University of Bristol Independent Student Newspaper
www.epigram.org.uk
14th December 2015
Issue 295
Student double Features lives: debt and sex-related work
Adele Fraser
Epigram/The Sun
reacts to The Sun’s ‘1 in 5’ survey
Page 6
George Clarke Online News Editor Dalia Abu-Yassien Deputy News Editor
1 in 15 respondents have engaged in sex-related work
Students ‘Reclaim the night’ in march Many people took to the streets to join ‘Reclaim the Night,’ a march organised by the Bristol Student Union in protest of sexual violence towards women. On a cold night in November, an estimated 300 people were present as supporters gathered with banners in Queen’s Square, before walking up to the student union. A candlelit vigil and a minute silence was held around the statue before the march started, in remembrance of those who have been affected. The silence did not
continued on page 5
Continued on page 3
Comment Scarlett Sherriff argues that students can and need to do more about the refugee crisis
Page 10
Science UOB research is steering the future of roads Page 13
Nissen Press
Style
Epigram gets
backstage access Robert Priessnitz
Jack Francklin News Reporter
last for long. As soon as it was time to leave, the organisers of the event from the student union were keen to get the chants going whilst banners proclaiming ‘FUNdamental rights’ and ‘No means No’ were held aloft. This idea of unity was fundamental to many. Katie, a fourth year student at the University of Bristol, proclaimed: ‘It has been a great turnout and you can feel the positive energy we are giving off.’ It certainly had the desired effect, with onlookers in bars and pubs clapping and supporting the march as it continued up Park Street under the Christmas lights.
Epigram investigated the prevalence and perceptions of sex-related work among students in Bristol in an anonymous survey carried out last week. The survey of 140 self-selecting respondents found a small number of students did engage in this type of work and were primarily financially motivated. Sex-related work included stripping, phone sex, pornography and prostitution. Predictably, the vast majority said that they had not engaged in any. However, the 6.5 per cent of students who said that they did partake in some form of sex work highlights the existence of the issue. The main motivation was overwhelmingly financial; only 29 per cent of students who said they engaged in this type of work cited pleasure as the reason. The survey also found that 4.3 per cent of respondents had been in ‘sugar baby’ relationships - namely, a contractual arrangement with an older man or woman who pays for companionship which may or may not include sex. Most students, however, did not consider non-sexual sugar baby relationships a form of prostitution. An Epigram survey carried out in September found that less than one per cent of respondents said that their maintenance grant covered their living costs and 76 per cent said they had to work to help cover their cost of living. However, part-time work can be hard to find, is poorly paid and can take up long hours. The university recommends working for no more than 15 hours a week in order to leave sufficient time for academic study. Sex-related work can be very lucrative over short periods of time.
In March 2015, the Student Sex Work Project found that 4.8 per cent of almost 7000 student respondents had been involved in sex work in some capacity and that about one in five had considered working in the sex industry at some point. Research carried out by the University of Leeds in 2010 elaborated on how ‘sex as a product is now sold alongside mainstream industries’ and found that ‘there is clearly a relationship developing between sex work, student financial survival strategies and debt.’ Mark Ames, the Director of Student Services for University of Bristol, told Epigram: ‘We are not currently aware of any particular issues relating to our students engaging in sex work. However, the University of Bristol has a variety of support services available to all students; those facing financial difficulties or any other issues can access non-judgemental support easily and confidentially. Relevant specialist services include our Student Funding Team, Students’ Health Service and Student Counselling Service. ‘The findings of research, such as the Student Sex Work Project by the University of Swansea earlier this year, are generally used to raise the awareness and understanding of our staff supporting students, and help us clarify the balance between the support we can provide and that which is better provided by external, specialist agencies. ‘The university understands financial management is challenging for students, but there are many opportunities for students to work part-time within the university and we also provide advice about finding part time work elsewhere.’ A motion to support student sex workers was passed in the June 2015 Student Council, which aimed to protect students from stigmatisation and provide more information and resources specifically at students who engage in this type of work.
to the Co-Exist fashion show Page 29
Music Epigram Music round up a wonderfully musical year with their favourite albums of 2015 Page 42
Epigram
14.12.2015
News Editorial Merry Christmas
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 2015 is nearing the end. I can’t quite believe it, and I don’t entirely want to accept it - as Dr Seuss said, ‘how did it get late so soon?’ Who knows, but as term, and the year, draw to a close, it seems like a good opportunity to pause for a moment and reflect. So I decided to flick back through old issues of Epigram - I’m the ultimate keen bean, so of course I have a copy of them all stored away in my bedroom (I’m not entirely sure if that’s something I should be admitting..) Initially, I thought I’d do a review of my favourite stories from 2015, but the task proved to be too far too vast. Instead, I decided to focus on news stories. And boy, has this year been eventful. Here are just a few of the big issues which have dominated 2015:
from the Epigram team!
Inside Epigram Letters 14 ‘You’ve got this girl’
1.Accommodation
Alumni Molly Simpson provides some wise words to her student self
Flickr / Caleb Roenigk
Travel 23 A hot Christmas abroad Editor Sarah Newey describes a Christmas she spent in sunny Australia
Housing is an issue every year; as student numbers rise, the city and University seem, at points, unable to keep up. In February, some of these tensions boiled over when an anonymous ‘antistudent’ leaflet was distributed in Cotham, encouraging local residents to object to planning applications for student houses. The same issue arose in November, when we interviewed Patricia Smith from the Richmond Area Residents’ Association. She argued that, with over 25 per cent of Clifton students, Bristol City Council were not controlling the distribution of students around the city adequately. There is rising a tension between rising student numbers and housing, which is emphasised by increasing student rents. Indeed, this presents an issue in itself - a survey we conducted in November suggested that 70 percent of respondents had to rely on extra money from their parents, and a further 76 percent had to work to help cover their cost of living. And yet, the quality of the private renting market is clearly lacking. In September, Bristol SU suggested that student’s are facing a ‘housing crisis.’ The findings suggested that 90% of Bristol students experience problems with private accommodation. To make matters worse, in October, the Deposit Protection Service warned that nationally, British students lose £335 million each year on deposits due to a lack of understanding about their legal rights. Considering that the average upfront cost to secure a rented property in Bristol is £600, students here could potentially be needlessly missing out on hundreds of pounds. So tensions, affordability and quality of accommodation in Bristol have all been raised as issues this year; the final housing related problem is, of course, the 33 Colston Street Fire. On October 12th, the first year University accommodation was hit after a pan fire in one of the top floor flats. The University responded swiftly, yet over 120 students were left ‘homeless’ just three weeks into term - I cannot imagine what this must have felt like.
