbed “greenwash” by its critics, the project which was supposed to be the icing on the cake of the sustainability push over the last few years came under fire early on for awarding cash to arts projects like wicker whales, fishing boats in a wood and a musical tree over practical environmental solutions.

Not helping was Playing Out – a charity cofounded by Ferguson’s daughter Alice, who is now its managing director – being handed a Green Capital grant of £50,000 by Bristol 2015, the umbrella company of which Ferguson is on the board of directors. (A council report said funding was allocated after an independent review and by an independent panel). Which leads us neatly on to Make Sunday Special, a flagship policy borrowed successfully from cities abroad of closing the roads in various areas across the city and turning them into street parties and markets. The majority of events were well-received and well-attended - when the sun was shining. And the events once again got Bristol in the national press and undoubtedly raised the profile of a city which has only grown more attractive to the outsider in the last three years. But it also made the local headlines for the wrong reasons. In a Groundhog Day moment, Ferguson was harassed by a protester dressed as a fly with a loudhailer while among the crowds at the inaugural Avonmouth event earlier this year. He was caught on video openly giving the man a piece of his mind. “That’s a load of rubbish - you’re a jerk, you really are.”

Bristol24/7 has teamed up with YPlan to start offering tickets to all the major events in Bristol. Not only can you visit www.bristol247.com for our expert previews and listings, but you can now also purchase the cheapest tickets in town at the click of a button.


Living Style Food Travel What’s On

Epigram/ Sarah Newey

Treat Yourself


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Editor Rashina Gajjar

Deputy Editor Maya Colwell

Online Editor Will Soer

rgajjar@epigram.org.uk

mcolwell@epigram.org.uk

wilso@epigram.org.uk

@e2living

02.11..2015

Epigram Living Section 2015/16

Mel Rodrigues Interview: returns with Great Expectations TEDxBristol returns to Colston Hall on November 11th with the theme ‘Great Expectations.’ Maya Colwell interviews their new curator, Bristol graduate, film/television producer, and ex-Epigram writer, Mel Rodrigues.

Could you explain TED talks, and specifically TEDxBristol for readers who aren’t familiar with them? TED talks are essentially the most successful mini-talks in the world. They’ve been shared over a billion times and watched 1.5 million times every day. It’s about being able to access amazing content wherever you are in the world, whoever you are. As a journalist, I love TED talks because I will always be fighting for information to be freely available to all. Some of [the talks] can be life changing, and because they’re so short [under 18 minutes] they’re within the human attention span, so can really capture the imagination. TEDxBristol means that we have the license to host TED-style talks in Bristol, which we this year are making into something world class, with the aim of TED.com curating as many of our talks as possible. What makes Bristol the perfect place for a TEDx conference? Bristol is the city of ideas, with a sense of optimism and a can-do spirit. We’re blessed with so many different topics and people that we could have chosen from because of the number of innovators. The theme this year is about our Great Expectations for the future, an idea we came up with while we were thinking about Bristol, and that things feel more possible here- there are so many creative industries. It was a cold day in February, planes were falling out of the sky, and we just wanted to look for reasons to be optimistic, something we saw all around us in Bristol. We’ve chosen Bristol’s quiet heroes, who are in their own ways making the world a better place. You’ve got a hugely varied programme for the day, but the common themes seem to be environment and technology. Are those the two main issues for our time? They are, really. Bristol, being this year’s Green Capital, we really wanted to showcase innovations and be the change. Through using an app instead of programmes, we actually saved a whole tree, and by giving each participant a ‘keep cup’ as opposed to plastic cups throughout the day, we are saving thousands of cups from being chucked in landfill. TEDxBristol is going to be the most sustainable TED event so far, and with 2/3 talks happening every day somewhere in the world, if these changes were put into place, we could be making a real difference. The technological side is about human progress. There are already lots of TED talks focusing on technology, and Bristol being such an innovative place, we really wanted to use this as an opportunity to show the world what we’re doing here. These are the areas that we have reason to be optimistic about because advances in technology and focus on the environment are the things that will make our lives better. If we’re talking about ‘Great Expectations’ then it has to be about those things [like robot avatars] that are eventually going to blow our minds. There are also talks, like the one by Al Crisci (who won an MBE for his work on prison food, teaching offenders to cook) which are not at all technologically focused, and remind you that sometimes initiatives don’t require any amount of technology, but just human compassion. Work like his reminds us that no one is a lost cause.

We chose Bristol’s quiet heroes, who are in their own ways making the world a better place On a slightly different note, you studied Law and French at Bristol, which some may see as quite a prescriptive, vocational degree. What was it that inspired you to move into the creative industry? Bristol was a massive part of it. I didn’t quite know what I wanted to do, but it struck me as a good degree, and a solid topic. Law gave me an initial taste for work on social injustice, and in the humanitarian field, and what I loved most were the stories and case studies- the more human side of things. It wasn’t really until my year abroad, when I met so many different people, that I realised that studying Law didn’t mean I had to become a lawyer, but could use my skills for other things. Coming back for my fourth year, I really tried to re-align myself in the media fields; I got involved in Epigram, had a show on Burst, and made short films at the Apple Studios. I used my final year to learn the skills I needed for my journalism MA at Bournemouth, and through that the BBC. If someone had told me at seventeen that I’d be able to work for the BBC and curate something like TED talks, I wouldn’t have believed them, but at Bristol I learned to connect the dots and use opportunities that opened up.

Is there a favourite place in Bristol that you discovered during your student years and still go back to now? Yes, definitely, Boston Tea Party was there then, and still is today. It was a place for meeting people, and enjoying great food. It’s kind of come full circle now, with them helping out with TEDxBristol and hosting events for us. They’re one of the independent companies that I’ve had a long-standing admiration for. Coming from a small town in the Midlands, Watershed also blew my mind, with their cinema, café, studio, and now their media centre, where you can drop in and talk to like-minded individuals who are working on creative projects. As a student I actually just loved walking around because there’s so much to see. I don’t think there are actually many cities with such a visually rich landscape, everything is so built up, you can so easily just get lost in it. In later years, my housemate was doing gigs, so we discovered areas like Montpelier through the Music scene. The places I loved were really just the little independent cafés I’d go to with friends, and chat, and burn the books. It was nice to come back after Uni, because the city already felt like home. Finally, what advice do you have, as an ex-student, and Epigram editor, for anyone wanting to go into media and creatiwve industries? Don’t be put off by the fact that lots of people want to do it, ultimately there are lots of jobs, and someone’s got to get them, so why not you? Be able to spot opportunities, and don’t be put off by the idea of networking. It’s how so many of my breaks have come along- the industry works through the connections that you make, so connect, connect, connect, and first and foremost, have concrete ideas and proposals to pitch to people, because it’s not enough just to want to be involved, you also need to have something to bring to the table. TEDxBristol takes place on 11th of November at Colston Hall. Download the TEDxBristol app from the AppStore to learn more about the speakers.


02.11.2015

21

Great Sexpectations

Sometimes hopes are fulfilled, sometimes they aren’t... Deputy Editor Maya Colwell discusses tweed and disappointing sex.

Brandi Korte

I think it’s safe to say that almost everyone has some expectation of how great sex is. How couldn’t you, when every single film, song, poem, etc. seems to lavishly praise the fantastic experience? For every person with a great expectation there seems to be one with a disappointing first time. That is most certainly the case for me! After meeting ‘Army Fuckwit’* at a party, I was instantly drawn to his tweed jacket, tortoiseshell glasses, and right-wing views (unable to resist a debate). The fact that he was a trainee officer at Sandhurst just added to the novelty of the experience. Having found the vigorous snogging at a bus stop on Parsons Green thoroughly enjoyable, I figured that anything else would be just as good. After a few weeks of saucy texting and top innuendos, I walked straight into the lion’s den- the polo at Sandhurst- another novelty for me. Once through the gates I was ambushed by the need for a photo pass, and how on earth that mugshot didn’t scar my date past the point of recovery is beyond me. It was a wonderful day of supressed left wing views, horror at vast military spending, and Pimms (though not enough to make later events enjoyable). Fast forward a few hours, and I’m delightedly pinned against a wall, whilst being reminded of the number one rule, “No romantic liaisons on academy grounds”so far so good- sex and rule breaking combined, oh goody, thought I! Not so- here’s what I learned: - Army dorm rooms, are just a boys boarding school for adults, and even in places that reek of responsibility, there will always be a bunch of lads next door, making it best to keep quiet. Not ideal for a real orgasm, much less a Meg Ryanesque corker of a fake.

Wikimedia

-If someone claims to be ‘good at sex’ or ‘an expert’, it can only mean one of three things. They are: a) a nymphomaniac, b) they sleep around OR c) they fuck like they’re following a manual. In this case it was the latter. If you start rearranging Chemistry equations in your head during what is intended as steamy foreplay, you know you’re off to a bad start! -The more we persevered, and the more worked up he got, the more bored I became. Again, the ‘but this usually works’ should have been a tip off, but at this point I was just feeling bad for the poor chap. When it eventually came to the

Cisc 1970

When it eventually came to the big number, we both had the air of an overweight Marathon runner at the 38th Kilometre- we may as well finish it off…

big number, we both had the air of an overweight Marathon runner at the 38th Kilometre-ready to call it a day, but driven by the unrealistic goal of completion. You’d think it couldn’t get any worse, but in a half arsed attempt to make up for the flop (!) and possessed by a socially awkward Mr Hyde, I thought it best to close with a high five “for getting further than anyone else”. On reflection, this was definitely the single worst thing I could have done in this situation, but the blame lies with romantic comedies for the supreme disappointment I was experiencing at the time. It later transpired that this person had some pretty fruity views on immigration and pretty much every other social issue, so perhaps bad sex was just a symptom of what was to come. *Real names have been changed

Have you got a unique perspective on life in Bristol? Whether it’s because of your experiences since joining the university, your background, or your tastes, we would love to hear about it; just because you don’t think of yourself as a writer doesn’t mean you can’t write a great Living article!

Crush ofCrush the week: of the Skepta week: Skepta is basically the male Beyoncé right now. His rags to riches story embodies power and self belief. Drake is a massive fan (he recently got a ‘BBK’ tattoo, in reference to Skepta’s crew), and has fantastic fashion sense. Having just played a triumphant headline set at Bristol’s Simple Things festival and put out a BANGING remix of Jamie xx’s (I Know There’s Gonna Be) Good Times, I can’t think of a better person to gaze at right now.

If you have any ideas for articles then please come and say hello on Facebook (join the ‘Epigram Living 2015-2016’ group) or email your thoughts to rgajjar@epigram.org.uk Jm131131

Will Soer


02.11.2015

22

On My Year Abroad

Georgie Wooton explores the weird and wonderful uses of Tinder and how they shaped her year abroad experience.

StatickFlickr

To paraphrase that classic joke about vegans: how do you know if someone’s been on a year abroad? They’ll tell you. These days, my year abroad is my favourite (only) topic of conversation, and I can happily talk for hours about German public transport, my dramatic hospital stay, techno clubs, beer, and my lovely new friends. I also like to talk about how Tinder played a crucial role in my social life. I moved out to Düsseldorf last July, and for the first month and a half I kept to myself; I was the only intern in my office, I lacked the courage to hit the town and make friends, and the time to join a sports club. Then, after the aforementioned dramatic hospital stay, I was suddenly overwhelmed with boredom and decided to download Tinder to practice my conversational German, while thinking to myself I would never meet up with a stranger from a dating app. For a week or so, I juggled learning colloquialisms and awkwardly rebutting invitations to drinks, until I finally caved and met a gorgeous American at a bar in the old town. I had a great time, and my appetite had been whet: I went on to meet a Brit for beers in Cologne, then ate Israeli food and watched Gone Girl with a German-American artist-slash-model (I like to punch above my weight). I wasn’t specifically looking for one night stands or a boyfriend; I simply wanted to get to know some interesting people. I always split the bill, and never made it past the second date. As I gained confidence, I started to meet with Germans – the stockbroker, the lawyer, the engineering student with a hunting licence – and, on the recommendation of the artist-slash-model, to travel by myself. I took myself to Cologne, Berlin, Munich and Hamburg, where I would right swipe while waiting for the bus, and ask my matches for restaurant and club recommendations. At the end of February, I moved to Hamburg. On my second weekend in the city, I matched with a dishy German chap and went on a spontaneous night out with him and a few of his friends. I thought it unfortunate that nothing actually happened between us, but what did happen was even better: I went to their flat parties, and to drinks at their university, and met their friends, we grilled together on the lake, bought supplies for refugees, went clubbing on a Sunday afternoon. They even cooked a little leaving dinner for me. If you’re on your year abroad, or on holiday, and feeling lonely, or you’re not sure what to do with your evenings – or even if you’re just bored of feeling like a tourist – I highly recommend you download Tinder. Thanks in no small part to the app and the people I met while using it, I have become more confident, spontaneous, and open-minded, and have since found it much easier to start and continue conversations, keep up friendships, and explore new cities. I still haven’t quite mastered dating, though.

Get Hands On withYour Boobs and Help Stamp Out Late Detection

Baps, berries, boobies, or simply breasts- no matter what you call them you should have been seeing them all around campus as part of CoppaFeel!’s boob week. CoppaFeel! is a charity aimed at young people, dedicated to stamping out late detection of breast cancer. While most 23 year olds are fresh out of university and heading to work (although us Bristol students are likely planning our 3rd gap year) CoppaFeel!’s founder Kris Hallenga was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. In her own words, it was a ‘nuclear-bomb-sized curveball’. However, instead of staying angry, Kris started a revolution and founded CoppaFeel!

The whole charity revolves around getting young people to start talking about their boobs, getting hands on with their boobs, and really encouraging people to check themselves regularly. We want to get people talking more openly. Recently, for the Lorraine show, Kris went around the general public asking women to describe their boobs and almost every answer was either big, small or an equivalent word. What CoppaFeel! want to hear is words like peachy, firm, bouncy or squidgy – getting to know what normal feels like for you could save your life.

our own boob week. We have been out en force across campus encouraging you to get hands on with your puppies all of boob week, alongside some muffins (yes, as in the food) at our bake sale. We also invaded your sports night, inspiring a lot of laughter looking like tits (once again I’m being literal, as the photo below should explain). Our final event was a special screening of ‘Kris: Dying to Live’, our founder Kris’ own documentary, which shows her strength, passion, and indomitable spirit as she battles her illness.

October is national breast cancer awareness month and so the Bristol CoppaFeel! Boob team have been raising awareness with

Knowing your boobs could save your life, so we hope you’ll continue to get hands on in our absence. Emilia Levett

Emilia Levett

StatickFlickr


23

Editor Hattie Bottom

Deputy Editor Plum Ayloff

Online Editor Phoebe Jordan

hattie@epigram.org.uk

payloff@epigram.org.uk

pjordan@epigram.org.uk

@e2style

02.11.2015

@epigramstyle

Clio Peppiatt: fashion leader for a new tribe of digital women Hattie Bottom explores the designer’s new gamer girl SS16 collection, inspired by a disappointing lack of female roles in computer games

Instagram, @ClioPeppiatt

Instagram, @ClioPeppiatt

her trade with internships throughout and prior to her training. A real priority is that the pieces are high quality: ‘colourful and fun… but also well made and sophisticated.’ The pieces combine appliqué, tailoring, faux fur and beading, which makes for the best party concoction; Marina and the Diamonds recently wore a custom faux fur stole to the Brit Awards. However, Clio also designs pieces which are suitable for everyday wear. As I interview her, Clio is wearing a matching pastel pink two-piece suit. The jacket and skirt have symmetrical

mouse and spaceship appliqués. For everyday practicality, Clio Peppiatt handbags include inbuilt technology to charge your phone , and the designs are far more adventurous than other brands currently offering the same function. As a whole, the collection has consistent symmetrical patterns and everything is perfectly balanced to highlight the quality of the design and cut. ‘Although it is eye-catching all together, you can wear one piece at a time. It can work in a girl’s everyday life… You can wear a jacket with a T-shirt and jeans. I definitely have days where I don’t want people to look at what I’m wearing. You just want to blend into the background, you want throw something easy on and know it works with something simple.’ I recommend Clio’s ‘Shark Bite’ tee (£40) and ‘Pebbles’ coat (£578) to snuggle into on a cold Bristol morning.

Appliqué designs, Instagram @Clio Peppiatt

Instagram, @ClioPeppiatt

There are lots of girls who love gaming... The collection is for this new tribe of digital women.

Clio Peppiatt at LFW showrooms. Epigram/ Hattie Bottom

Clio Peppiatt designs have been featured in Vice, Elle, Grazia and Hunger Magazine and worn by Pixie Lott, Marina and The Diamonds, and Elizabeth Jane Bishop. ASOS recently ran a Careers in Fashion event at the V&A and Clio was chosen to be on the panel - but how has she achieved all of this in just over a year and a half ? The answer: Clio understands our generation of women. We love fun fashion, but we want to be taken seriously too: ‘it’s ok to be a feminist but still like fashion.’ Clio Peppiatt is made for girls who want playful, feminine clothes which also convey integrity and power. When I met Clio at London Fashion Week she was launching her SS15 collection. She describes her muse for the collection as a ‘modern day digital girl’ and much of her inspiration stems from ‘watching a lot of documentaries about the world of video gaming and basically being disappointed by the female characters portrayed in them. ‘In Grand Theft Auto the female characters are predominantly prostitutes who you can have sex with and then kill to get your money back,’ she continues. ‘The fact that this is so widely accepted is really disappointing, especially as there are lots of girls who love gaming (so for them especially it’s really bad). The collection is for this new tribe of digital women. A bit like warrior women.’ As well as taking inspiration from magazines such as LOVE and Garage, Clio has often worked closely with feminist magazine, Polyester, which aims to ‘bring together a new generation of female artists, musicians and writers and create a space for everyone to bounce off each other.’ Clio studied womenswear and textiles at Ravensbourne Design School but has practised

Hattie Bottom Style Editor


02.11.2015

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Gender neutral clothing: a new world order of XXY

Poppy Charlton explores the evolving world of gender neutral fashion and the brands that are redefining modern gender boundaries Themes of androgyny and unisex fashion have been emerging since 2011; now, in 2015, Facebook has over 70 genders to choose from. The new wave of gender-neutral clothing is here, bringing with it the rise of minority power in western society. Popular culture has been a huge driver towards change for this trend, from the Givenchy kilt worn by Kanye West in 2012 to the 2014 Austrian winner of the Eurovision song contest, gender-ambiguous singer Conchita Wurst. The rise of the gender-neutral model, notably Ruby Rose, has pushed the zeitgeist in a new direction along with media hype surrounding famous transgender women, particularly Caitlyn Jenner and Orange is the New Black actress Laverne Cox. From LA to London, genderneutral brands can be found in boutiques, but they have started breaking out from their avantgarde surroundings. Selfridges

opened a pop-up shop in March this year for all things unisex. The store offered sharable attire from brands including Raf Simons, Tommorowland and Rick Owens. Named ‘Agender’, the space tapped into a mindset which acknowledges and responds to a cultural shift bringing gender-neutral to a wider audience. Due to the success of the initiative, reviews are now ongoing for the introduction of permanent spaces online and in-store. International Playground in New York is a concept store that blurs the lines between art, commerce and fashion. The garments and products on offer disregard gender, giving a new, all-inclusive retail experience. Just round the corner in Soho, Opening Ceremony, known for stocking some of the most avant-garde labels, now stocks the unisex brand ‘Kye’. Korean pop icon Kathleen Kye launched the brand in 2011 with a huge hip-hop influence. The garments are designed with no gender in mind but are a combination of

male and female silhouettes. On the high street American Apparel and Urban Outfitters are breaking into this growing market. American Apparel recently launching their first unisex T-shirt range, though their marketing fell into dispute. Depicted was a male model in a neutral stance, whereas their female model assumed a much more sexy pose with a semi-exposed breast. The advertising sparked debate surrounding sexism in marketing. While gender-neutral clothing may never be for the masses, there are vast changes occurring in the world of fashion. So, embrace unisex trends; it means double the wardrobes to raid.

Poppy Charlton Style Writer Images from: selfridges.com/agender

Try out the hottest new trend, if you dare to think pink 2. 4. Ask for a helping hand when applying the dye, particularly with the hard-to-see places. The trick is to apply it as quickly and evenly as possible, starting from the roots.

1.

Nia Price Style Writer

3. Epigram/ Hatte Bottom

There is some bad news: if you have dark hair, pastel pink hair dye will not show up well. The more saturated you want your hair to look, the lighter it needs to be. So for best results, bleach first. If in doubt, visit your hairdressers to explore the possibility of a bleach-free look.

fashiongonerogue.com

With rosy-hue hair featured on a new celebrity head daily, there has never been a better time or a shortage of inspiration to take the colour leap. From Fearne Cotton’s all-over bubble-gum pink hair to Rachel McAdam’s subtle highlights, you too can transform your look and create the ultimate fashion statement. Whether you are taking a trip to the hairdresser or braving a DIY job, here are some tips to remember before jumping on the pink lady bandwagon:

Pink hair fades fast. You can expect it to lose its vibrancy within about two weeks. To maintain the colour for as long as possible, wash minimally, and when you do, incorporate some moisture rich ingredients into your styling routine. Putting some coloured dye into your regular conditioner for upkeep is a smart idea!

Avoid heat. It strips colour quickly, so whenever possible, leave your hair to dry naturally and restrain from using curlers, straighteners or hairdryers. After washing your hair, rinse it with cold water. This will close your cuticles and lock in colour for longer.

Ready to embrace the pink hair trend? Good. All that is needed now is the product. I recommend Knight and Wilson Colour-Freedom Ultra Vibrant NonPermanent Hair Colour in Pink Pizazz accompanied by Colour-Freedom Pasteliser. For those of you afraid to brave a full head of pink hair, dip dyeing or using a colour crayon or chalk can be equally as eye-catching.

Colour-Freedom Pink Pizazz, and ColourFreedom Pasteliser both £6.99 from Superdrug


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02.11.2015

Philip Treacy: Hats of the 21st century

Jessica Alcock uncovers the allure of the legendary milliner - his exquisite headpieces and celebrated collaborations - at the launch of his new book. Italian Vogue editorial, 2007

harpersbazaar.co.uk

Italian Vogue editorial, 2007

Philip Treacy is a craftsman in a class of his own. The milliner’s creations have adorned the heads of many a celebrity: Lady Gaga, Sarah Jessica Parker, the Duchess of Cornwall, Madonna and many more! With the launch of his new book, Philip Treacy: Hat Designer, The Sunday Times’ Style Magazine interviewed Treacy at the Cheltenham Literature Festival’s ‘Step Into Style’ event. Let me paint the scene; the 20 metre long dining table at No. 131 The Prom in Cheltenham is flanked by 50 women who have just participated in an outrageous Jeremy Kyle-esque dating question and answer session by Style’s dating consultants Cosmo Landesman and Dolly Alderton. The alcohol is flowing and there is eager anticipation for Treacy’s arrival. The milliner mastermind takes his seat on a top table and the giggling, booze-infused chatter transforms into an awed silence as Treacy relives parts of his book and his work with Style Fashion Editor Claudia Croft. The Irish designer’s friendship with the lately departed Isabella Blow and Alexander McQueen provided a base for most of the interview. Not only did this trio propel Treacy into the fashion world (Blow, Tatler’s Style Editor, took Treacy under her wing and became his mentor) but it equally sparked a fusion of talented visionaries. Blow was the voice box behind Treacy’s work; Treacy claims ‘she invented us’; ‘she made it possible’. From an introduction to Karl Lagerfeld, head designer at Chanel, (masterminded by Blow) Treacy was making hats for Chanel at the age of 23. As brilliant as Treacy is, he didn’t hide away from the fact that, in the fashion world, it’s who you know and how they can give you a pass into their exclusive and elite society. McQueen and Treacy’s work ballooned from their original, daring flair. As a duo they were, and are to this day, spactacularly harmonious: ‘McQueen understood that the right hat did not distract from his mastery; the right hat gave it transcendence’.

Left and right images from Philip Treacy: Hat Designer

Vogue Paris editorial, 2013

[Isabella Blow] invented us, she made it possible

Vogue Italia editorial, 2008

Facebook/ 131 The Promenade

Tatler, 2010

The interview is by no means a tearjerker. The marvellous hot-pink book that Treacy cradles under his arm is inspirational and hypnotic. Full of stunning photographs of Treacy’s masterpieces that strain the definition of a ‘hat’. Some are shaped like pine trees, some like charcoal scaffolding, and others, I can only describe as extraterrestrial spectres. There is no material too obscure to be used in Treacy’s designs - just a flip through the pages of Hat Designer is proof. Asked which has been his favourite ever design, Treacy replies ‘the next one.’ He tells how, after finishing a creation, there’s always something that he would want to improve upon and he seeks to do better in the following hat design. Think hats are a little passé, only a wedding accessory or the occasional Ascot indulgence? Treacy makes us think again. We all have heads, just as much as we have bodies, so why should hats be of any less interest to us than the clothes that we wear? Elegant, bold and all the rage, it’s no wonder Treacy’s handmade pieces are coveted by the rich, the famous and, indeed, by any hat enthusiast.


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Editor Izzie Fernades

Deputy Editor Tom Horton

Online Editors Issy Montgomery; Becky Scott

02.11.2015

getinvolved@epigram.org.uk

Join us at: Epigram Food Section 2015/16

Follow us at: epigramfood

Are those Sleigh Bells I can hear? Charlotte Wass questions whether eating Mince Pies in October is really worth it

Epigram/ Sarah Newey

There are still pumpkins left wilting on front door steps, their wicked grins and sharp eyes drooping sadly at the fact that Halloween celebrations are over until next year. Yet with the taste of toffee apples and pumpkin pie lingering, we are already seeing mince pies, Christmas puddings and advent calendars lining the shelves in supermarkets. Seriously Sainsbury’s? I’m still feeling sick after the amount of candy I ate on Halloween and you’re already tempting me with these Christmas treats! While you could argue that this can help you to get organised and stock up early ready for the festive season, if we’re honest that just isn’t what happens. You buy several boxes of mince pies, a tin of Quality Streets and a couple of bottles of Bucks Fizz in preparation for Christmas Day… and then the following week you’re back to Sainsbury’s to restock after the Bucks Fizz ended up as predrinks for a spontaneous night out, “just one mince pie” after a bad day turns into three empty boxes, and the Quality Streets acted as a wonderful companion during a lazy Sunday of Netflix. Come on, we’re only human, who has that much willpower to be able to resist? If you don’t want to guiltily scoff a whole advent calendar before the first day of December, then your only option is to not buy one until the 30th of November. Having said that, I personally do not see any problem with getting in the Christmas spirit early. Everyone loves Christmas, and if you say you don’t then you’re lying; it means a holiday

from studying or a few days off work at least! So why not extend the happy Christmas period and tuck in to those selection boxes and Christmas puddings guilt free? These irresistible indulgences are only around for about 3 months of the year, which means that for a massive 75% of your life you will not be able to enjoy these luxuries. Don’t miss out on this once in a ‘year-time’ opportunity is what I say… in fact, why not have a November advent calendar to count down the days until your December advent calendar? Just like your lecturers are always reminding you: if you fail to prepare then you are preparing to fail. The same can be said for Christmas prep. By sampling every brand of mince pies that the supermarket has to offer before Christmas Day you are putting yourself in a good position to choose the tastiest and most satisfying box for the big day itself. Similarly, testing out your Bucks Fizz and eggnog alcohol threshold in advance will save you from any embarrassing incidencts occurring on Christmas Day which your family will continue to bring up every Christmas from then on. Being pro-active is an important life skill and a quality that employers value greatly, so why not start developing this capability by getting keyed up on the essential Christmas goodies early on? Happy Christmas!

Would you eat food out of a skip? How Bristol is tackling Food Waste The idea of eating food from a bin is, to many, not very appetizing, but Skipchen is not aiming to ensure a 5 star culinary experience to wow the customers of Cheltenham Road. Their ethos is aimed at tackling food waste – if you hang around until closing they give away anything that hasn’t been eaten that day – and if at the same time they can feed those who really need it whilst providing a friendly hub for charitable work then I think it should be fully supported. They are probably the only café that faces the impossible task of going out of business.

Five ways to reduce food waste: 1. Buy what you need, not what you think you need. 2. Cook in bulk, but make sure you freeze the leftovers! 3. If it hasn’t gone off, don’t throw it away! ‘Use buy’ dates are always precautionary. 4. Use the food that is going off first, before opening something new. 5. Think ahead and plan your meals.