2.Student Satisfaction
We ended 2014 with the Arts and Social Sciences protest, which developed into a free education march, and in the new year the University began to respond. The most significant development was the inaugural University of Bristol Question Time, in which key figures from the University sat on a panel debate, chaired by our then-Editor, Zaki Dogliani. What emerged from the Q&A was that students were unhappy with what they perceived to be the ‘marketisation’ of higher education, with rising student numbers impacting accommodation, quality of teaching and availability of resources. Yet although the University have taken steps to quell student concerns, in the National Student Survey student satisfaction results published in August, Bristol had dropped from 84th in the country to 106th in terms of overall student satisfaction. In the University of Bristol’s Question Time in October, the first issue raised related to this drop in rankings. In their response, the University referred to the new student consultation and the #change1thing campaign, to encourage student’s to voice their opinions about the positives and negatives of Bristol - yet they also sidestepped issues such as the link between rising student numbers and accommodation issues.
3.General Election
No overview of the year is complete without a mention of the general election in May, which Epigram covered extensively. I was lucky enough to be part of the team at the Bristol West election count, which was an amazing experience - despite the fact that the results weren’t released until 7:20am. It was a long night! Bristol bucked the national trend, with three of four MPs voted in being Labour candidates. The previous Liberal Democrats candidate for Bristol West, Stephen Williams, was pushed into third place, behind the Green candidate Darren Hall. The election has set the precedent for future changes to higher education - as demonstrated by the government’s green paper on the issue, which the Conservatives released in November. It lays the foundations for increases in tuition fees for high ranking Universities, potentially creating a two-tier education system in which the marketisation of universities increases. Yet the election will have a far bigger impact on us all, as we enter the world of work for the first time following graduation, attempt to buy our own homes or continue to use the National Health Service. There were several other issues, including drugs, the safe space policy and diversity which have also characterised the year unfortunately I’ve run out of the words to do explore them fully. 2015 has been very busy and I’m sure that next year will be just as eventful - it would be useful in terms of filling the paper! I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Editorial team Epigram/ Sarah Newey
Editor Sarah Newey editor@epigram.org.uk Deputy Editors Adam Becket abecket@epigram.org.uk
Features Editor Alex Green agreen.epigram@gmail.com
Travel Editor Camilla Gash cgash.epigram@gmail.com
Film & TV Editor Ella Kemp ekemp.epigram@gmail.com
Deputy Features Editor Becky Morton bmorton.epigram@gmail.com
Deputy Travel Editor Ella Ennos-Dann eennosdann.epigram@gmail.com
Deputy Film & TV Editor Kate Wyver kwyver.epigram@gmail.com
Features Online Editor Richard Assheton rassheton.epigram@gmail.com
Travel Online Editor Annabel Lindsay alindsay.epigram@gmail.com
Film & TV Online Editor Georgia O’Brien gobrien.epigram@gmail.com
Jordan Kelly-Linden jkellylinden.epigram@gmail.com
Style Editor Hattie Bottom hattie@epigram.org.uk
Sport Editor Marcus Price mprice.epigram@gmail.com
Deputy Comment Editor Stefan Rollnick srollnick.epigram@gmail.com
Deputy Style Editor Plum Ayloff payloff.epigram@gmail.com
Deputy Sport Editor James O’Hara johara2.epigram@gmail.com
Comment Online Editor Liam Marchant lmarchant.epigram@gmail.com
Style Online Editor Phoebe Jordan styleonline@epigram.org.uk
Sport Online Editor Malik Ouzia mouzia.epigram@gmail.com
Becki Murray becki.murray@epigram.org.uk Comment Editor Online Editor Ciara Lally ciara.lally@epigram.org.uk
Arts 37 Jamaica Street showcases Bristol’s
Deputy Online Editors Hannah Price hannah.price@epigram.org.uk
Online
artistic talent
Editor Editor What’s On Editor SciencePuzzles EditorEditors Science & Comment Technology Editor Ed Henderson-Howat Tom Flynn Alfie Smith Patrick Baker Ben Duncan-Duggal Suzie Brown Nick Cork e.hendersonhowat@epigram.org.uk asmith.epigram@gmail.com editor@epigram.org.uk bduncanduggal.epigram@gmail.com Andrea Philippou comment@epigram.org.uk science@epigram.org.uk
Helena Raymond-Hayling snoops around the Stokes Croft studio at their Christmas party and exhibition
Deputy Editors Managing Director Jon Bauckham Rebecca Butler jon@epigram.org.uk rebecca.butler@epigram.org.uk Hannah Stubbs hannah@epigram.org.uk Director of Operations Ryan Furniss e2 Editor r.furniss@epigram.org.uk Matthew McCrory e2@epigram.org.uk News Editor Sorcha Bradley News Editor sm.bradley.epigram@gmail.com Alice Young news@epigram.org.uk Deputy News Editor
Richard Broomhill
Abbie Scott Deputy News Editors ascott.epigram@gmail.com Abigail Van-West avanwest@epigram.org.uk Dalia Abuyasian Jenny Awford News Online Editors jawford@epigram.org.uk George Clarke
Features Editor gclarke.epigram@gmail.com Tristan Martin Emily Faint features@epigram.org.uk efaint.epigram@gmail.com
Letters Editor Arts Editor Deputy Webmaster Science Editor Deputy Science & Tech Editor Mattie Brignal Mihai-Alexandru Cristache Emma Corfield Emma Sackville Matt Davis letters@epigram.org.uk mbrignal.epigram@gmail.com deputyscience@epigram.org mdavis.epigram@gmail.com Chief Proofreaders Culture Editor Deputy Arts Editor Sport Editor Guy Barlow Science & Calum Tech Online Lucy Stewart Sherwood Ed Grimble Tom Burrows Amy Finch culture@epigram.org.uk egrimble.epigram@gmail.com sport@epigram.org.uk Sub-editors Deputy Culture Editor Deputy Margot SportTudor Editor Letters Editor Arts Online Editor Saskia Hume Sophie Hunter Amy Stewart Zoe Hutton David Stone Maria Murariu shunter.epigram@gmail.com astewart.epigram@gmail.com deputyculture@epigram.org.uk deputysport@epigram.org.uk Esme Webb Kate Dickinson Music Editor Living Editors Music Editor Milner PuzzlesSophie Editor Ella Wills Maya Colwell Gunseli Yalcinkaya Nathan Comer Lily Buckmaster gyalcinkaya@epigram.org.uk music@epigram.org.uk Business Team Head Sub Editor Will Soer Hannah Lewis Deputy Music Editor wilso.epigram@gmail.com Deputy Music Editors Emma Corfield Vlad Djuric Caitlin Butler Pippa Shawley Johnny Battle Sub Editors Food Editor cbutler.epigram@gmail.com Mike Christensen deputymusic@epigram.org.uk Sophie Van Berchem Harriet Layhe, Izzie Fernandes Katie Llewellyn FIlm & TV Editor Alex Schulte Kate Moreton, Rosemary Wagg Alice Best Deputy Food aschulte.epigram@gmail.com WillEditor Ellis Rachel Prince Illustrator Tom Horton Olivia Mason filmandtv@epigram.org.uk Music Online Editor Sophie Sladen Ellie Sherrard Alfie Smith Deputy Editor Online Food EditorsFilm & TVSam Mason-Jones Web Designer Becky ScottAnthony and Issy Adeane smasonjones.epigram@gmail.com Rob Mackenzie Montgomery deputyfilmandtv@epigram.org.uk
Deputy Features Editor Investigations Andrew WhiteEditor Ben Parr deputyfeatures@epigram.org.uk bparr.epigram@gmail.com
Sarah Newey
www.epigram.org.uk For the latest news, features and reviews
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@epigramnews Editor: Sorcha Bradley
Deputy Editors: Abbie Scott; Dalia Abu-Yassien
Online Editors: Emily Faint; George Clarke
sm.bradley@epigram.org.uk
ascott@epigram.org.uk; dabuyassien@epigram.org.uk
efaint@epigram.org.uk; gclarke@epigram.org.uk
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News