Ellie Donnell

Flickr: zeevveez

As a nation, we are wasteful. The UK alone throws away 7 million tonnes of food and drink from within our homes every year and crucially, more than half of this is completely edible! We fear the onset of the ‘use by’ date or the fact that food doesn’t always look perfect. As soon as that bag of bananas even so much as shows a sign of a black blemish, they’re immediately assumed ‘inedible’ when they could just as easily have been used in pancakes, blended into a smoothie or, and I’m sure to the delight of the family, have been baked into a banana loaf cake. Has the Great British Bake Off taught us nothing? There are two main reasons that we throw away so much good food. Firstly, we buy too much, use many of our shopping bag items once and then forget they exist until found at the back of the fridge covered in mould. At this point, yes, throw it away. The solution, however, is not letting it get to this point, which is why the fact that we simply don’t use the food we buy before it goes off is the second reason for so much waste. Indeed, it’s not just food we’re throwing away - it’s money, costing the average household £470 a year or £700 for a family with children. It’s time to start thinking economically. As a second year student, the realities of money and budgeting are by now deeply rooted in the way I think about food. I plan meals (when I can!), freeze leftovers and store almost everything in the fridge to ensure that I use it all. Then, when I’ve finally finished the last tin of sardines at the back of the cupboard, I start again and do a new shop. There will be various items I pick up throughout the week when I’m running low but it’s important to look in the fridge, all the way to the back, and ask yourself: What can I make with all of this? Those student cookbooks your mum sent you off to university with at the beginning of the first year will finally come in useful. This is exactly what Bristol’s ‘Skipchen’ have set out to achieve, but on a larger scale. The Stokes Croft café is led by volunteers who scour the supermarkets in the evenings to collect any unwanted stock. They then use anything they can find to serve up new dishes everyday to customers on a pay- as-you-feel scheme depending on how much you think the meal is worth. As a result they see a diverse range of customers, whether it be students looking for a cheap lunch out, or the homeless who are struggling to afford to eat; everyone and anyone is welcome.


02.11.2015

Warming Winter Recipe: As the days get a little shorter and the chills get just that little bit chillier, I can’t help but crave the most warming, cosy and soul-nourishing meals. No doubt it’s the season for comfort food, but that doesn’t have to mean giving into the stodge! This one-pot wonder quinoa dish is sure to become your best friend over the coming months. A beautiful combination of healing and immune systemboosting spices and root veggies, it’s super quick to throw together in the evenings and will be sure to keep sniffles away. It’s become my go-to as these colder nights make their appearance, and for all you health fiends this one’s totally vegan and gluten free! Safe to say we’re onto a winner this winter.

INGREDIENTS (for one):

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A Nightmare on Corn Street Jordan Kelly-Linden describes her chaotic evening at St. Nicks Night Market ‘Overcrowded’, ‘disorganised’ ‘disappointing’:

three words which stand out across all of the comments on the St Nicks Night Market Facebook event. And, from first hand experience of the night, I have to agree; these complaints are completely honest and true. On Friday night, St Nicks promised to play host to ‘Bristol’s best restaurants’, but if any health and safety inspector had cared to drop by, then no doubt that ‘restaurant’ would have been shut down in a heartbeat. Never mind the claustrophobically packed street, (when 9k people click attending on one Facebook group, you’d expect it to be busy). However, despite the event having been scheduled to start at 6pm, by the time we arrived at 6:20pm, half of the vendors were still setting up and most of their food wasn’t yet ready to be eaten.

60g quinoa 1/2 avocado Handful of spinach Veggies galore (I adore sweet potato, asparagus, beetroot, chargrilled red onions + courgette, but go with whatever takes your fancy!) 1/2-1 tsp each of ground coriander, cumin seeds + mustard seeds 1 tsp of paprika 1/2 lemon Handful of chopped coriander

METHOD: Start by dry frying all the spices in a pan until the seeds start to pop. Add in the quinoa with double the amount of water + bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Chuck in your chosen veggies and top up with a little water if need be. Pop the lid on and leave the veg to cook through, I love it when the sweet potato goes super super soft! Chop up + throw in the avocado and stir through so all the flavours and juices are mixed up. Turn off the heat and stir in the spinach until it wilts. This dish is also perfect for adding any leftovers, some extra mushy lentils + mung beans and soft okra have got to be my favourites. Cosy up on the couch with this warming bowl after a long day, knowing you’re refuelling yourself with total glowing goodness!

It soon became clear that a lot of the vendors were unable to cope with the numbers and time pressures. In fact, we saw only a handful of stalls who’d anticipated the crush. While the rest of the vendors suffered under lengthy prep and turnover times, these ones prepared cheap, quick, and easy finger food to pick up and take away. Across the market most vendors were also conscientious of food allergies. However, whilst some claimed to offer gluten free treats, this was not actually the case. After a lengthy conversation, it became apparent that these sellers were confused about the difference between gluten-free and wheat-free – a distinction which would have left any celiac in a sticky situation… Unfortunate as it is, last Friday my flatmates and I had planned an evening down in the city centre where we could indulge in a multitude of delicacies at what promised to be a fantastic event. Instead, what we were faced with was a nightmare. I have to say that (if I ignored the price of the tiny portion) I did manage to make it away with a £6 worth of great-tasting Brazilian fish stew, and three delicately flavoured cupcakes for £5. My flatmates, on the other hand, weren’t so lucky.

Comfort Food at its best Flora Doble lets us know the best places to go!

Racks, ST Paul’s Road, Fish Pie, chips and veg!

Recipe and Images: Aish Shah

One of them, after having waited twenty-five minutes for pulled pork, was handed a soggy brioche bun filled with dry shredded meat that went straight in the bin. Where exactly she dumped it I am not certain, seeing as there was not only a shortage of seating, but also a serious lack of bins. My other flatmate, who’d gunned for the stall looking to offer the largest portions for the least amount of money, was likewise disappointed. Her dry, flavourless curry soon met the same fate as the brioche bun. All in all, the market had potential but its organisation was optimistic. Punters were expected to form organised lines and not to push, and the issue of cyclists pushing their bikes through the crowds had, seemingly, been naively overlooked. It was a nice idea that vendors would be ready to start selling at 6pm, but again, this seemed unlikely considering the day market only packs up at 5:30pm… What could have been a great, quirky evening was let down by a lack of planning that dampened the mood and, ultimately, left everyone wondering why they’d bothered in the first place.

Brunch at Caffe Florentina, Whiteladies Road


19.10.2015

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Editor Camilla Gash

Deputy Editor Ella Ennos-Dann

Online Editor Annabel Lindsay

cgash@epigram.org.uk

eennosdann@epigram.org.uk

alindsay@epigram.org.uk

@e2travel

@epigram_travel

02.11.2015

Epigram Travel Section 2015/16

Surviving the 8.3 Chris Makin

Chris Makin, who is on his year abroad working in Santiago, tells us what it was like to experience the huge earthquake that hit Chile earlier this year.

Flickr / Brett Jones

Twas late September when the unexpected happened. I had been here a good three months and, once you’ve spent that much time in Latin America, quite honestly, not a lot surprises you. It’s hard to put in to words how it felt when an 8.3 magnitude earthquake hit Chile. I had already experienced ‘temblors’ (tremors) - although, they really are anything but that as some had exceeded 5.5 on the Richter scale. Many people may not know that there really are different types of earthquake: unlike the violent, deadly 8.8 the country endured in 2010, this one quite literally felt as though you were at sea. This was to such an extent that my housemate claimed she felt sea sickness for some hours afterwards. From the outset, there was a strong sense of disbelief of the fact that the ground beneath you seems to not be as safe as you’d hope - it felt like the ground was bouncing. At the time I wasn’t scared but it was more a case of me being in awe of what was going on. My landlady and Chilean housemates beckoned us to the front porch where the sturdiest part of the house is. There, you could see streetlights and trees swaying noticeably and that, topped off with some Chileans hysterically crying, started to change my mindset.

That evening I attended an ‘asado’ (barbeque – Chile’s national pastime) where the rest of the aftershocks, some of which exceeded magnitude six, were enjoyed with beer-in-hand and ‘choripan’-inbelly (essentially a chorizo baguette - both ingenious and delicious.) The following days consisted of more aftershocks, yet the most notable came on Friday morning when I experienced a 6.6 aftershock on the 21st floor of the office where I am interning. That experience is one I would like to forget, seeing as a swaying 25-story building is not an ideal situation to be in. At the weekend, with a group of 80, I ventured out to the surfing town of Pichilemu for the infamous ‘dieciocho’ (18th September) national holiday where Chileans celebrate their independence. What you may have heard about earthquakes is that tsunamis are sometimes generated as a result of them. During the festivities of the Saturday evening an almost air-raid-like siren could be heard. It really was an uncomfortable sound. This was a tsunami warning. Something you definitely don’t want to hear in a crowd full of drunken Chileans. The tidal surges instead hit far North in Coquimbo, which had a 15ft high wave. Considering this earthquake truly was a major natural disaster with the might of it being felt in Buenos Aires and São Paulo, some 1,110 km and 2,600km away respectively, it was lucky that there were minimal fatalities on the whole. Not a single building in Santiago collapsed during the quakes; a testament to how hardy this country really is! Chris Makin

Tibet: In Search of Shangri-La The arid plateau rises before us, entwined by rustic-hued gorges that meander to hidden corners of untouched earth. With the lowlands of China behind us, we battle our way over mountain passes, on dirt-roads carved to ruin by the whims of nature, ever humbled yet troubled by the vastness ahead. Lured to this fabled kingdom locked in mountain fastness, we forge footsteps in the paths of travellers and traders, to forbidden lands of treasure and riches, boasting rivers and ranges, mountains and monasteries, captivating the yearnings of many and summoning but few. A mere two roads traverse the enormity of Tibet, where we voyage eastwards; four friends and one driver, laden with fuel, dried food, and untold spare wheels. Following dry riverbeds and daunting ridges, on winding routes that navigate boundless terrain, we saunter perversely with reckless abandon. Surveying breath-taking scenery and the remotest of stupas, we discover sand-laden shores of turquoise waters and mirroring lakes fringing snow-capped peaks. Crossing glacial torrents and climbing cliff-top shrines, we were awestruck in a state of aesthetic arrest; mesmerised, perhaps hypnotised, by this Himalayan paradise. Clambering up crumbling stairways to a perilous summit, we stand alone on the fortress of the great Guge Kingdom, now but a ghost of its former days. Engulfed by a spectacle of bewildering brilliance, seas of sandstone stand aligned and weathered in unity, like frozen armies of the rulers of old. Might the fabled utopia of Shangri-La lie here, whispering to the world from some distant past? A place of oracles and sages and harmonious humanity. Gazing across seemingly spiritual landscapes, nomadic dwellers speckle the grasslands in perplexing solitude, in simple yurts nestled in sheltered enclaves. Dressed in sheepskin coats and with braided hair, their faces speak of the hardship of herding, and the trials and troubles of winter winds. Shimmering above distant clouds, Mount Kailash dominates the impending landscape, jagged and glistening - yet to be climbed. Remote and remarkable, its headwaters form four great rivers – the Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra and Sutlej – where we commence a kora; a circumnavigation of the most sacred

mountains, with Buddhists going clockwise and the Bon travellers in reverse. We peer up in awe, enveloped by the muttering of mantras and spinning of prayer-wheels, following pilgrims with utmost passion and piety, like lucid dreamers on a lifelong quest. Steeped in magic, myth and mystery, we ascend the dramatic Dolma Pass, to be engulfed by snow-laden prayer-flags lining a frozen lake. Here spiritually transcends to downright reality, where at 5,600m altitude sickness sets in!

- Travelgram -

Go to Tibet and see many places, as much as you can; then tell the world. - The Dalai Lama Treasured moments of peace became fleeting and precious, with civilisation beckoning as Lhasa appears. The heart of the world proved a dystopian parade, with Chinese malls lining Tibetan monasteries and capitalist marketing outweighing calming monks. But amidst the circus, the Potala Palace rises steeply, glittering white in the rising sun; a maze of curious rooms of comparable wonder, glistening with gold and gems, stupas and shrines, adorning temples and tombs, memorials and murals. It was colourful, sensational and distinctly memorable. The Jokhang alike was a photogenic feast, resonating a rhythm of unified chanting monks, the air thick with juniper incense and the smoke of candles. It was time to return to roads less travelled, to the fusion of flora and call of the mountains, to secret places and misty gorges. We ascended the formidable Friendship Highway, anxious yet excited, as Nepal awaits. Steve Gibbs

Rainy Amsterdam, by @emilyfaint1996 Tag your travel photos with #epitravel to be featured on our account. Each issue, we’ll print the photo with the most likes.


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02.11.2015

How to avoid rocking the boat in Thailand 5) Don’t Touch The Head Bit of a weird one, but Thais see the head as a sacred part of the body, which shouldn’t be touched without permission. I only stuck that in because I know a lot of gap year pilgrims visit orphanages, and patting kids on the head will attract disapproval, as will patting anyone else to be honest.

Ahhh Thailand. If you’ve ever been a fresher, chances are that you’ve had to endure listening to people rave about their gap year travels to this country in a desperate attempt to find common ground with someone they met about 25 seconds ago. Even if you decided against a ‘gap yah’, chances are you’ll probably end up at a full-moon party at some point in your life. It’s an inescapable part of uni life, like fresher’s flu or the Wessex 16 bus. With that in mind, it’s best you prepare early, so here’s a list of six things you probably didn’t know about Thailand…

6) Stepping Over Someone Could Start A Fight In contrast to the head; the feet are seen as dirty and insulting. Stepping over someone sitting on the street has the potential to trigger a fight (I’m not even kidding). And whatever you do, definitely don’t put your feet near someone’s head! Whilst in Koh Samui, we witnessed a group of westerners breaking this rule. Luckily, one of the hostel owners intervened before things got really ugly, but don’t leave it to chance!

1) Drawing A Fake Moustache Could Land You In Prison The Thai Royal Family is pretty much universally adored and revered by their people. For that reason, anything that could be deemed as disrespectful towards their royals is a huge nono. In fact, it can land you in prison for up anything up to 15 years! As recently as 2007, a Swiss man was jailed for drunkenly painting a fake moustache over a portrait of the King. In fact, even questioning the existence of the monarchy verbally could land you a heavy sentence. Flickr/ Rushen

2) Don’t Point! What British tourist doesn’t do this instinctively? Well, it turns out that Thais perceive pointing in the same way that we perceive a two-fingered salute. Most locals tolerate westerners pointing, but not if they point at something Thais hold sacred. This means pointing at monks, temples or the Royal Family is out of the question if you don’t want to find yourself in trouble.

4) Cover Up Many Thai people perceive westerners (especially women) as overtly sexual and with loose morals. This is mainly thanks to the effect of Hollywood movies and an already conservative local culture. This means that dressing in skimpy outfits is likely to attract a few disapproving looks. I found this out the hard way, when I wasn’t allowed through Thai Border Control for wearing a tank top. Trust me, it’s not fun to spend four hours on the Cambodian border trying to find somewhere that sells t-shirts.

3) Keep It Down Raising your voice in Thailand, especially outside major tourist destinations, is never a good idea. At best, it’s perceived as a loss of control, and at worst unacceptably aggressive. Even if you’re not raising your voice in anger, Thais will still be embarrassed on your behalf – even if the person you’re shouting at is clearly one of your mates!

Despite all this, Thailand is an amazing country, with an incredible and unique culture. It is also highly resistant to outside influences, and can claim to be the only country in the world not to have been occupied by a foreign power since the first millennia B.C. None of the above reasons should (or probably would) put you off visiting Thailand and having the holiday of a lifetime. Just remember, it pays to know about a country before you visit. Thailand isn’t Bristol, after all. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office have an array of great advice for anyone planning on visiting the country they call the ‘land of smiles’ - from information on cultural differences to the different jabs you’ll need before you go! You can check out the advice on: https://www.gov.uk/ foreign-travel-advice/thailand.

Callum Woodcock

Risky business in La Boca In retrospect, if this was the worst thing that happened on my travels then I did pretty well. At just 18 I could claim that I had ridden in the back of an Argentinian police car and chased a mugger, which served as perfect ice-breaker (and source of high-fives and congratulatory free beers) for the rest of the trip! While my mother may never let me leave alone again, I don’t regret the lifelong friends made, the generosity of strangers, or seeing the incomparable beauty of Latin America. In fact, I urge those considering such a journey to overcome any reservations and book their plane ticket; you’ll never experience such changes in thought, such stunning sights, such a multitude of new people and ideas – though I would strongly recommend following advice when it comes to dangerous areas to avoid… Noa Leach Noa Leach

As an 18-year-old girl with no knowledge of Spanish and little solo travel experience (except an EasyJet-facilitated French exchange), my decision to travel alone around South America was a little surprising to both my family and myself. And even though I was mugged, experienced bank fraud and endured a dodgy minivan trip through the Andes, these were some of the best months of my life. Previously, choosing the IB Diploma over the traditional Alevel system was the biggest risk I’d taken, until I booked flights from Heathrow to Buenos Aires– a city in a country I knew very little about. The city itself is bursting with life and flavour: tango is performed in the squares and fans scream at the infamous Boca football games. Amazing local food is served throughout the city, from premium steaks in classy Palermo to street asados in edgy San Telmo. It was not surprising that upon arriving I felt overwhelmed. Though being alone is undoubtedly an anxiety, making your own friends, your own decisions, is a joy far greater than the rare moments when you actually feel isolated. I was suddenly able to follow my own interests around the country, to make friends with people who I truly connected with, and join them wherever they were travelling next. From Canadian cyclists and a Texan country singer to a Danish student and a Mexican diver, I travelled with people from all backgrounds and nationalities.

Noa Leach

Noa Leach

I’ve been from coast to coast of South America, seeing the indescribable Iguazu waterfalls, Patagonia, beautiful Valparaìso, the Andes, and many more incredible sights. On returning I felt so much more confident in myself, with new insights and skills like money keeping – and as a result found starting at university far less daunting than I had previously imagined. Of course, travelling alone isn’t always fun, social and safe— when the highs are high the lows can feel very low. Forgetting the warnings, I found myself wandering through La Boca, famous for “El Caminito”, a colourful alley lined with fairy lights and empanadas… and also known for its gang crime. Stood using my phone’s Google Maps in a pink dress and blonde hair, I was the clear target for a man who opportunistically forced the phone from my hands and ran. My immediate response, though impressively quick, was not smart in an area where gun and knife-muggings are frequent. Fortunately, I got away—shaken but safe— as the amateur thief had dropped the phone when I sprinted after him and hit his arm.


Editor Ben Duncan-Duggal whatson@epigram.org.uk

Flikr/:nirudh Koul

Credit: Jasmine Nemone

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02.11.2015

‘Why does it always rain on me?’ You’d be justified for thinking that, given Bristol’s recent weather. But fear not: all these events are inside, even the ones which are so frickin’ big they’re gonna blow the roof off. Bristol Bad Film Club at Thekla 12th November

Annie Mac at Motion (ft. Skepta + Redlight) 7th November

Reading the plot of Vibrations is entertaining in itself. It’s about a rock star who loses his hands, only to reinvent himself as a cyborg DJ just in time for the rise of rave. If that doesn’t whet

Annie Mac’s forthcoming nightclub tour looks to be her greatest yet. Fresh off of the back of a successful first year as one of Radio 1’s most prominent names, she’s packing up the van and hauling none other than Stormzy and Redlight around the country. Even if you don’t like house music, it’s not one to miss – in 50 years time you’ll be known as the grandparent who ‘Saw

your ‘so bad it’s good’ tastebuds, I don’t know what will.

FIDLAR at O2 Academy 10th November

Brooklyn at Watershed - November Credit: Garry Knight

Brooklyn looks at first glance to be a fairly clichéd and dull story – a costume drama about a woman who has to choose between two men. But what makes it interesting is that the script is adapted by none other than Nick Hornby, master of angst, as demonstrated everywhere from his own books to his screenplay of ‘An Education’.

Credit: Miriam Douglas

CORBYNOMICS discussed 2nd November This event is hosted by the Real World Economics Society, who aim to stimulate economic debate outside of the kind of numbers-based economics discussed in the university, i.e. they’re attempting to make economics into something more than a vocational degree for banking. Good luck with that. Anyway, with the title of this event and the questions it’s posing (‘Should there be a National Maximum Wage?’) it’s bound to become an echo chamber the likes of which have never been seen before.

FIDLAR’s lengthy absence since their first album has been down to frontman Zak’s alcohol and drug abuse problems, and it shows – the lyrics on their second album are incredibly heartfelt. That said, the best song is probably ‘West Coast’, but it’s just one of many in the bands repertoire which will be more than enough to fill the O2.

Credit: digBoston

Stormzy live!’

Got suggestions? Email whatson@epigram.org.uk with your ideas or to be featured in the paper


your guide to house hunting DON'T RUSH IN TO RENTING YOUR STUDENT HOUSE FREE EDUCATION

join the national demo WINTER WARMERS

snuggly swag

bristolsu.org.uk

SAVE THE DATE

something magical this way comes


National demonstration for free education Join us and thousands of students from across the UK in London. On Wednesday 4th November we are joining the National Demonstration for Free Education. We will be subsidising travel, so you can join us for just £5! As Bristol SU we have a policy which mandates us to lobby for free education. ‘Free education’ would mean that higher education would be publically funded by progressive taxation rather than tuition fees paid by students. Such a scheme would recognise the public benefit that higher education provides. But this demonstration goes beyond free education. The current government have launched a sustained attack on higher education and have shown a complete disdain for students. The government recently announced the abolishment of maintenance grants which support the poorest students’ access higher education. Estimates suggest that as a result of the Government's changes average

student debt for a three-year course will rise from around £40,500 to £53,000 for the poorest 40% of students. Debt will now be highest amongst those from lowest-income families.

The current government have launched a sustained attack on higher education and have shown a complete disdain for students

• Plans to freeze the £21,000 loan repayment threshold for five years, meaning that students will end up repaying more in real terms. This feeds into a political shift which increasingly sees Universities as freemarket companies and students as consumers. What ever happened to education as a public good? What happened to education as a right? We are lobbying our local MPs on a number of these issues but everything can't be won around the negotiating table and through letters. Let's mobilise on the streets of London for a demonstration to put education as a public good back on the agenda.

Further government plans include: • Plans to let some Universities increase tuition fees above £9000 in line with inflation • Plans to cut government grants to Universities • Plans to cut Disabled Students Allowance

Find out more and buy tickets from the What's On section on: bristolsu.org.uk/events


winter warmers from your student union shop

House Hunting Checklist By Christmas you might be starting to think about housing for next year, but don’t rush into it! Here are a few things to consider.

1. Where do I start? Decide on budget, your deal breakers and the things you’re not too bothered about. 2. Decide how many people you want to live with, and who. You don’t have to live with ALL your friends - you can leave some to go and visit. Fairtrade Unisex Sweatshirt Green

3. Check out reviews of different lettings agencies – some are better than others! 4. Book a viewing that all of you can go to. 5. Visit the property before your viewing at night and take a look at the area. Would you be comfortable there at night? 6. Make a list of key questions to ask during the viewing. You might want to make sure you ask about how much the electricity bill tends to be, whether the house has double glazing and other practical stuff. 7. Once you’ve chosen a house, get your contract checked by the accommodation office and make sure you get everything in writing!

Fairtrade Chunky Zip Hoody Plum

Something magical this way comes... This winter, the students' union will transform into an enchanted forest. The snow will settle in The Richmond Building, revealing gingerbread houses, forest trails and trees dripping in icicles. Come and warm up with a heady mix of mulled wine and dancing. If you look carefully you might even catch a glimpse of the northern lights.

USA Hoodies in Burgundy and Navy

shop.bristolsu.org.uk

11 December 2015 - Save the date


WHAT'S ON FEATURED EVENT Foals @ Anson Rooms Sunday 15 November We can’t wait to welcome Foals to The Anson Rooms as part of their first UK club tour since February 2014. Their thrillingly visceral return with the single titled ‘What Went Down’ earned a flurry of Radio 1 support as it accelerated towards 1.7 million views mark at YouTube.

november

This was followed by the hugely sucessful release of the album 'What Went Down'. We're looking forward to seeing this performed live!

Wednesday 4. National demonstration for free education: London, £5. Among a number of cuts which will hit students, the government have recently announced the abolishment of maintenance grants which support the poorest students’ access higher education.

Friday 6. VegSoc Brunch: Come and join VegSoc for brunch at the Deco Lounge on Cotham Hill (super close to uni!) Just drop in between 10am and 12pm.

Friday 6. Street Food and Karaoke in the Balloon Bar: Local street foodies BEats feed us with a different theme of food each Friday. On 6 November we have Burger Theory, and on 13 November we've got Gopal's Curry Shack. Plus get up and sing us a tune from our Karoake stage.

Saturday 7. Burst Radio presents: Some of the best student DJs rock The Balloon Bar.

Sunday 8. Get Active Dodgeball: Come and join our dodgeball session, every Sunday morning 11:30-12:30 - start your Sunday with a bit of active fun!

Monday 9. Get Active Kickboxercise: Come along to our Kickboxercise classes every Monday 4:30-5:30pm. Learn something new!

Thursday 12 Vinyl Styles night: Every Thursday in The Balloon Bar we will have a different themed tracklist playing. If you have any theme requests, tweet us @Bristol_SU.

Saturday 14. Autumn Beach Ride Come and join Riding Club for a ride on the beach!

Saturday 14: Slaves @ Anson Rooms Two-piece punk provocateurs Slaves are playing their biggest headline tour to date.

For more information on all upcoming events see bristolsu.org.uk/events


C U LT U R E



Epigram

02.11.2015

Arts

Editor: Mattie Brignal

Deputy Editor: Ed Grimble

Online Editor: Amy Stewart

arts@epigram.org.uk

egrimble@epigram.org.uk

astewart@epigram.org.uk

@EpigramArts

Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition opens in London Helena Napier travels to the Natural History Museum to revel in this year’s batch of photographic masterpieces On October 16th, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition opened at the Natural History Museum in London. This year, an international panel of judges had to sift through over 42,000 entries from 96 different countries before choosing the images that would go on display to the public. Upon entering the building we didn’t pass the museum’s celebrated ‘Dippy the dinosaur’, (the 21.3 metre long cast of a diplodocus skeleton) as we were escorted in through a side entrance. We were, however, immediately greeted with a series of extraordinary images: two komodo dragons wrestling in Indonesia’s national park, blankets of delicate spider silk draping a landscape stretching miles, and an octopus dominating the ocean floor, its bright orange brain visible through its translucent skin. This year’s competition saw Don Gutoski’s ‘A Tale of Two Foxes’ take the crown. Gutoski, an amateur photographer, captured a red fox dragging the carcass of its Arctic cousin in cape Churchill,

Canada. There is a strange symmetry between the facial expressions of the warring foxes; one dead, the other shielding its eyes from the icy wind. The victim’s coat, originally white, is stained pink with fresh blood, drawing attention to the brutality of nature. Winner of the Underwater category, Michael Aw, produced one of my favourite images: a Bryde’s whale ripping through a mob of sardines moments before he swallows them using the baleen mechanism, allowing him to extract the large volumes of water he has taken in whilst ingesting his solid prey. The sardines remain in a swarm as they migrate along South Africa’s wild coast, only to be stopped in their tracks by an imposing predator. I learnt from certain captions that in 2014 wheelchair-bound James van der Greef travelled to Papallacta, Ecuador in order to to spot a sword-billed hummingbird, the only bird with a beak longer than its body. Using a shutter-speed 1/60th of a second,

he froze the bird’s violently fast wing beats and captured it midflight. This year he returned with a breath-taking image of a lion entitled ‘King of the Kalahan.’ Winner of the Mammals category, van der Greef ’s ongoing interest in photography has taken him around the globe despite his disability. Jonathan Jagot, selected from a group of teenage contributors, impressed viewers with his ‘Flight of the Scarlet Ibis’; in northeast Brazil, tanned sand dunes melt against a tropical cloudless blue sky, whilst a formation of of scarlet wings beat in unison.

With more green spaces than any other city in Britain, Bristol hosts a wealth of urban wildlife

Epigram/ Helena Napier

Winner of the Urban category, Richard Peters’ photograph, ‘Shadow Walker’, was taken in his own back garden. Initially shot for a personal project, Peters’ image was one of the few taken in a city environment, the warped shadow exposing that more often than not, foxes are caught in the briefest of glimpses. Photographer Sam Hosbow has a whole portfolio dedicated to the foxes he has captured in Bristol alone. Also a Wildlife Photographer of the Year finalist in 2014, Hosbow discovered a city teeming with animals when visiting Bristol’s disused and abandoned areas. With more green spaces than any other city in Britain, Bristol hosts a wealth of urban wildlife. There are over 80 designated wildlife sites in the city which are managed by the council. Avon Wildlife Trust’s Nature Park, Brandon Hill, and the Avon Gorge are home to a multitude of different species of animals and plants including skylarks, kingfishers, cowslips, and ancient oaks. An extension of Bristol Zoo, the ‘Wild Place Project’, subtitled ‘Bringing Conservation to Life’, is another Bristolian effort to conserve certain species. The project links specific ecosystems and conservation programmes from across the world, with animals native to Madagascar, East Africa and the Congo living in a beautiful setting. A new project, the council are hoping it will grow in size and popularity. Wildlife Photographer of the Year remains in London until April 10th 2016. If you are in the capital, or fancy a short break away from Bristol, it is definitely worth a gander. In the mean time, why not visit the Wild Place Project near Cribbs Causeway? If you miss out on the exhibition, you could do worse than going to see some of the real-life animals featured in it.

Helena Napier

Javier Aznar González de Rueda’s ‘Beetle Beauty and the Spiral of Love’ captures a climactic moment between a pair of jewel weevils

WHO

Bruce Timm Animator Born 1961

Flickr/ Edward Liu

Bruce Timm has been described as the ‘Godfather’ of the DC Universe which many fans would consider an apt epithet. Despite having no formal art schooling, he catapulted himself into the world of animation and cartooning. His early career consisted of working for Filmation, a now-defunct production company, and numerous other employers before landing a job with Warner Brothers, leading him into its subsidiary company of DC Entertainment.