Epigram 14.12.2015
46.4 per cent have or would consider engaging in sex-related work
George Clarke and Dalia Abu-Yassien Online News, Deputy News Editor Continued from front page workers was passed in the June 2015 Student Council, which aimed to protect students from stigmatisation and provide more information and resources specifically at students who engage in this type of work. Alice Phillips, co-writer of the motion and last year’s SU Equality, Liberation and Access Officer, told Epigram: ‘I was inspired by other SUs who had passed policy on decriminalising sex work and reading the Student Sex Work Project report - which seemed to offer some really concrete ideas for how to improve things for student sex workers on campus.’ The motion reflects both the real presence of this issue and highlights changing opinions among students, and perhaps society in general, about the idea of sex-related work. Epigram’s
survey found that perceptions were quite evenly divided: 36 per cent of those surveyed thought the social stigma around student sex work is declining, while 34 per cent thought it was not. However, a majority of students surveyed (51 per cent) thought that it was acceptable for students to earn money through these means. Indeed, 46.4 per cent of Epigram’s respondents have either engaged in or have considered engaging in some form of sex-related work. The fact that nearly half of people asked have considered pursuing sex work demonstrates a growing perception that it is a legitimate means to earn money. A third-year Philosophy and Psychology student said that: ‘I think in general people are starting to think twice about making rash judgements about people who engage in sex work.’ Some respondents had much more negative reactions. One student said: ‘I was sold a lie. I can now see that what I did was because I live in a world where I have been told my worth depends on what men are prepared to
pay. I have stopped now, but I don’t think I will ever recover from what was essentially to me, paid rape with a happy hooker smile on my face. Sex work is not work like any other job.’ Epigram spoke to a mature student at the University of Bristol who volunteered to share her experiences of working in the sex industry. For obvious reasons she wished not to use her real name, preferring to use the pseudonym Andromeda. Andromeda said that she is involved in making pornography with her fiancé and that they are thinking of setting up a website where people could watch them through their webcam. She is also considering working as a professional dominatrix. She told Epigram that her incentive for pursuing sex-related work is not financial. ‘For me money isn’t an issue, I have enough money, I enjoy watching porn and enjoy making it even more, it’s much funner making it.’ On the other hand, Andromeda’s fiancé was more interested in making money from the work and monetising their website. With regard to her opinion on the decriminalisation of prostitution, Andromeda said: ‘I think it should be completely legalised. All sex workers need a bodyguard and at the moment the law prevents this from happening as they [the bodyguard] would be classed as a pimp. This is obviously more dangerous for sex workers.’ Indeed, Epigram’s survey found that more than half of respondents were unaware that the act of prostitution itself was legal and most agreed that it should be further decriminalised. Epigram asked if Andromeda herself ever felt in danger from her sex work, she replied: ‘Obviously it can be dangerous, but I know how to look after myself, I’ve done martial arts and can defend myself. If I worked as a dominatrix, I would be the one in control, I wouldn’t even let them [the client] touch me. Of course I wouldn’t even be having sex with the clients.’ With regard to students pursuing sex work while studying, Jamie Cross, the current Equality, Liberation and Access officer of the Student Union,
said: ‘My opinion on the matter closely aligns with the Student Council policy that was passed back in the summer; I voted for the motion at the time! I think everyone should have the right to do whatever labour/work they want to do with their time/bodies and I believe that sex work is real work, and a reality for students. Decriminalising
‘I don’t think I will ever recover from what was essentially to me, paid rape with a happy hooker smile on my face.’
sex work keeps student sex workers safer and with a greater range of opportunities. ‘In regards to most of the actions from the policy, they have been acknowledged and will be acted on next term when I look at all the university’s guidance on a range of student situations. This is in the hope that we can create a Union hub of student approved/co-written guidance that will be made available for all, including tutors and other staff with pastoral duties.’ Nowadays sex work is referenced more and more in popular culture. Anne Hathaway’s character in the film Valentine’s Day is seen performing phone sex work. And closer to home, Belle de Jour’s blog ‘The Diary of a London Call Girl’ spawned a best-selling book and a successful TV series. At the time, when her identity was revealed, Dr Brooke Magnanti, the real life Belle, was working as a researcher at the University of Bristol. The glamourous life of a high end escort showed a woman choosing and enjoying sex work. These representations have, to a certain extent, normalised sex work. However these media portrayals have a tendency to glamorise sex-work and may not accurately reflect the difficulties faced by sex workers operating within complex laws, which in many ways make their work more dangerous.
‘Why is my curriculum white?’ campaign launched Emily Faint and Dalia Abu-Yassien Online News, Deputy News Editor
European historical and cultural contexts that took place at the same time, and decisively influenced, white writers studied on the course. ‘For me,’ she told the audience, ‘one of the biggest questions is the question of knowledge, this question of definition. I lecture in English Literature and one
Event poster by Bristol Students Union BME Association
of the things that I always think about is, what is English Literature? Is that literature produced in England, or written in the English language? ‘We have to think about the ways in which empire fundamentally changed the country.’ The panellists also touched on the slightly different issue of racism in science-related subjects. A formula remains the same in all languages, but here the focus was on BME representation among lecturers themselves and concerns such as pay raises and promotions. The panel debate opened the floor to some thought-provoking questions and comments from the audience. One attendee spoke about her experience growing up in her home of Malawi, where Eurocentricity was still hugely prominent in the spheres of both society and education. She described how she was taught exclusively European history at school, to the result that she is now a grown woman with limited knowledge of the past of Malawi itself. ‘I know nothing about my own country’s history,’ she said. Many parts of the world use the British education system: a student can grow up in Kuwait mainly learning about Henry VIII and his wives. Indeed, another attendee brought up in Kenya claimed to have also experienced this Eurocentric education to the detriment of learning about her own country. In response to this, Noha Abou El Magd addressed the audience: ‘What we’re hoping to do is create a series of student-led and student-organised curriculums in response to what students want to learn and the kind of representation that they want to see.’ ‘This is a rallying call to action.’