WHAT Probably one of the most famous and influential character designers, animators and producers of our generation, he is most frequently credited with the co-creation of Harley Quinn, the Joker’s girlfriend from the Batman world. More generally, he is a crucial contributor to the modern DC Comics franchise, constructing the universe and establishing an art style commonly referred to as ‘The Timmverse’.


Epigram

02.11.2015

38

Arena: the perfect antidote to Instagram Myla Lloyd examines The Grant Bradley Gallery’s refreshingly varied new exhibition evidently gone into making this work is the perfect antidote to the homogenous Instagram feed. The broad subject matter encompassed in the exhibition and variety of style of each Arena member provide something to suit everyone’s taste. The original philosophy of Arena, ‘to applaud those working at the frontier of photo development, to search and discover ourselves and find fulfilment, to communicate, to respect and to carry no passengers’ has in this exhibition most certainly been achieved. Arena is showing until 28th November at The Grant Bradley Gallery, Bedminster. Myla Lloyd

Iceland’s distinctive landscape continues to inspire countless photgraphers

reclaimed by sea, I think I would be quite happy there. Another accomplished landscape photographer, Tim Rudman, exhibits a selection of eerily beautiful photos from his series, ‘Iceland: An Uneasy Calm.’ The visible volcanic history of Iceland, with its glacial caps and black lava deserts, has made it an attractive subject for many artists. Yet it is Rudman’s great skill in capturing the atmosphere of this landscape that gives his work such unique charm. Rudman is one of the leading photographic printers of his generation and his mastery of film cannot fail to impress the viewer. In short, Arena is a must-see exhibition for any aspiring photographer or enthusiast. The skill and care that has

Flickr/ Conor Lawless

Arena, formed in 1986 by the late Joan Wakelin, currently consists of 20 photographers. Members of this by-invitation-only collective come from a variety of backgrounds, both professional and experienced amateur, and several hold distinctions of the Royal Photographic Society. This autumn, 12 of the Arena photographers are exhibiting their work here in Bristol. I headed down to The Grant Bradley Gallery one grey afternoon to see what all of the fuss was about. I have to confess that this was my first visit to the gallery. For those who have yet to venture to Bedminster, I would highly recommend it. A bright and open space, The Grant Bradley Gallery is an unpretentious host. Scattered with sofas and comfy chairs, it is the perfect environment to view the work on show in a relaxed and unhurried manner. Arena is displayed throughout the gallery, leaving the viewer to stumble on works at will, without the linear narrative of a tightly curated exhibition. The first photographs that grabbed my attention were those of Caroline Hyman. Her intimate and detail-rich portraits document men at work. From beekeeper to chimney sweep, furniture maker to silversmith, Hyman’s interest in rural crafts is clear. Her mission perhaps, successfully realised, is to preserve these dwindling traditions through the medium of film. On the opposite wall, in stark contrast to Hyman’s work, hang the arrestingly minimalist seascapes of Susan Brown. Ethereal, dreamlike and considered, Brown uses long exposures to see what others miss. Man-made structures, a swimming pool or a sea wall, are unpopulated by figures; instead, a rolling mist or a breaking wave dictate the tempo of the composition. If this is what a post-apocalyptic world would look like, the land slowly

Audiences expand as NT Live flourishes The boundary between film and theatre continues to be tested by the NT’s bold undertaking, as Kate Wyver writes The line between theatre and film is becoming ever more blurred as each art form takes a step towards the other, with live cinema screenings of theatre productions being at the forefront of this dramatic change. This month thousands of people sat in cinemas across the world to watch Benedict Cumberbatch race around the Barbican Theatre in Lindsay Turner’s production of Hamlet - the most recent transmission from National Theatre (NT) Live.

Flickr/jellybeanz

NT Live began in 2009 and is the live relay of stage performances to cinema screens. It is one of the most ambitious projects that the National has ever undertaken and so far it has been incredibly successful, both commercially and artistically. By increasing the National’s virtual capacity, audience numbers have increased significantly. Talking about the 2011 production of Othello, previous artistic director of the National Theatre Nicholas Hytner asserted, ‘we sold something like 110,000 tickets for people to see it live in the Olivier theatre, and we doubled that in one night [with NT Live].’ The scheme provides an opportunity for people outside of London to see productions which they might otherwise miss out on - there was even a special project that showed the NT Live The Curious Incident of the Dog in Nighttime production in the Arctic. But if you are able to get to the capital and therefore have the choice of seeing the play in the theatre or the cinema, which should you choose? Perhaps NT Live is a better way of seeing a production, especially when greeted with either a comfortable seat and perfect view in the cinema, against an expensive, restricted view seat in the circle in the theatre. While not as cheap as a regular film, the tickets for NT Live hover just above the price of a Travelex ticket, the National’s scheme that allows anyone to buy selected theatre tickets for £12. Occasionally NT Live screenings are repeated as an Encore. This happens with particularly popular productions such as Danny Boyle’s 2011 Frankenstein, in which Benedict Cumberbatch starred alongside Jonny Lee Miller. It is now put on annually around Hallowe’en time. Encore screenings allow people more than one chance to see the performance, in part removing the

WHEN

WHERE

Flickr/ Compulsive Collector

Born in the United States, Timm was primarily exposed to the artistic stylings of American cartoonists of the mid-20th century. However, many have commented on the influence of French Art Deco on his work. This is seen in Batman: The Animated Series, where the distinctive visual combination of ‘noir’ imagery and Art Deco design was dubbed ‘Dark Deco’ by the producers.

ephemeral nature of live theatre productions. But there are issues with translating theatre to the screen without making any changes to the stage. Deaths are particularly tricky in live transmissions. In the theatre it is somehow easier to ignore a still-breathing corpse, but blown up to the size of

This new genre is opening up theatre to new and wider audiences, and is a step towards making the National Theatre truly national

a cinema screen and it looks odd. In a situation where we are being asked to suspend our disbelief, should we force ourselves to ignore the breath of an actor? Hytner doesn’t see this as a problem. ‘You’re never going to be in the same room, so it’s never going to be that experience. It doesn’t pretend to be that experience.’ As an audience we are still grappling to work out what kind of an experience NT Live is. Nevertheless, this new genre is opening up theatre to new and wider audiences, and is a step towards making the National Theatre truly national. It is providing exciting possibilities for the future of theatre.

His earliest projects, such as Flash Gordon, were undertaken in the 1980s but Timm continues his work with DC to this day, for example developing web series such as Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles. A significant turning point was the creation of Harley Quinn in 1992, which led to Timm winning the Eisner Award – the Comics Industry’s equivalent of the Oscar – for Best Single Story for Batman Adventures: Mad Love, which tells the story of how Quinn and the Joker met.

Kate Wyver

WHY Timm’s influences include a wide range of iconic comic book artists. Some examples are John Buscema, a major player in the expansion of Marvel Comics in the 1960s and 1970s, and Wally Wood, one of Mad magazine’s founding cartoonists. Artistically, Timm says his instantly recognisable style can be considered ‘a combination of classic Disney animation style…plus a heaping dose of…Hanna-Barbera’. Flora Doble


Epigram | 02.11.2015

39

Is Clifton Cathedral an architectural triumph? Ed Grimble and Mattie Brignal but heads over whether the Catholic Cathedral should be celebrated. A stunned silence engulfed our table, broken only by the tinkling of coffee cups being nervously raised and lowered back onto their saucers. You’d think I had something truly heinous, a conversational faux-pas capable of deflating our convivial chatter like a nail in a child’s birthday balloon. ‘Yes’, I affirmed, with distinctly less confidence than before, ‘I really like Clifton cathedral.’ Needless to say this provoked everything from laughter to out and out architectural polemics about the building that is too often written off as a mere sore on the Clifton skyline. ‘When I’m working in the ASS library, it spoils my view out of the window’, one disgruntled friend confessed to me. I think, therefore, that the cathedral deserves to have its reputation restored somewhat, and it is for

this reason that I am rallying to its defence… Commissioned in 1965, and built between 1970-1973, Clifton Cathedral is a classic example of the potential beauty that Brutalist architecture offers. The style is too often discredited by self-proclaimed architectural swots as being artistically barren, fit only for the designs of multi-story car parks and painfully functional office blocks. With its foundations in the mid 20th century work of Swiss urban designer Le Corbusier, Brutalism (from the French ‘béton brut’ meaning ‘raw concrete’) is certainly not helped by the connotations brought about by its own name. The clichés of grey, intimidating, totalitarian buildings being the

YES

take all the blame. Architecture responds to a brief and in this case the brief came down from on high – from the Vatican – stipulating that all of the 1000-strong congregation should have a good view of the altar. This necessitated a wide foundation and partly explains the squat, fortress look of the place. One of the building’s supposedly redeeming features is its price tag. It cost a mere £600,000 to build. Its exponents point to the Cathedral’s humble austerity as a celebration of Christian ideals. In reality, the brutally barren aesthetic is the result of this tight budget, a necessity that has been cleverly spun as a virtue by the Cathedral’s advocates. Cheaper modern builds have produced far smarter monuments – price is no excuse for lack of architectural style. The building has, without irony, been labelled ‘the ecclesiastical bargain of the 70s’ - it may be hideous but at least it was cheap. The Cathedral is the epitome of modern architecture’s existential crisis; the pressure to be novel has resulted in the panicked spewing out of countless geometrical concrete blemishes. This is not to say that that no good design has come out of the last fifty years. Experimentation and innovation are crucial for architectural progress and should be encouraged. But experimentation is, by definition, a hit-and-miss occupation. For every success there are a dozen buildings whose blueprints should never have seen the light of day. Clifton Cathedral is one such monument, but one that some insist on labelling a success; at the turn of the millennium, the Cathedral was, mindbogglingly, made a Grade II* Listed Building.

Flickr/ John Lord

Flickr/ John Lord

Even if you haven’t passed Clifton Cathedral you will no doubt have spied its distinctive three-pronged spire casting a concrete middle finger to the heavens. The building sprawls on the corner of Worcester Road and Pembroke Road.Its concrete body is clad in unfortunate pinky-brown granite. The grubby, naked concrete pillars flanking the entrance also do it few favours. Couple the poor choice of materials with the jarring geometry and the result is a futuristic pet crematorium. The scaffolding that’s currently stuck to its front actually provides mild visual relief. It tricks you into thinking that what lurks behind it isn’t the final product, just a brown skeleton ready for a mask to be slipped over it. Sadly, the scaffolding is just tinkering with the unsalvageable and the Cathedral’s exterior is here to stay. The building was commissioned in 1965 (presumably as a nuclear bunker responding to Cold War fears) but was completed as a Cathedral in 1973. The architects shouldn’t

only possible product of a Brutalism vision are, however, too easy to subscribe to and are, in a number of cases, not at all accurate. Architects R.J. Weeks, F.S. Jennett and A. Poremba have, in Clifton cathedral, designed something truly impressive. Its sculptural form has undoubted presence on the site, and the building has a weighty magnitude that befits its role as the religious corner of the area. It is strong and fortresslike, but not repellent. The clean edges of the raw exterior create wonderful sight lines- this a building with concrete majesty, not monstrosity. Indeed, the honest, simple architecture of the cathedral is perhaps fitting for a place of religious worship. The Catholic church has, over its history, amassed something of a reputation as being associated with the stockpiling of immense and grotesque wealtha notion seemingly incongruous with core values of compassion, charity, and justice. As such, architecture that celebrates economy and sparsity is appropriate for a cathedral. The outward flaunting of material wealth is here stripped away, and we are left with a building that places spiritual substance above contrived style. Over a great much of architectural endeavour hangs the feeble spectre of la pensée unique, that lethargic conforming to an accepted mainstream. If you ask people how they want a building to look, they will almost always desire something that is ‘like this’, or ‘similar to that’- there is a fixation on what has come before, a depressing lack of forward vision. This is more or less the status quo for ecclesiastical architecture, which seems to be fixed in a kind of gothic and English perpendicular time freeze. ‘Clifton cathedral doesn’t even look like a church’ comes gushing from the mouths of the moronic mainstream. To see the cathedral as an architectural failure is, therefore, to meagrely submit oneself to two massive, and often unchallenged,

clichés. The first, that Brutalism produces unfailingly drab, Orwellian buildings that serve only as representatives of the myriad of social ills- the concrete monstrosity. The second, the artistic assumption that there is a public opinion surrounding church architecture and that to challenge this in a building will lead only to a poor result. Clifton cathedral is a stunning example of Le Corbusier’s ‘raw concrete’ vision, and simultaneously raises a defiant middle finger to the dusty, cobweb strewn consensus of ecclesiastical building design. It is a triumph.

Ed Grimble

NO

Epigram/ Mattie Brignal

Flickr/ mtgf93

This self-deception is amusing but it may also have serious implications for how we leave the world for future generations. If we don’t wake up to the architectural mistakes of the 1960s and keep pretending that ugly, cold, soulless buildings are beautiful then we will continue to build ugly, cold, soulless

buildings. In order to avoid these becoming our legacy we need to admit that structures like Clifton Cathedral are not confident and pioneering but brash, embarrassing failures to express ourselves and improve our lives.

Mattie Brignal


Epigram 02.11.2015

Film & TV

@epigramfilm Editor: Ella Kemp

Deputy Editor: Kate Wyver

Online Editor: Georgia O’Brien

ekemp@epigram.org.uk

kwyver@epigram.org.uk

gobrien@epigram.org.uk

@ella_kemp

@KateWyver

@_georgiaobrien

With love, from London Film Festival, to you Film & TV Writer Ben Hickey kicks off our LFF special issue with underdog sci-fi comedy, The Lobster

Yorgos Lanthimos’s last feature, the provocative and daring Dogtooth, kept having the same adjectives assigned to it: dark, disturbing, insidiously funny. The same comic blend of violent surrealism and forehead-slapping dispassion serves as the driving force of The Lobster, a film set in a near-future where single people are hunted down and forced to pair off during an enforced fortyfive stay at a hotel. The price for failing to find love under duress is to be turned into an animal of the unfortunate loner’s own choosing. As Olivia Coleman’s almost pathologically detached hotel owner explains, in a tone curt and cruel in its officiousness: ‘Everyone seems to want to be a dog. That’s why the world is full of dogs’.

The film’s sociopathic, bug-eyed logic doesn’t make it clear who has the right idea

The Lobster is billed as an ‘unconventional love story’, unconventional to the point where you may find yourself casting your mind back over its two hours and wondering where on earth the love was. Colin Farrell plays David, recent divorcee and chronic depressive whose emotional disconnectedness, along with every character, is squirm-inducing. The delivery of every line in the

film, in fact, is blunt and flat as everyone ostensibly says it like it is while reservoirs of emotion and violence bubble underneath the surface. Very seldom do they erupt but when they do, as in the case of a character called ‘the limping man’ cracking his head off of a bedside dresser to induce a nosebleed that will supposedly endear him to one of the hotel’s female clientele, the balance excruciatingly tips from being amused to genuinely unsettled. Amidst the laughs and the comic emotionlessness lies a dark heart at the centre of The Lobster. Even the wild, rugged scenery (Lanthimos shot the exterior scenes in countryside of County Kerry) is captured in such a way that it looks made of glass, coldly impassive and devoid of pastoral beauty. Every element of the film seems calculatedly disjointed, lending the picture a disquieting ambience. There are plenty of ‘where have you been?’ moments with regards to casting: Ashley Jensen, most notably of Extras fame, and ‘Keith from The Office’ (real name: Ewan MacIntosh) both play delightful cameo roles. The impressive size and weight of the ensemble cast, however, is indicative of the film’s more general scatter-brained energy which sometimes hurts the plot. David eventually escapes the hotel and falls in with ‘the loners’, outlaws and undesirables who have taken to hiding from society in the forest. They are so individualistic as to demand that every one of their number dig their own graves in case they die. Lanthimos appears keen to set up an internal argument within The Lobster between two warring factions; those who hold monogamy as being central to civilisation’s foundation and those who prize the freedom to be alone above all else. The film’s sociopathic, bug-eyed logic doesn’t make it clear, however, who has the right idea. Lanthimos’s film has come in for plenty of criticism for getting lost in the woods and meandering

Ben Hickey Film & TV Writer

BFI/LFFPRESS

The residents of the hotel brew uncomfortably while contemplating their new life forms...

towards an unsatisfactory conclusion. This is true to a point; films that are this erratic and flat-out weird often tend to suffer from pacing difficulties and the ending is likely to have you stumbling down the steps of The Watershed questioning whether Lanthimos even believes in love at all.

To be capable of loving in the future, we may be required to go a little bit mad There is, however, a quietly hopeful strand about the nature of devotion running throughout the narrative that is very deliberately sustained: how do we know that we feel is truly love, and to what extent should we cling to such an intangible, often fleeting emotion in the face of increasingly oppressive and dogmatic societal structures? To be capable of loving in the future, The Lobster seems to suggest, we may be required to go a little bit mad. The Lobster is showing at Watershed in Bristol. Do you agree with Ben? Or did another film stand out at this year’s London Film Festival? Join the discussion and tweet us @EpigramFilm with your thoughts.


Epigram 02.11.2015

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The Program races its way straight to the big screen Deputy Editor Adam Becket imparts his cycling wisdom in his review of the latest Lance Armstrong biopic

Two iconic towers featuring in two exhilirating films...

BFI/LFFPRESS

Ben Foster is thrilled to have fooled everyone. No, he’s not actually a seven time Tour champion.

show in 2013. The film managed to be gripping in a way I wasn’t expecting, a proper thriller, and kept the audience hooked.

It’s wonderful that cycling will be brought to more people, even if it is the less salubrious parts of it

My poor (non-cycling obsessive) friend who I dragged along ended up enjoying it more than I did, showing how inclusive the film is. That

would be possibly why I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would, as the film was bringing the story to a wider audience, as opposed to the book which is obviously targeted at those with a prior interest in professional cycling. Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing; it’s wonderful that cycling will be brought to more people, even if it is the less salubrious parts of it - the needles, the blood bags, the cheating. I’ve never seen cycling in such glorious high definition on such a big screen, normally I see Le Tour on Eurosport with constant interruptions and bad signal coverage. I felt there were parts of the film that didn’t work – the Floyd Landis story was a little bit confused and parts felt unnecessary; why introduce the audience to the idea of his father not approving of him cycling for pleasure, only to forget about it

When I found out that a film was to be made about Lance Armstrong, I was intrigued; as a professional cycling obsessive, and the (selfstyled) University of Bristol’s cycling expert, this film was made for me. Directed by Stephen Frears, and based on David Walsh’ book Seven Deadly Sins: My Pursuit of Lance Armstrong, The Program is a film all about Armstrong’s rise and then his sudden downfall. The film follows the disgraced cyclist from his emergence onto the scene in 1994, through his travails with cancer, onto his seven Tour de France victories, and then his eventual demise. David Walsh is the Sunday Times’ Chief Sports Writer, a man who never believed the Lance Armstrong story could be as good as it sounded, and was eventually vindicated when Armstrong confessed to doping on Oprah Winfrey’s television

for the rest of the film? David Walsh’s journalistic friends were shown and then forgotten about, only to appear again later on, without much context. The film seemed stuck between following Walsh’s investigation into the shady side of Armstrong, or simply following the roller-coaster story that the Texan lived and still lives. That’s not to say it wasn’t enjoyable, but to put it simply: I preferred the book. Stephen Frears did well to make a film about cycling that didn’t just interest people who were already passionately interested in the sport. As such, it was one of the best sports films of recent years, up there with Senna, which was an out and out documentary. In my head now Ben Foster is Lance Armstrong. Jesse Plemons looks more like Floyd Landis than Floyd Landis looks like Floyd Landis. On the flipside of this, Chris O’Dowd doesn’t look like David Walsh whatsoever and Lucien Guignard looks more like Thiago Silva than Alberto Contador. This is the problem with a biopic about a man who is still very much alive, and a story that’s very fresh: the real life version is always better than the dramatized film, whatever soundtrack is put in the background. The acting was good, however, especially Foster’s charismatic and enigmatic Armstrong; he was exactly like the real-life figure, charming but with a vicious side to him as well. It was an interesting musical score, with highlight being Radiohead’s No Surprises coming on in just the right place. The Program is a good, but not a great film. Having come at it from an experienced point of view, I did feel that it was a great film for everyone rather than a perfect filming for the cycling buff. For me, the worst part of it all was that the first race featured in the film, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, was shown with pavé, or cobbles. Anyone who’s anyone knows there are none in the Ardennes monument. But enough of me being dull, it’s a good film – watch it!

Do you agree with Adam? Join the discussion @EpigramFilm

Suffragette: The fight for women’s rights isn’t over Film & TV Writer Phoebe Graham reviews the historical drama that opened the London Film Festival Upon taking my seat in the cinema and being instantly bombarded by an army from the Women’s Institute, I was grossly anticipating an indifferent period drama which would only connect to the oncesavage feminist biddies that now surrounded me. But I left Suffragette feeling that it had sharpened and refocused the just intentions of feminism, which in contemporary British society seems to have become obscured. I was firmly thrust into the years of 1912 and 1913 amidst a gritty, determined and passionate account of a small group of ladies polarised by their subservient societal role and the desire for the possibility of political and social liberation.

The film focuses on the story of Maud Watts, a tolerant factory worker who has never considered the significance of the vote, assuming that she would never receive it. Throughout the film, the audience witnesses a character transformation as she is swept up in the suffragette movement. But with this newfound purpose, Maud finds herself fighting for two battles when she can only side with one: her gender loyalty or her familial duties.

historical roles (think The King’s Speech) and this film is no exception. Although (very... and I mean very) short and sweet, Meryl Streep also makes an inspirational impression as the almost deified Emmeline Pankhurst.

Even in scenes of large and brutal protest, attention was still focused on the individual faces of these women

Often such an all star cast can be distracting from the essence of a film, especially one with such a clear and important message to give; in this case,the vibrancy and sensitive construction of each character is simply a testament to the quality of actors gathered for the film. The ending is left untied, leaving us well before the acquisition of the female vote, an initially frustrating end to say the least. But this frustration quickly morphed into a deep reflection and revelation as the credits rolled. The audience is presented an international timeline of the given female vote, triggering waves of surprised murmurs as we approached the present, ending poignantly on Saudi Arabia’s promise to give women the voting right this year. It was at this point I realised that the somewhat inconclusive nature of Suffragette only goes to show that the fight for women’s rights is by no means over.

BFI/LFFPRESS

I left Suffragette feeling that it had sharpened and refocused the just intentions of feminism

I was forced to come up close and personal with the severe struggles of these women, to the point of graphic discomfort, which saved Suffragette from the realms of a detached retelling of the very-well-trodden ground of British feminism and placed it in the hands of the women themselves, rather than in the hands of the overall movement. The blue hue of the film added to its subtly tragic undertones but was beautifully countered by the very immediate and intimate focus on the characters. Even in scenes of large and brutal protest, attention was still focused on the individual faces of these women, rather than on the faceless surge of the protest itself, providing a personal connection between screen and audience. Director Sarah Gavron cleverly manipulated the most renowned aspects of suffragette history to her advantage. This was used at its best in building an antagonizing suspense when I realised the following scene would be that of the death of Emily Davison at the 1913 Derby, tortured by what I already knew what was about to happen. Setting the scene with fresh-faced Carey Mulligan seemed to jar slightly with the harsh factory conditions of which Maud had been slave to for the majority of her life. But I found Mulligan absolutely captivating as she faced the many trials and obstacles in her way, intelligently executing the conflicting aspects of her character. As much as Helena Bonham Carter inspires me in her more eccentric, aesthetically Burtonesque roles, she has made the greatest impact in her more naturalistic and seemingly

Mulligan shines with an Oscar worthy performance


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When love conquers all: The timeless connection in Carol

Ahead of its national release this month, Film & TV Editor Ella Kemp reviews Carol at the London Film Festival only enhanced by the framing – an impressed viewer overheard on Leicester Square said ‘It’s clear to see the film has been stylized within an inch of its life’. Later director Todd Haynes, jokingly, refers to ‘the chemistry filter’ when the actresses are asked how they managed to portray such a strong on-screen connection. The fact is, as Rooney Mara pointed out: ‘Chemistry isn’t something you can create’. We have to hand it to them, the two actresses are at their best in Carol and not only compliment each other, equally giving and receiving as lovers, but also individually act as fundamental pillars. They have Nagy and the original novel to thank for the poetic dialog and rich characters, but we can only applaud the actors themselves for the sensual delivery of lines, and commend the vast emotional nuances and wide spectrum of intensities displayed in the leading pair’s performances. Perhaps not a chemistry filter, but whatever it is that the crew used – the film is visually a delight. The cinematography focuses on the characters point of view and emphasizes the elegance of the era, bringing the twodimensional world of the novel completely to life in the glorious rich hues of the 1950s. The enchanting score by Carter Burwell – whose last notable work I had in mind was on the Twilight saga, also enhances the aesthetic. You may groan, but one thing you cannot take from the somewhat dried up teen sensation was the beauty of its score. The music here adds another thread to the stylish storytelling and enhances the contextual surroundings even more. Although it is not a film based on

The Office asks the fatal question - who did it better? It’s clear to see that neither of them really cared about the Christmas shopping

complex plot twists and turns and is essentially ‘just another love story’ it doesn’t matter, because it’s incredibly effective. The fact is, as said Nagy “It’s always the right time for a love story’. When going to see this film the viewer will be completely consumed by the same turmoil as these two women. The role of a love story and the importance of ‘strong’ women were two issues that raised a lot of questions during the press conference, to which the panel replied that it is not a matter of gender or even of telling groundbreaking stories, but it is about ‘finding the deeply human eternal side of falling in love’ – that’s right, not only is Cate Blanchett intimidatingly beautiful but she also knows about love. What Carol gets so right is that it harnesses the power to portray the inherently human emotion of love, which

BFI/LFFPRESS

Carol was to be my first press screening of the festival, and ahead of the press conference that afternoon I felt that I had to see the film: it would have been rude not to. All I knew that it was about love, and that Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett were starring in it. On a scale of one to ten, my anticipation was on about five. It’s a press screening and I am a member of the press, so I must go to it. I’m 19, I can shake off tiredness. I am one of the first people in the country that’s lucky enough to see this. At least that’s what I said, trying to convince myself of the worth of this film at eight in the morning as I got on the tube. I am so very glad that I went. Carol is mesmerizing. The film tells the story of Therese Bellivet (Rooney Mara) who by chance catches the eye of the eponymous woman (Cate Blanchett) over the counter in the department store in which she works. One thing leads to another and the two women develop an electrifying bond and thus ensues a hypnotizing love story, made for movie screens indeed. The story is based on The Price of Salt, novel written by Patricia Highsmith in 1952. Screenwriter Phyllis Nagy explained how the decision to change the name of the book to the name of one of the lovers was in order to capture the strange and obsessive nature of the desire to call something by one’s name. And it is fair to say that those are a couple of words we could use to describe the film. Obsessive and strange, but also all-consuming, decadent, intoxicating and moving. Carol focuses on the bond between these two women and depicts love at its most passionate. The lovers display such chemistry and a proximity

transcends class, gender and time. And if that makes for ‘just another love story’, so be it. When asked what it meant to be a ‘strong woman’ today, the two leading actresses returned the question to the journalist. ‘It should just be norm’ said Mara. Todd Haynes carried on ‘The title suggests an agenda – and that they have a responsibility to be strong and courageous. They’re interested in playing human beings’. And that is what Carol gives us; a love story. A tale about two human beings that meet, somewhat by chance and become all consumed by devotion and by each other. It isn’t perfect; you’ll find flaws, disparities and an array of things to pick at. But at the end of the day, it does its job. Carol tells a story of passion and reminds you what it’s like to fall in love. And that’s good enough for me.

What’s On? What can I do in Bristol this week? Will Self picks his favourite films that explore the city in cinema over a fortnight in November - screening classics such as Crash and Mulholland Drive at Watershed. The series starts on November 3rd with Metropolis and runs until November 24th. Book tickets for Self Selects screenings online.

Editors’ Picks

Films to Faces

Paul Chilcott Bristol SU porter

Georgia Online Editor

Brooklyn

He Named Me Malala

Goosebumps

In cinemas November 6th

Watershed from November 6th

Premiered at London Film Festivalw

I was lucky enough to see this at LFF and can’t wait to fall in love with it again when it comes out this month. Aesthetically and narratively stunning, we watch beautiful initiatory journey with an irish fairytale aura. Saorise Ronan is moving, and Emory Cohen just delicious.

The film depicts an exploration of Malala Yousafzai’s journey over the past few years, following the Taliban attack on her school and its aftermath to the speech she gave at the United Nations. Directed by David Guggenheim, this is sure to be a moving film.

Starring the one and only Jack Black, the Goosebumps film adapted from the R L Stein books is killer. If you’re looking for a fun but creepy Halloween film for kids and adults alike, then look no further. Although the wait may be long, it’s definitely worth it.

Jessica Jones

Panorama: The Xi Factor

River

On BBC iPlayer

Out now

BBC’s China Editor Carrie Gracie leads us through Chinese president Xi Jinxing’s career in this fascinating episode of Panorama. Getting an insight into one of the most powerful men in politics is a rare treat.

New to the BBC, River is a crime drama with something a bit different. The eponymous detective can see the ghosts of the dead murder victims. After two episodes I’m already hooked.

Coming to Netflix November 20th Having been a big fan of Daredevil earlier this year, I’m really looking forward to watching the new Netflix original from the minds of Marvel. I’m looking forward to witnessing an interesting rebirth for Krysten Ritter, too.