Jamie Corbin
Hannah Dualeh
Bristol SU’s BME (Black and Mixed Ethnic) Association officially launched the campaign ‘Why is my Curriculum White?’ in Bristol on Friday 4th December. The launch consisted of a panel event featuring successful BME professors and professionals, with an extensive Q&A session. Founded at UCL, ‘Why is my Curriculum White?’ is an attempt to highlight and challenge the lack of diversity found on university student reading lists and syllabi, with particular emphasis on arts and humanities courses. According to the NUS WIMCW website, ‘for many years white writing and history has been given a higher standing, and universities continue to perpetuate this idea of certain sources holding academic privilege.’ These sessions centre around questioning the Eurocentricity of many courses, understanding their effects and the mechanisms that allow such biases to persist, and devise effective solutions. Panellists included Malia Bouattia, NUS Black Students’ Officer, Dr. Madhu Krishnan, Lecturer in English Literature and Dr. Edson Burton, writer, poet, and PhD graduate. ‘BME staff, who are grossly underrepresented in the higher education sector, constitute only 1.5 per cent of the total academic population in contrast to white academic professionals, who represent 87.45 per cent,’ said Noha Abou El Magd, Bristol SU’s BME Officer and Postgraduate Representative.
‘Furthermore, 92.39 per cent of professors in the UK are white, with only 0.4 per cent being black.’ She also highlighted the fact that many prominent BME writers and scholars are ‘distinctly absent from faculty reading lists’ and ‘faculty cohorts often teach subjects which are considered optional, alternative, and... are not considered core subjects.’ As panellist and English Literature lecturer at the University of Bristol, Dr Madhu Krishnan, commented: ‘People would say to me - ‘why are you in English? You should be in Cultural Studies.’ ‘I grew up in the Boston area... I was the only brown face in a homogeneously white area,’ she said, describing how her educational experience was always ‘presented through a white lense’ to the point where she ‘never really felt a connection.’ Dr Krishnan described her years at Stanford University as the first time that she was ‘around people who looked like me’, and her first real experience of being taught things ‘from a global perspective’. However, she claimed that her experience of studying abroad at the University of Oxford was ‘the worst six months of my life’ as she had ‘never felt more acutely brown or unwelcome in a space.’ ‘I started going to classes at about 6 or 7am, hours before they started, just so I could see the cleaners who were the only people of colour besides myself.’ In Arts subjects, such as English or Philosophy, Eurocentrism is apparent in the structure of the curriculum, and inherent in the nature of the arguments and lenses through which students are encouraged to view course content. Dr. Krishnan stressed the importance of awareness of non-
Epigram 14.12.2015
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Charity aim to legalise drugs
Hannah Sneyd
Members of the Fossil Free Group joining the march
Bristol marches for Climate Change Amy Finch News Reporter On Sunday 29th November, around 3000 people marched on the streets of Bristol to mark the start of COP21 Paris, the UN Climate Change forum. The Bristol March for Climate, Justice and Jobs joined protests in over 175 countries to demand a deal pledging swift transition from fossil fuels to renewables. The march began in Broadmead and proceeded through the centre of Bristol before finishing on College Green, where several speakers, including George Ferguson, the mayor of Bristol, and Molly Scott Cato, MEP for South West England gave their perspectives on the issue of climate change. The major commended the march, commenting: ‘Bristol is doing more than any other city in the world in 2015 to promote the things we have to do to tackle the climate.’ Many groups were present, including representatives from the Bristol Green Party, Bristol Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and the Socialist Worker Party. There was also a moderate University of Bristol presence, especially from the Fossil Free Bristol campaign. Many people had come from further afield, with representatives from all across the South West. Stephen Le Fanu, a member of Fossil Free Bristol University stated: ‘Any real social change, including on action against climate change can only really be achieved through continual pressure from the people, which is why it was so encouraging to see Bristol come out in such force on Sunday, despite the atrocious weather.’ The weather was dramatic and overcast, with heavy winds and rain throughout the day. Many protesters seemed unsurprised: one quipped, ‘I’m cold, wet and angry about climate change.’ Kate Dickinson, a third year English student and member of Friends of the Earth Bristol remarked: ‘Despite the weather there was a really positive mood during the march. It was good to feel part of the wider climate movement. I do think there’s always an element of preaching to the choir with these things but hopefully through being reported in the media it got the attention of people in Bristol who might not necessarily know what’s going on in Paris. Because the same
thing was happening all over the world surely means world leaders can’t not take notice. ‘I’m being cautiously optimistic about Paris, because I think you have to be or you’d just give up! It feels a little bit like the last chance, I’d be really disappointed if we had a repeat of Copenhagen, but there have been a lot of developments in renewables since then and the world’s attitudes to renewables.’
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‘Bristol is doing more than any other city in the world in 2015’
The event was one of 2,500 taking place around the world with over 600,000 protesting across the weekend. In Paris, where the authorities have banned public demonstrations, an installation of over 10,000 shoes, including a donation by Pope Francis, is indicating people’s support. The conference will determine agreements for at least a decade after 2020. Tom Sheils commented on the lack of a massive student presence: ‘What struck me most about the march was the age of the attendees. You would expect much more students to have protested, seeing as the tipping point of runaway climate change is set to occur in our lifetime. Instead, the crowd was much older. ‘I’ve been thinking why this might have been the case: students are the demographic most likely to have been exposed to information of the dire situation of climate change. The reason must be psychological. I think it’s probably because no one in our generation has really had to care about anyone else. Many of the older marchers will have young children or grandchildren, whose future they care/think deeply about. Students on the other hand, are mainly concerned about what will be happening in the next five years.’