Epigram/Ella Kemp

Kate Deputy Editor

BFI/LFFPRESS

BFI/LFFPRESS Flickr/Insomnia cured here

BFI/LFFPRESS

Ella Editor

1. Casablanca I love this film because I think that actors of that class (Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, to name but a few) are no longer around. It also has a great storyline. 2. Shawshank Redemption Again with this one it has brilliant acting and good storyline- and of course a lovely ending. 3. Ben-Hur Ben-Hur stands out for me as there’s plenty of action and it’s extremely well made. We probably won’t make films like that ever again! Who would you like to see interviewed next for Films to Faces? Tweet us @EpigramFilm with your suggestions!


Epigram

02.11.2015

Music

@epigrammusic Editor: Gunseli Yalcinkaya gyalcinkaya@epigram.org.uk

Deputy Editors: Alex Schulte; Caitlin Butler aschulte@epigram.org.uk; cbutler@epigram.org.uk

Online Editor: Sam Mason-Jones s.masonjones@epigram.org.uk

Flickr: davetoaster

The Minds Behind the Mic

Michael Holroyd writes on the dangers of drug use in the music industry unnecessary benders.’ Over time, these ‘benders’ have taken their toll. Worryingly, however, this is an issue of mental illness that is not restricted to the club scene of South London, but common amongst top musicians. The mind leaps to artists such as Kurt Cobain or Amy Winehouse. However, mental illness has affected and continues to affect a number of artists, many of whom would not instantly be associated with mental health problems. Pop icon Beyonce, for example, suffered a particularly traumatic episode roughly 10 years ago, post the break-up of Destiny’s Child. In 2006 the artist held an interview with Parade Magazine and made the comments: ‘I want to be on earth. I want to be normal… I don’t want to feel the void I see in other celebrities…the unhappiness beneath the smile.’ It seems as though this is an issue the superfamous must contend with; alienation from the mundane, an obsession with image and an inability to hop off the pedestals that their fame has placed them upon. Benga comments that ‘[the music] industry is all about perception: a lot of people wouldn’t want anybody to think they’re weak, or that they can’t do what they do, or that they’re not cool.’ What thus seems to occur is a shift

from the person that once was, into the new character that exists in the harsh glow of the spotlight. Beyonce, to combat this, created the now famous alterego Sasha Fierce. ‘I created my stage persona to protect myself, so that when I go home I don’t have to think about what it is I do.’ Perhaps this ability to create distinction between life and the stage is a key factor in the singer’s success. However, this is not easy and for many such as Benga this has not been possible, and can lead to mental anguish. A far greater threat to success and mental stability comes in the form of drugs. It is common for drugs to cause downward spirals, or exacerbate trauma that has come from elsewhere in life. Rap artist Eminem struggled with addiction and depressive episodes between 2005 and 2009. After the death of his colleague and long term friend DeShaun Dupree Holton, aka ‘Proof ’, he became addicted to drugs such as Valium, Vicodin and Ambien. He retrospectively commented that ‘it was the pills I was taking. They had my mood really fucked up.’ Drugs present a serious problem to successful artists due to their readability; it has long been a problem within Hollywood and the music industry at large. It is arguably,

however, the case that alcohol, recreational drugs and music are inextricably linked; ‘sex, drugs and rock and roll’, as the cliché goes. Yet the path drugs offer often leads to tragedy; the mind can only withstand so much, as artists such as Benga have discovered, as has the world after the deaths of icons of the Hendrix and Winehouse ilk. In my opinion, however, the greatest tragedy of all is that often these tortured souls create music that can define a generation, shift paradigms, rewrite history and capture imaginations, their work often inevitably influenced by their mental illness. For this example I must, unavoidably, look towards the Kurt Cobains and Ian Curtises of this world. Ian Curtis, former frontman of Joy Division, left an enormous cultural legacy; to observe it all one has to do is stroll around Bristol and they are likely to see an Unknown Pleasures themed t-shirt or poster. This fact belittes his music itself; it has touched millions. Curtis suffered with depression and his illness often spilled into his poetic lyricism. We now profit so much in terms of the music he gave; he provided so many people something to relate to. Cobain also suffered from depression as well as a serious Class A drug addiction. Along

with Dave Grohl and Krist Novaselic, Nirvana almost single-handedly created the grunge movement, a musical and cultural trend that helped to define the early 90s. At grunge’s core lies melancholia and angst, feelings that Cobain knew intimately having struggled with depression. But with creative excellence comes unavoidable, often unwanted and unhealthy fame. This fame rarely makes the problems easier to contend with and, as in the cases of Cobain and Curtis, can lead to tragedy.

In order to prevent future disasters in the world of music, artists and producers must prioritise purity in the lives of artists in terms of drug use. Moreover, artists should be surrounded by the correct people. ‘I really miss being able to blend in with people’ Cobain once lamented - the world ought to take note of the plight of Benga in order to prevent future talent from being lost as well as the lives and livelihoods of good people. People ought to have a place to hide from time to time. Michael Holroyd

Flickr: Nicola Jones

‘I’d been taking drugs since I was 17 years old, but it really started to affect me when I was about 22, 23. The majority was ecstasy but I also discovered ketamine when I was 25. I started to get anxiety and paranoia, but it’s always been in my nature to carry on and think that everything is going to go away.’ Thus speaks Benga, for the Guardian, 2015. Adegbenga Adejumo is a 20-something Croydon DJ. He recently retired from the music-sphere after being diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia. He gave up most of his possessions in 2013, including a rose gold Rolex and was arrested in in March 2014, which followed a prescribed stay in an intensive unit to kerb his drug addiction. It seems now, however, that at long last there is light at the end of the tunnel for the DJ. But this means giving up a music career that has featured three full length albums and singles such as ‘Forefather’, ‘Night’ and ‘Pour Your Love’, which have proved popular in clubs and Spotify alike. Benga attributes his bi-polar disorder and schizophrenia on a heavy touring schedule and recreational drug use respectively. He believes that nowadays amongst young people there is ‘a [party] culture where it’s not about having fun, it’s about outdoing your mates and going on


Epigram 02.11.2015

Music snobs of the world, avert your eyes! flcikr: Pieter-Jannick Dijkstra

// Opinion // Music // Opinion // Music

4425

Will Soer gives his two-pencenth worth on what it takes to be a pop star

No West for the Wicked Kanye West shared two new(ish) songs on soundcloud last Monday, which ends a two-year wait for fans since his last album, Yeezus. One is a rework of his opening track from 808’s & Heartbreak, ‘Say You Will’, which has the unaltered original song as a backdrop to a new layer of strings and creepy, disjointed vocals by Pulitzer prize-winner Caroline Shaw. This works to great effect against Kanye’s classic heavily autotuned vocals. The second track, ‘When I See It’, is a bit closer to being a whole new song, but still not quite; West uses his backing from the Weeknd’s ‘Tell Your Friends,’ which in turn uses a sample from Soul Dog’s #Can’t Stop Loving You.’ In recent years it seems Kanye has decided that if he can rap and produce, he can probably do everything else too. He has set out to prove this with various ventures, including starting his own relatively well received but slightly mocked clothing line, and footwear collaborations with both Nike and Adidas. Clearly, he’s come a long way since his 2003 orange hat/Reese’s tee combo look. West is famed for his ego, with a plethora of confusing quotes to his name, confirming unequivocally that he is just the best. Earlier this year at Glastonbury, he announced that he was ‘the greatest living rockstar on the planet,’ which I wish I could believe was him poking fun at the fact that he’d just slightly butchered Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. To be fair to him, after the uproar at the suggestion of a rapper headlining a rock festival and a petition demanding he be replaced with an actual rock performance reached over 133,000 signatures, perhaps he was just trying to blend in. Despite a lot of protest and a surprise, unfunny appearance from so-called (in my opinion) comedian Lee Nelson, his performance at Glastonbury was pretty well received. Kanye isn’t just on the receiving end of stagestorming though - famously, at the 2009 VMAs he crashed Taylor Swift’s acceptance of the award for best video to defend his old pal Beyoncé, who he claimed deserved the title. On top of this, a few years prior he hopped up onstage at the MTV awards to explain that his video was the best because ‘it cost a million,’ ‘Pamela Anderson was in it’ and he ‘was jumping across canyons.’ Both of the new songs seem to be indicating a return to the kind of style Kanye was going for with 808s, which could be a hint as to what his next album (to be titled ‘Swish’) will be like, although it seems that it might be a while until it actually drops. There has been debate online as to whether it was actually Kanye himself who released the tracks on Soundcloud, as the account was mysteriously created for the sole purpose of uploading these two songs. Despite this, it does seem fairly certain that the vocals on ‘When I See It are his own,’ and the artwork for the two songs is by ‘Black Skinhead’ collaborator Nick Knight. Still, after two years of waiting, this is a welcome sign to his fans that perhaps his focus is shifting back to music again; maybe he’s even going to scrap his plans to run in the 2020 presidential election altogether…

Reuben Ruxton

Imagine the perfect XFactor contestant. Unlike The Voice, Simon Cowell’s audiovisual behemoth is not designed to discover a great sound, but to discover a great person: a pop star with ‘the X factor.’ This is crucial to the show’s enormous success - especially in comparison to The Voice - as a truly great pop star is not great in virtue of their voice, but because of who they are as a person. There are millions of great voices around the world, but very few people suited to the incalculably complex task of being a pop star. So go on, try to imagine the perfect X Factor contestant. They don’t need to be able to make pop, like Kanye or Lorde do, they only need to be able to perform pop – think Kylie, Madonna, Lady Gaga. In a game as multi-faceted as pop, musical talent is only a minor player in a pack of otherwise forwardfacing assets.

The key to being a pop star does not lie in the ability to write or even to perform music.

The key to being a pop star does not lie in the ability to write, or even to perform music. Pop stardom is about showmanship, about transforming a simple ditty that some bloke like Calvin Harris wrote on his laptop into something that both you and your nan can talk about. It’s about relatability, mixed with awe. The X Factor. This is a big task, so can it truly be found in reality TV? Tens of thousands of singers have been filtered through the X Factor machine and not a single one has lasted for more than a couple of seasons. Even Leona Lewis burned out, despite being the first British female solo artist to top the US album chart in over 20 years. Sure the show is entertaining and hits media targets, but is destroyed by its very first premise – it is reality television. And any

reality show claiming that Stacey ‘doing it for Britain’ Soloman has the X Factor, is inherently f lawed in its tear-tugging, attention seeking means. A successful pop star is not born into the mainstream, but becomes mainstream by being really fucking good. Lana Del Rey, for example, never asked people to feel sorry for her breakup in Born To Die, but through its relatability, tapped into the hearts of every pillow-hugging, Ben and Jerry gobbling teenager out there. Picture also Adele, a woman whose music has brought me to tears in MBargos. The reason that the X Factor is redundant is that there is no way it could foster an artist capable of making this kind of perfect, intensely relateable music. The path to reaching this kind of pop mastery is a complicated one, and every great pop star requires a different kind of tuition. Adele was scouted by XL, a record label notorious for giving its artists a balance of freedom and help, having previous put out music by The White Stripes, MIA and Radiohead. The environment that eventually allowed her to become a perfect pop star wasn’t a cynical, money-focussed company, but a group of people united by their love of music. The path to reaching this kind of pop mastery is a complicated one, and every great pop star requires a different kind of tuition. Adele was scouted by XL, a record label notorious for giving its artists a balance of freedom and help, having previous put out music by The White Stripes, MIA and Radiohead. The environment that eventually allowed her to become a perfect pop star wasn’t a cynical, money-focussed company, but a group of people united by their love of music. Adele’s music feels genuine because it is; behind songs like Hello is the work of people driven by making perfect music, not infinite money. It doesn’t matter that the former can result in the latter; your motivation defines your thought processes, and closes all sorts of doors. As Daniel Kahneman pointed out in his fantastic book Thinking, Fast and Slow, thinking about money has the effect of priming certain behaviours, and they definitely aren’t artistic ones. So, to conclude, the xFactor is redundant for one inherent f law - it hasn’t created any perfect pop stars like Adele, because it’s format simply cannot allow it to. Will Soer


Epigram 02..11.2015

// Reviews // Music // Reviews // Music

45

Zomby - Let’s Jam!! Alex Schulte, Deputy Music Editor

7/10 In the two years wiled away since the release of his last album, the incoherent attempt at a magnum opus that was With Love, eskibeat’s semi-anonymous prodigal son has lived by his conventionawl philosophy of being absolutely infuriating. After filling the twittersphere with a notoriously comprehensive selection of swiftly deleted nonsense, finding himself dropped from 4AD and finally joining his original spirit animal Wiley on a track, to catch Zomby putting out half an EP of bouncy acid house on XL comes as quite an adjustment Such straightforwardly 4/4 territory, though now ineluctably trendy, is an odd fit for a producer so rooted in the hardcore continuum, and Zomby never quite seems prepared to forego his now well worn evocations of high THC concentration urban dread, even over beats far more suited to the Balaerics than Beckton. On SURF II and SLIME, a bellicose low-end adds a touch of doom to the insistent play of hi hats and kick drums, while on the single-mindedly retro ACID SURF, Zomby unpacks the entire Hacienda effects rig, chucking in a few of his beloved airhorns for good measure. It’s a foray into pastures new, yet his house homages never seem quite compelling, or, dare I say it, original enough to merit placement among the best of his back catalogue We find the masked man back on firmer and more familiar ground in the EP’s second half, delivering 4 tracks of brutally contemporary grime. Furnished with Zomby’s usual array of gunshots and skittering toms, Bloom and Peroxide, though safer bets than anything on the EP’s first half, make far blunter and more potent statements. On Neon, Zomby delivers a nod to Keysound Records’ recent excursions into deconstruction, and rounds off the record with the plangent, Burialesque Xenon. Even when firing somewhat from the hip, Zomby can catch one’s attention in a way that many far more affable producers could only dream of.