Transform is a charitable think tank that campaigns for the legal regulation of all drugs both in the UK and internationally. They believe that in order to get drug use under control, the UK should decriminalise and legalise drug usage. The campaign, ‘Anyone’s Child’, is run by a network of people whose lives have been affected by the UK’s present drug policies and are now combating them. On December 3rd, Nicky Saunter hosted an event to raise awareness and money. Three speakers gave their personal stories. According to Transform, prohibition, as America found with alcohol in the 1920s, will not stop people consuming drugs but simply hand the trade to criminals. These criminals do not care about anything but profit, so their product is often cut with dangerous additives, which are unregulated. Aimi Garidis lost her husband at 32 to a Valium addiction. Aimi spoke of how her husband’s shame and guilt meant that he feared seeking help, as he didn’t want to be criminalised. Aimi argued that addicts should be able to seek help and this will only be made possible with the decriminalisation and legalisation of drugs. Anne-Marie Cockburn lost her daughter, Martha, at 15 to MDMA. The drug was 91 per cent pure, which is fatal. Within the hour she was rushed from a kayaking resort to A&E, where she died. Anne-Marie spoke of how kids like Martha, ‘Want to get high, not die.’ They will continue to use drugs so these drugs must be safe and only government control can achieve this. Transform advocates safety first for drugs, such that use
would be monitored and controlled, but this can only be achieved if it is legal. Finally, Neil Woods, a former undercover drugs officer, spoke about how his 14 years of service led him to his support for Transform. He spoke specifically about an undercover job where he met a young woman working as a prostitute to fund her addiction. Neil argued that instead of judging and imprisoning women like this we should be focusing on their welfare. Transform argued that because the drug trade is unregulated it generates a situation where the dealers have more resources than the governments fighting them. They went on to suggest that the ‘war’ against drugs will never be won whilst victims and users are criminalised and forced into crime to pay for the drugs they need.
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Sophie Lomer News Reporter
Addicts should be able to seek help and this will only be made possible with the decriminalization of drugs.
The charity suggested a clear solution, arguing that the first step is to decriminalise the user and the second is to take the profit out of the trade by the government supporting users and supplying what they need in return for them undertaking treatment. The suggestion is that this would remove the profit of the gangs and destroy the illegal trade. If you are interested in donating or finding out more about the charity Transform, visit their website at www.tdpf.org.uk/donate or call 01173 250295.
Divestment defeated Noa Leach News Reporter A motion calling for the divestment of fossil fuels by the University of Bristol has been defeated in a meeting held on Friday November 27 at the Annual University Court meeting. The motion, proposed by Carla Denyer, Green councillor of Clifton East, was overruled in a narrow defeat of 71-65 votes, despite its valid links to the COP21 Paris climate change conference in early December. It should be noted that the Court is merely an advisory body and the university can choose to take a different decision. After winning several awards for its ‘Sustainability work’ in 2014, the university surprisingly pledged a £5.6million investment into 22 fossil fuel companies. Consequently, students called for the university to divest from fossil fuels in a student-led petition of 2000 signatories. The petition was publicly handed directly to Vice Chancellor Hugh Brady in early November for consideration at the University of Bristol Annual Meeting of Court. Over 50 staff-members of the Cabot Institute, led by Prof. Chris McMahon, signed an open letter to the university in support of the petition and fossil fuel divestment. These initiatives led to Councillor Denyer’s submission of the divestment court motion. After the vote, the University of Bristol stated: ‘The motion inspired a lively debate, but at a vote, it was defeated by a narrow margin. The university is continuing to consider this serious issue.’ Rachel Simon, organising member of student activist group Fossil Free, stressed a positive note in the issue.
‘It’s important to know that University Court is merely an advisory body to the University Council (the decision-making part of the University administration) and the motion that was defeated is not binding,’ she told Epigram. ‘The motion lost by a narrow margin, at 71 to 65 votes. We are pretty pleased with this result as Court has showed to Council that fossil fuel divestment is a hot topic and there is appetite for change. ‘In the meantime we are feeling optimistic as the University of Sheffield, which uses the same fund manager as Bristol, Sarasin and Partners, have just committed to divestment.’ University of Bristol representatives had a presence at the COP21 climate talks earlier this month. Numerous academics from the University of Bristol, including Prof. Rich Pancost (Director of the Cabot Institute) supported the Cities Pavilion at COP21, with Bristol City Council and Mayor George Ferguson. The Paris talks aimed to significantly cut carbon emissions, meaning large reserves of fossil fuels must be left in the ground. The UNFCCC tweeted that: ‘Divestment worked to free [South Africa] of apartheid. Now it can help free us of fossil fuels.’ The overruled motion puts Bristol, current Green Capital of Europe, closer to cities and institutions which have decided not to divest, including Harvard which has also refused so far to yield to student demands. ‘Here’s my bet: the kids are going to win, and when they do, it’s going to matter,’ said environmentalist Bill McKibben to Rolling Stone. There will be further consideration to the matter in a January University Council meeting, with a decision expected in 2016.
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‘No means no’: Students reclaim the night Jack Francklin News Reporter
Jack Francklin
Students demonstrating for Reclaim the Night
continued from front page The message was clear; ‘Yes means yes, no means no’ seemed to echo to all corners of Bristol on the typically busy Friday evening. This event was not just against sexual violence. Jasmin, a first year studying English, was keen to point out she was protesting another event involving a talk by the controversial Milo Yiannopoulos taking place the same evening. ‘There is a fine line between free speech and hate speech, where do you draw the line?’ This march, perhaps, was a good distraction for those who would feel offended by what he might have to say. The march carried on through the Clifton triangle and up to the Student Union, where society members and supporters were able to express their own personal experiences amongst themselves. Spoken word was performed, first by Calu Malta who spoke of a rape of a young girl whilst Cari Heighway, a society member, delivered a slam poem about suffragettes. Radhika Jani performed the last and by the time she had finished you could feel the emotion in the room as she spoke of the horrors women have to face on a daily basis. The explicit nature of the poems, which described sexual assault, left a strong message.
It was then the turn of several very brave women, who shared their personal stories of sexual assault and domestic violence. They were defiant in the legacy which it has left on them, determined to put the past behind them and make a difference to those who are yet to speak out.
The future looks bright, especially if everyone can show the strength and resilience they showed during the march The facts about sexual harassment speak for themselves; a recent survey revealed that 95 per cent of women are scared to walk alone at night. In light of this, Chloë Maughan, the Student Union’s Women’s Officer who organised the night, capped it all off by outlining future visions. The Union’s plan is to set up ‘student safe zones’ where one can go to at any time during the night, something already set up in Manchester. The future looks bright, especially if everyone can show the strength and resilience they showed during the march. As summarised by Chloë herself: ‘Instead of telling women to hide from the streets, tell them to reclaim the night.’
Yiannopolous Vs Reid in gender politics debate Francesca Newton News Reporter
Farres Kammourieh
On arrival, it was impossible not to be surprised by the vastly male majority of the audience. While we waited, the girl beside me, Caitlin, a second-year English student, came to a verdict about what we expected Yiannopolous to be like, judging from our previous knowledge of his media persona. It was: ‘a terrible human, but quite an entertaining one.’ Yiannopolous endeared himself to the audience through his playful - or childish, depending on your attitude - approach to the event. He made sour faces during Reid’s introduction and laughed openly at the chair’s reminder of the need for the talk to adhere to the university’s Safe Space Policy. He was also more prepared for controversy, which acted hugely to his advantage: there was a consensus amongst the audience that he was voicing opinions no one else would. Reid’s attempt to set herself up as the more progressive, ‘nicer’ side of the argument, only allowed her opponent to call her out when she attempted to make a more risky comment. He was even able to invoke a round of applause when pointing out the hypocrisy of Reid’s claim that more women take part in Biology and Medicine because they are ‘girly sciences.’ Reid focused her argument on Yiannopolous’ key subject - the suffering of the modern young man - a clever attempt to move the debate away from the predictable male/female divide it easily could have followed and to undermine some of her opponent’s more hostile comments about feminists. There was a consensus on the idea that gender politics was ‘screwing over everyone’ - in Reid’s words - but the fault of that effect lay, in each speakers’ opinion, with different culprits; while Reid called for men to also fight against stereotypical gender roles, to make gains in areas they are currently sidelined in, like custody rulings and mental health, Yiannopolous directly blamed the ‘crazy feminism’ for making ‘young men’s lives miserable and dangerous.’ Questions from the audience revolved
Reid takes on Yiannopolous in controversial debate
around a central four topics: rape culture, the pay gap, genital mutilation and the potential ‘construction’ of gender by society. Again throwing tact to the wind, Yiannopolous argued that gender construction is a ‘kooky progressive myth’ and focused on biology. There was a surprisingly audible intake of breath at his mention of men’s IQs being higher than women’s.
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‘We don’t celebrate rapists, we put them in prison’
When faced with the question of ‘if women are paid less and companies need to make money, why aren’t there more women in work?’ Reid took the line that women are limited by childbearing and fear of self-promotion. Her opponent, on the other hand, simply argued that it does not exist. Yiannopolous’ argument gained power as the debate moved on to the argument that men do the jobs women don’t want to, such as mining, but Reid attributed this to the social gender stereotype of the man as the ‘breadwinner’.
Rape culture was a highly contentious issue, with Yiannopolous dispelling the idea with the line: ‘We don’t celebrate rapists, we put them in prison.’ He also argued that the level of sexual harassment on campus is far smaller than the media portrays. Reid contested that events like ‘Reclaim the Night’ wouldn’t be put on if people’s lives weren’t directly affected every day by those precise problems. Her opponent expressed serious issues with the idea that young male students are all assumed to be sexual predators, a stereotype which, he claimed, causes them to shy away from romantic interaction completely. The most dynamic topic of the night came with the mention of different methods of raising boys and girls and how this affects gender politics as generations grow. Yiannopolous gained support from the male-heavy audience, arguing that boys are ‘systematically punished’ by a femalised education system, which only leads to depression and tragedy. He made the emotionally-charged point that ‘boys are killing themselves every day and no one wants to talk about it.’ But the falling levels of female happiness were also attributed to the changing social roles of women. He made the bold claim that now, women can, ‘sleep around if they want, but it’s making them unhappy.’ Arguably, his most contentious statement of the evening was
his address of woman by man: ‘If I’ve done all this, and you’re still not happy, I give up.’ Reid was undeniably overpowered in this area of the debate. Despite this, the closing statements of both speakers were strong. Reid reiterated her opening assertion that gender politics are oppressing both women and men and called for them to unite in smashing the gender expectations which limit them. Yiannopolous’ closing statement was less communal. He excluded the women in the audience from his address, lamenting the fate that the men in the audience were consigned to – living in a female-centric world. His final words were a seeming call-to-arms for men of our generation to actively ignore the feminist voice and to be ‘grateful’ for the patriarchy, because it is what brings progress and even ‘provides for women.’ It was an explosive exchange. Reid’s more respectable and progressive ideas, although supported by many audience members, were eclipsed by Yiannopolous’ power and undeniable skill (if immaturity – giggling while his opponent speaks) as a public speaker. I came out with the same feministic opinions I held when I went in – but prepared to question them. See page 9 for Epigram’s exclusive interview with Milo Yiannopolous
Epigram
14.12.2015
Features
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Editor: Alex Green
Deputy Editor: Becky Morton
Online Editor: Richard Assheton
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Exclusive interview: Milo Yiannopoulos Sasha Noble Features Writer Milo Yiannopoulos has earned much of his limelight through criticising social justice movements, despite insisting he lives in an age where feminists have a strong hold over public policy, universities and the media. He proudly claims that he is so controversial because, in the words of Orwell,‘in a time of universal deceit - telling the truth is revolutionary.’ He has received criticism from the likes of Stephen Fry, calling him a ‘cynical ignorant fucker,’ whilst at the same time being hailed as the ‘rising star of the right’ by The Spectator. He considers himself ‘the most fabulous supervillain on the Internet.’ Before the University of Bristol Journalism Society debate between Yiannopoulos and Rebecca Reid, Epigram spoke to the man himself. Summarise your journalism for our readers. I’m a provocateur, a sorprender and a satirist. I like getting under people’s skin and making them think and making them laugh, and much of what I do is designed to make people reconsider what they thought they knew, to question that received wisdom. These days received wisdom on campuses and in much of the media is a weird sort of gender activism. Most people take a lot of this stuff on face value. They believe what they hear about the gender pay gap and rape culture on campuses because they don’t have any reason to question it. That kind of received wisdom is destructive, damaging and divisive to society.
Every reasonable and serious person agrees that men and women should have equal opportunity and access to everything. But there’s a difference between that and the version of feminism that seems to be pre-eminent in the media and in universities today. That looks a lot more like female chauvinism than any kind of fight for equality. The results of this seem to be hurting women as much as they are hurting men if not more... What’s interesting about modern gender feminists is that they don’t want to have this debate, they don’t want to discuss anything... and then silence those who don’t agree with them. When feminists don’t agree with someone, rather than addressing the facts they prefer to discredit the speaker, so they never have to listen to the argument because they know they’re wrong. If feminists know they are wrong, why do they continue to campaign on ‘gender equality’? Because they are chauvinists, bigots and they don’t like men. They are scared of men, they resent them, and they don’t like some of the facts about their own sex. Men and women have different strengths and weaknesses. But these
Have we reached gender equality? We’ve achieved it and have gone too far the other way. Boys are being discriminated against… Exams are being changed to suit women better. Men are being disadvantaged in the work place. Everyone wants to hire women; you can’t get a non-executive directorship position in London now unless you’re a woman.