Want to write for us? Of course you do, so join our Facebook group at Epigram Music Writers 201516 to stay up to date or email gyalcinkaya@epigram.org.uk

Swim Deep find their feet at Trinity Centre Georgia Marsh, Music writer With the release of their sophomore album, Mothers earlier this month, Swim Deep promised something bigger. Gone were twee indie pop tunes about bathing in sunlight with their beloveds, and in their place came a immersive universe of psychedelic intricacies. Yet beyond their studio ambitions, a bigger challenge lay ahead - to bring this supersized new sound to life. A curious anticipation hung in the air of Bristol’s Trinity Centre as the lights dimmed and the faint tinkering of the Jurassic Park soundtrack trickled from the sound system. While some bands may choose to go for the epic (Catfish and the Bottlemen, somewhat melodramatically, come on to the Pirates of the Carribbean soundtrack), Swim Deep shyly walked on to something a little more understated, but, nevertheless, equally as peculiar. The idiosyncrasies of Swim Deep, however, did not begin and end there. In a thrill of whirring synths, they launched straight into Namaste from their latest album. The electricity from the video game soundtrackesque number sent a spark through the crowd, who were eager to match the band’s vigour. In between screaming crescendos (the previous song and the rather eccentrically named Fueiho Boogie concluded in a robust yelp by lead singer Austin Williams) and raucous instrumentals, Swim Deep gave everyone in the venue a clear message: this is us now, and there’s no turning back. The setlist was, to some of the more die hard fans’ disappointment or delight, second album heavy. In a delicate selection of their new tracks, Swim Deep showcased a sci-fi inspired extravaganza. While songs like Laniakea and Imagination seemed to drag on for a while and tire those who fans who are whipped on their 2013 debut Where the Heaven Are We, the same could not be said for all tracks from Mothers. While the dizzy brass sounds of album standout One Great Song And I Could Change The World entranced the crowd in movement, the extra-terrestrial orchestralism of Is There Anybody Out There could easily be compared to Bowie’s earlier material. Of course, the gig was not lacking in past hits. Francisco dripped with sunny optimism, while Williams itched with energy, seeming ready to burst. King Cit y’s opening choral synths generated such a reaction that it was clear where the fans’ loyalties lie (more famous fans include newly elected Lib Dem leader Tim Farrow, who recently admitted his admiration for the band; something that the band probably feel is wholly unwanted). However, the crowd’s most passionate cries came in response to the Birmingham five-piece’s early single Honey, an infectious slice of glittering indie pop that had the whole room bouncing. What made these songs work among the new additions to the Swim Deep catalogue was that they underwent a far-superior upgrade. Gone are subtleties and drippy dreaminess, and bombarding into its place is hulking percussion and a new-found tenacity. This was more or less exemplified in the encore: She Changes The Weather softly began with Intro before the acoustic trembling faded away into swirling guitar magic, complete with crowd sing-alongs. There wasn’t much else left to be done except to close the set with whatever little steam they had, pumping it all into To My Brother – a slew of shouty choruses euphoricallly concluding a largely satisfying show.


Epigram

02.11.2015

46

Women’s Rugby demolish Trinity St David’s 100-0 Sue Neumann Sports Reporter

Stand-out player: Tilly VaughanFowler

Epigram: Sue Neuman

In the depths of South Wales a newlook Bristol team arrived to start off their BUCS campaign with a bang. It became clear from the start that Trinity St David couldn’t cope with Bristol’s fast pace and dynamic style of play. Tilly Vaughan-Fowler scored the first try of the match, stepping through multiple tackles to score. This quickly turned out to be a theme of the day, with Vaughan-Fowler scoring a remarkable seven tries in total. Jas Donovan showed incredible work rate, being on the shoulder of multiple breaks in play, and was rewarded with a hat trick before 20 minutes had gone. Some impressive team play followed, with slick hands and support lines, ending with Georgie Abs sliding in on the wing to score. At half time the score was 45-0. With victory almost certain, the temptation

for Bristol might have been to ease off. Instead, the first half was merely a sign of what was to come. French wing duo Chloe and Mathilde also both went over the line, before a lovely dummy switch followed by fast paced running from the backs lead to a try for captain Issy Day. Sue Neumann and Steph Wiedenann both powered over before the game was out. This all added up to a final score of 100-0, not a bad total for the first game of the season, and the best possible way to start the season. Trinity Saint David’s never gave up and were very competitive at the breakdown, but in the end, it was all about Bristol on the day.

Tries: Jas Donovan x3, Sue Neumann, Izzy Day, Tilly Vaughan-Fowler x7, Georgie Abbs, Steph Wiedenann, Chloe Couturier, Mathilde Lanté Conversions: Sue Neumann x10

Euro 2016 - is it too easy to qualify? Malik Ouzia Online Sport Editor With qualification for Euro 2016 almost complete, Malik Ouzia explores UEFA’s decision to expand the competition to 24 teams. In 1960, the first European Football Championships, then known as the European Nations Cup, was held

in France. 17 teams entered the qualifying process with just four of them taking part in the finals itself. Next summer the tournament returns to French shores for the first time. The interim period of 56 years has cultivated the tournament’s growth to first eight, then 16 and now 24 teams. It’s given us some of the game’s greatest moments: Panenka’s

penalty, Van Basten’s volley, Gazza’s genius. It’s spoiled us with some of the finest teams in history, the Dutch side of 1988, the French team of 2000 and most recently the Spanish of 2008 and 2012. But why have UEFA expanded again? The last expansion was for Euro 96, where the break up of the Soviet Union saw 15 teams make their debuts in qualification and increased

UEFA membership from 33 to 48 nations. In the years since there have been only five new additions and just one, Gibraltar, for this tournament cycle. The cynic puts it down to money. More games at the finals and more countries participating equates to more TV revenue, more fans travelling to the competition and more tickets to sell. During qualification too, the decision to spread games across a six days rather than two during international breaks appears to be financially motivated. It also, theoretically, ensures the qualification of Europe’s biggest

There wasn’t a single draw in the group stages of Euro 2012 and there was just one in 2008. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it

Flickr: Jon Candy

teams, although the Dutch didn’t get the memo. Yet the impact on the actual football thus far has been largely positive. 24 out of 53 makes far more attractive reading than 16 out of 53 to teams outside of Europe’s traditional heavyweights. Then discount Armenia, Malta, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Lichtenstein, San Marino, Gibraltar, Macedonia, Luxembourg and Andorra, who between them shipped 263 goals and with all due respect never harboured realistic ambitions of qualifying. 24 out of 43. Over half. Teams usually vying for meaningless third and fourth places, with only the prospect of an improved seeding next time around, have been inspired. Iceland won in Holland, Slovakia beat Spain and Poland triumphed over Germany.

As a result five teams will make their Euro debuts, the highest number in history (there were six in 1996 but both Russia and the Czech Republic had previously competed under a different name). The concern comes when we consider the tournament itself is bound to be diluted in terms of its quality, particularly in the early rounds. Euro 2012 drew Germany, Portugal and Holland together, while Spain met Italy and England faced France before the group stage was out. Now, with six groups rather than four, such titanic clashes seem unlikely. The beauty of the group stages at international tournaments has always been their cut-throat nature. The European Championship has prided itself on being ruthless from the off. There are no whipping boys, no dead rubbers. And there are no multiple meetings like in the Champions League, just three games; lose the first and you’ve got a mountain to climb. Except now you can lose one and probably a second as well. In all likelihood one big win will be enough to see you through as one of four ‘best third place’ teams, the footballing equivalent of a fastest loser. Supporters of UEFA’s plans say that increasing the margin for error will throw the shackles off, that teams won’t be so conservative in their opening games. Rubbish. There wasn’t a single 0-0 draw in the group stages of Euro 2012 and there was just one in 2008. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. The Euros will be brilliant because they always are. The French will be great hosts, there will be more fans than ever and more football than ever. But at what cost? UEFA have taken a huge risk on an awkward, unfamiliar format. Inclusive? Yes. Financially rewarding? Of course. But as good as before? We’ll have to see…


Epigram

02.11.2015

47 Epigram Versus

Bristol’s Trampoliners trial Airhop

Twitter: @AirHopBristol Flickr: Jimmy Baikovicius

The largest trampoline park in the world has just opened in Bristol at Cribbs Causeway, and as an elite team of trampolinists, our committee was bestowed with the honour of being invited to the grand opening on Saturday 26th September. With talk of a huge number of trampolines linked together, foam pits, trampoline dodgeball, a total wipeout arena and a gladiator battle zone, we were full of excitement in the days running up to the event. As we approached AirHop that excitement grew, as we realised just how large the warehouse containing

Continued from back page...

use the gym or the swimming pool, you would have had to have bought an all-inclusive pass for £260. This year, however, if you want to buy an all-inclusive pass it will cost £290. This will give you all the existing benefits of

juvenile fun. If I had to describe AirHop in one (hyphenated) word it would be bloody-fantastic-OMG-amazing-fun. We will undoubtedly be going back for a larger social with all our members and we think it would be suitable for any group. There is such a variety of things to do that anyone can go and have an awesome time, even if they have never bounced before. It costs £12 per person, or £10 for groups of 10 or more. If this kind of thing sounds like your cup of tea, come along to a trampoline session at the sports centre and try one of our super-bouncy Olympic trampolines. Your first session is free!

Overwhelmed by the variety of activities, we were struck by a state of choice paralysis. Where should we go

first? Simple: we jumped on the main court of interconnected trampolines and were able to do a whole host of front and back somersaults and even managed to give a nine-way synchro routine a go. Next up was trampoline dodgeball, which was actually far more exhausting than normal dodgeball but maybe we’ve just been lazy over summer! Over the hour that we had, we made our way around all the areas. We particularly enjoyed the foam pit where we could launch our baranis or even a rudi if we wanted to show off. Besides the bouncing there was some great hospitality and we were treated to some lunch after what was, admittedly, a tiring session. Popcorn and candy floss were being handed out to us, completing our hour of

Matt Birch, Director of Sport Exercise and Health at the University, both queried the findings of Epigram’s poll. ‘The issue of the price of sport at Bristol is an ongoing one that the University has a duty to tackle, but

often this is not as simple as reducing cost. The new membership system introduced this year has made the cost of training with sports clubs in University facilities significantly cheaper, and many clubs have

reported a positive impact on their membership,’ said Steph Harris. ‘The number of individuals that are a member of one or more sports clubs at Bristol now totals over 3700, 900 more than last year and more than double the number in 2012, a fantastic growth.’ ‘The challenge for us is not in students finding sport expensive, though we absolutely recognise that some do, and it goes without saying that we remain absolutely committed to keeping costs to the minimum possible,’said Matt Birch.‘The challenge is to find enough space, coaching support, and other logistics to enable the large numbers of students who clearly do think the sport offer is good value, to stay engaged during their time here.’

it actually was. We went through the mandatory process of signing a waiver and watching a safety video (no double somersaults – as if we could!) and we were finally let loose on the trampolines.

“ Popcorn and candy floss were being handed out to us, completing our hour of juveline fun

The issue of the cost of sport at Bristol is an ongoing one

Epigram - James O’Hara

the Get Active, Active Gym and Active Swim passes, in addition to access to the gym at peak and off-peak times and free access to facilities at Coombe Dingle at specified times. Steph Harris, Sport and Student Development Officer at Bristol SU, and

Interested? Find out more at http://www.uobtgc.co.uk/

Want to hear more from Matt and Steph ? Read their full reaction to our poll at www.epigram.org.uk/sport

Last time, Online Sport Editor Malik Ouzia took on Epigram’s Deputy Editor Becki Murray, with Malik triumphing [6-3]. The score currently stands at Epigram Sport 6-4 Guests Check out this week’s results... www.epigram.co.uk/sport

Friday Show

Football Epigram - James O’Hara

Richard Lundy Social Secretary, Trampolining and Gymnastics Club

Each week, one member of the Epigram Sport editorial team and a guest both aim to correctly predict the Premier League scores.

Every Friday from 4pm5pm, Epigram Sport preview the upcoming weekend of football on Burst Radio! If you want to certain topics to be discussed, tweet us at @EpigramSport. Be sure to tune in!

Fantasy Football

This year, Epigram Sport is running its very own Barclays Fantasy Premier League. Feel free to join! Liga de Epigram Code: 1568501-366592 Good Luck!


Epigram

02.11.2015

Sport

@epigramsport

Editor: Marcus Price

Deputy Editor: James O’Hara Online Editor: Malik Ouzia

sport@epigram.org.uk @marcusprice106

deputysport@epigram.org.uk @JamesOHara14

sportonline@epigram.org.uk @MalikOuzia

Sport too expensive say 95 per cent of students James O’Hara Deputy Sport Editor

Despite improvements to the Sports Pass system at the University of Bristol, a poll conducted exclusively by Epigram suggests that students still feel getting involved in sport at the university is too expensive. In the poll, a staggering 95 per cent of the 420 respondents felt that the cost of sport at the university was too high. Only four per cent were happy with the cost of getting involved, while one per cent said they were not interested in participating anyway. 48 per cent of respondents (200 people) said that getting involved was too expensive, but that they still participate anyway, while 47 per cent (199 people) said that they would get involved more if the cost of sport at the university was cheaper. ‘The passes are a little bit expensive,’ one third year Law student said. ‘I’ve never bought a pass and I don’t do that much physical activity at the university, but I do think the price will discourage people from getting involved. I’m not sure I would do much more if it was cheaper, but I imagine for others it will be a significant barrier,’ she added. One second year Chemistry student felt very relieved that he had bought

a four-year sports pass last year. ‘It works out cheaper for me over my degree, so I’m very glad I bought it last year,’ he said. ‘If I had bought a pass this year it would have been £30 more than last year as I would have wanted to get the Active Plus pass. ‘I do think more needs to be done to lower the cost of sport at Bristol,

“ 47 per cent said that they would get involved more if it was cheaper

particularly when the government and the university itself is trying to increase participation levels,’ he added. Meanwhile, a first year German and Spanish student, who has not experienced the old system, said he felt the cost of the passes was too high. ‘I haven’t bought a pass yet,’ he said. ‘I might have done if it was a bit cheaper, as I would like to have used the gym at the university, but at the moment it’s just too expensive for me. I might buy the £50 membership,

but the other options are just too expensive. However, I do feel that intramural activities are very reasonably priced, and I am very happy to pay £12 to play football for this term.’ Indeed, it appears that the price of more recreational sport is considered very accessible in the university. ‘I play intramural football on a Wednesday, and I think it’s very good value,’ said one second year physicist. ‘It costs just £12 for the term, which I

think is very reasonable.’ The cost of other intramural sport ranges from free exercise classes such as Yoga or Zumba to £25 per person for men’s five-a-side football. For some, however, the cost of sport is acceptable when placed in context. The second year physicist went on to say that he felt that the cost of getting involved was no more expensive at Bristol than at any other university. ‘I read your investigation, and the price at Bristol for sports passes is

about the same as at equivalent universities,’ he added. Perhaps the flagship reform of the new Sports Pass system is the introduction of the base-level Get Active Pass. For a one-off payment of £50, you get free access to training sessions on University facilities and the opportunity to compete in BUCS and access to exercise classes in the Richmond Building and in Halls of residence. In addition, the pass entitles you to unlimited access to sports facilities at the University’s halls of Residences. Another significant change is the separation of gym and swimming in the next price bracket, with the opportunity to buy an Active Gym pass or an Active Swim pass. For a one-off payment of £185, or £200 staggered over the year, you get the existing benefits of Get Active in addition to access to the gym at offpeak times or the swimming pool at all times and the classes on offer there. Get Active, Active Gym and Active Swim are all significantly cheaper than the Sports Passes on offer last year. However, the all-inclusive Active Plus pass is more expensive. Last year, to compete in BUCS or to use the gym or the swimming pool, Continued on page 47

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21/09/2015 13:46:39


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