“ ‘I’m a provacateur, a sorpender and a satirist. I like getting under people’s skin’
It is men that get silenced, most men aren’t cry-babies, most aren’t sitting at home thinking ‘ahhh it’s so difficult being a man.’ But lots of women are, thanks to feminism. There is a class of men who sit at home and think about how horrible their life is, and they deserve to... Those men are having a really tough time, they are the ones who are not allowed to speak, they are not allowed to have a men’s officer despite the male suicide epidemic, despite the many mental health and sexual health concerns which are of concern specifically to men. What makes women’s choices different from men’s in education and career choices? When it comes to the different choices women make in higher education, women stubbornly refuse to conform to what feminists want them to do. These days, women have the choice of doing whatever they want. They choose not to go into science and technology, philosophy, physics. they choose to go into veterinary medicine and biology. Those subjects women choose to go into, they dominate. The subjects they prefer to leave alone, those are the ones feminists hone in on. They try to pretend that there is some sort of patriarchal conspiracy to keep women out of science and technology. With career choices, women often go into jobs with more contact time, they are great public relation executives, nurses and vets. Men like to be left alone to fix the problems. That’s why they are physicists and mathematicians. Women also have different priorities. They seek happiness and fulfilment in different ways... they don’t want to be an MP or run a global company. They want a family. What feminists have done is make that choice seem inferior compared to the career woman that can have it all. Actually, when women try to
have it all, they get miserable. Are women workplace?
valuable
to
the
Yes, anybody on a committee of a company would tell you that the whole tenure of the room changes for the better when there’s a woman in the room. It is important to acknowledge the unique skills, character and qualities a woman can bring, like taming down some of the excesses and the silliness of men. It is one thing to say that having a woman around is a good thing, it is quite another to impose arbitrary quotas which is where Europe is going... ...Men are better at some things. Those things are often associated with power and prestige, because men want to impress women and have sex with them and get a hot wife. The idea that men go into these patriarchal institutions is a testimony to women, it’s women with all the power in these situations. It may be that we have arrived at the right number. It may be that 20-30 per cent of women in government has a sort of calming influence on the boys… As long as everyone has access and the same opportunities. Why do you say that the wage gap doesn’t exist? You can only arrive at this number if you take all the numbers that men earn and all the money that women earn and perform a simple division. This is grade school maths of the most extraordinarily stupid kind. It confuses wages with earnings. Women think that they will be paid less for the same work as men. This just doesn’t happen. The total earned by women is less than the total amount earned by men. That may be no bad thing or at least no cause to worry. The statistics don’t reflect the reality of the work place. It doesn’t take into account part time versus full time work or the different life choices women make. Not to be rude about it, but women don’t work as hard. Even when they don’t have kids, they work shorter hours, they take more holidays, they don’t earn as much money for their firms if they are lawyers... ...The wage gap, when you control the choices women make, narrows to a couple of per cent. And that is justifiable by the fact that men put so much more into the tax system than they take out. Fine, that’s a function of childbirth and it’s exactly as it should be. I think any decent, chivalrous man would want to provide for women and childbirth and the next generation. Let’s at least recognise this. What sources do you use to back up your arguments on gender equality? I lean heavily on the work of Christina Hoff Sommers, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, and other feminist scholars. When you want to look at statistics for this stuff, a lot of the research that has been put out, supporting things like the wage gap or rape culture on campus, is sort of activist research that goes out in search for numbers for preordained
Sasha met up with Milo to gauge his opinions on a few key issues
conclusions… It’s very difficult to find the actual numbers. The idea of rape culture on campuses actually came from one study of 70 people at an adult education college. This is the most atypical educational institution that’s possible to imagine because all these people are adults. Of course they’ve had bad things happen to them in their life, or at least at a higher rate than undergraduates do. An undergraduate girl at university is in one of the safest places; they are less likely to be raped than if they were out in the work place. If you were to listen to most modern gender activists now, you would believe that British universities are hot beds for rape, that they have sexual assault rates approaching the Gambia. This is obviously not true.
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‘What’s interesting about modern gender feminists is that they don’t want to have this debate’
How do you define rape culture?
I don’t. There’s no such thing. There are rapes but there’s no such thing as rape culture. This culture enables and
Epigram
What is gender politics and what are the main issues?
female chauvinists want to pretend that female weaknesses do not exist and that women are just as good as men at everything. No man is just as good at everything as a woman, we are terrible at some things that women aren’t. Modern genderism denies all of this. It denies the biology that underpins most of it and paints a picture of the world that most people do not recognise. This is one of the reasons women are abandoning feminism.
rewards girls and encourages and turns a blind eye to rape. We don’t do that in our country, we put rapists in prison. What do you think about Reclaim the Night? Educating women about how to keep themselves safe and making responsible choices at night – that’s a good thing. What are your thoughts on the education of consent? I do not agree with mandatory classes. The underlying assumption of these classes is that all men are rapists. This is damaging to young men who end up dropping out of relationships because they are too high risk.
Yiannopoulos insists he is ‘winning’ the battle against ‘Social Justice Warriors’, claiming many silently agree with him. Yet the explosive reaction to the decision to allow him to speak at the University of Bristol and the challenging questions posed by the audience at the event, suggest he has failed to convince a large number of students. That said, the controversial speaker undoubtedly retains supporters, as seen from the size of the crowd surrounding him as opposed to that of Rebecca Reid after the debate.
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‘Whose streets? Our Streets!’ Imogen Thomas Features Writer On November 27th, hundreds of Bristol students took to the streets to combat gender-based violence. The march started in Queens Square, proceeded to Park Street and culminated in moving speeches and poetry readings in the Richmond Building. The protest provided an environment where women could feel confident and secure rather than threatened walking the streets. ‘Whose streets? Our streets!’ chanted the group. Priyanka Poddar described the energy of the march: ‘Walking up Park Street shouting ‘our street’ really did feel like I was reclaiming my own home,’ she said.
One aim of the march was to combat victim blaming attitudes which suggest that women are in part responsible for sexual harassment if they are on the streets at a certain time of night, or dressed a certain way. The message was simple: stop shaming, catcalling, harassing, abusing and raping women. Yet, in 2015, these lessons still need to be learned. An NUS survey of over 2,000 students revealed that 37 per cent of women and
that ending sexual violence isn’t about statistics, it’s about people,’ said Joy Molan. One moving speaker talked of her experiences of domestic abuse and living in a safe house. She used the platform to ask for support for her petition to upgrade social housing banding for domestic abuse sufferers. Currently, these residents are not in the highest priority band, despite the fact that safe houses are oversubscribed. She argued that moving women on to permanent housing quickly would help women escape abusive households
sooner. As it stands, some women wait months for refuge to be provided, during which time they may be at risk. The petition cites the Home Office estimate that 14,273 women and girls in Bristol have been victims of domestic abuse in the past year. Despite levels of domestic violence staying roughly the same since 2008, safe house provision is declining. Indeed, around 30 women’s refuges have closed since 2010. Over the last month, protesters across the country have mobilised to highlight gender-based violence. Over 20 other cities held Reclaim the Night events in
Students chant as they march up Park Street: ‘No more violence, no more rape!’
late November and early December. Bristol City Council kicked off 16 days of activism and events in late November to mark the UN’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence against women. This included a website launch, stencilled artwork appearing on streets across Bristol and a statement from the Mayor about gender-based violence. These initiatives have come from residents themselves. Whilst levels of sexual harassment and violence against women remain startlingly high, resistance is growing and Bristol is leading the charge.
Epigram/Alex Sheppard
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14 per cent of students have experienced serious physical or sexual assualt
12 per cent of men had experienced unwanted sexual advances. A chilling 14 per cent of respondents had experienced serious physical or sexual assault and 12 per cent reported being subject to stalking. Reclaim the Night made ripples across the city. The spirit of the protest even made its way to Jimmy Carr’s show at Colston Hall. According to audience member Dalia Chowdhury, a heckler shouted ‘reclaim the night!’. Carr’s response, she said, was to work it into a friendly joke about ensuring women’s safety in Bristol. As well as Jimmy Carr’s backing, the protesters gained the support of the public both on the streets and on social media. Some Bristolians passing by even joined the march. The march fell on the same evening as Milo Yiannopoulos’s controversial debate on gender with Rebecca Reid. Felix Gibson, a second year English student, attended both events. ‘Having experienced the Yiannopoulos debate and Reclaim the Night in one evening, the march and speeches that followed were a moving wake-up call to reality that defied Yiannopoulos’ rhetoric perfectly,’ he said. The speakers at the end of the night included a 16-year-old who had experienced sexual harassment, a rape victim who had only recently been able to acknowledge that what had happened was not her fault and a survivor of domestic abuse calling for better safe house provision. ‘It was such an emotional and empowering experience. The women who shared their stories were so brave and inspiring. It makes you realise
The rise of the anonymous Yik Yak troll
Four downvotes means an immediate removal of the post or comment. But this method of supervision doesn’t quite seem to be working
Elizabeth started a petition to shut down the app and as of the beginning of this year she has received 77,000 signatures and counting. But Mississippi seems a long way away from the ASS library. Since Yik Yak operates in a five-mile radius, let’s have a look at ours. A Bristol University Economics lecturer was deeply upset to discover that her first year students had been writing sexual and offensive comments about her on Yik Yak. Not only this, but the lecturer was only made aware of the offensive content when she was told by her teenage children,
There are many apps and sites like Yik Yak that provide anonyimity to their members
who had been informed about it by their friends. Each time you scroll through Yik Yak to make that 9am lecture go by a little faster, you are encouraging the Regina Georges of the world to write more nasty comments in the real-life Burn Book that is Yik Yak. Regina George ended up getting hit by a bus so… Humour aside, the issue is a serious
one. Anonymous websites like Yik Yak provide an invisibility cloak in the form of a computer screen. Sites like Yik Yak are the ultimate forum for trolls and bullies, since there are really no consequences for your actions. What’s more is that readers have no way to tell whether the information they are reading and passing on is true or not. Sharon Norbury is referred to as ‘a sad old drug pusher’which we all know is a false
Jason Howie
Who remembers Little Gossip? Formspring? Or more recently, Secret? Hopefully none of you, but I suspect all of you. What these all have in common is that they are all anonymous websites which have been shut down due to continuous reports of cyber bullying. But the world of (anti)social media is relentless and the newest addition to the cyber bullying army are the so-called ‘Yakkers’. Yik Yak works like an anonymous pin board; users can post messages that will only be seen within a five-mile radius, subsequently making it a gossip column for schools and universities. Created and developed in the States, it’s telling that they are the first to try and contain it. 85 per cent of middle schools and high schools have contacted Yik Yak to install a ‘geo-fence’ on campus which works to disable the app in a specific area. The entire city of Chicago is geofenced following numerous disruptions. Although the majority of the posts are good-natured, mundane or just stupid, there are also those who post racist, sexual or offensive one liners. These negative posts, characterised by their justification as ‘banter’, can be downvoted and four
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Zoe Barrington Features Writer
downvotes means an immediate removal of the post or comment. But this method of supervision doesn’t quite seem to be working. The most well-known victim of the app is Elizabeth Long, a student at the University of Mississippi, who, a few months prior to the app’s release, was hospitalised for attempted suicide. Long recites to Business Insider a yak about herself that read, ‘Elizabeth Long needs to stop bitching about how she almost killed herself and go ahead and do it.’ …I was shocked as well.
rumour made up by Cady in a moment of rage. But worst of all, many of the posts are merely opinions directed at individuals or groups. There is a difference between free speech and hate speech and it could be claimed that Yik Yak indirectly encourages the latter. Would these ‘yakkers’ still post these clever one liners without the comfort of anonymity? Wouldn’t that just be Twitter?
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Epigram
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‘1 in 5’ Bristol students have sympathy for rapists Adele Fraser Features Writer For anyone in their right mind, this statistic can only be described as alarming. The notion that so many students of a prestigious university could be accepting of the motivations for rape causes fear and probably confusion. Naturally, this statistic is not ‘true,’ and not a single one of these students expressed any genuine feeling of sympathy towards rapists. This week, I asked 20 Bristol students this ambiguously phrased question: Which of the following statements is closest to your view?
1. I have a lot of sympathy for those who don’t explicitly ask for
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consent before sex. 2. I have some sympathy for those who don’t explicitly ask for consent before sex. 3. I have no sympathy for those who don’t explicitly ask for consent before sex.
The students were not even asked anything about rape
The students were not asked anything about rape, but only whether or not they sympathised with people who explicitly asked someone whether or not they wanted to have sex, every time they engaged in intercourse. Naturally,
the common answer was, ‘I have some sympathy,’ but four stated that they have ‘a lot of sympathy.’ One individual even said that it was a bit of a ‘mood killer’ to ask. Without getting into a debate about consent, objectively, it appears very clear to me that based on the information that I collected, none of these students sympathise with rapists. I also used far too small a sample size to even begin to understand what Bristol students might think about consent. But it did create a good headline. Statistics can essentially provide you with any story you would like, as long as you manipulate them effectively. However, this form of investigation was carried out by The Sun last month when they ran the headline: ‘1 in 5 Brit Muslims’ Sympathy for jihadis.’ The newspaper came to the aforementioned conclusion after asking the question:
1. I have a lot of sympathy with young Muslims who leave the UK to join fighters in Syria. 2. I have some sympathy with young Muslims who leave the UK to join fighters in Syria. 3. I have no sympathy with young Muslims who leave the UK to join fighters in Syria. The newspaper decided that it was possible to accurately ascertain the inner sympathies of British Muslims through a telephone poll, relying only on a 1000 person sample size. It also took the results of this poll to mean that 19.8 per cent of Muslims in the UK have ‘sympathy’ for jihadists.
” The implication of this headline [is] heavily implying that these individuals directly endorse the activities of ISIS
Epigram/The Sun
The Sun newspaper ran this headline based on poorly interpretted evidence
Which of the following statements is closest to your view?
The journalists extended the implication of this headline in the accompanying article, by heavily implying that these individuals directly endorse the activities of ISIS. This fails to recognise the key fact that ISIS is not the only ‘jihadist’ group that is currently carrying out operations in Syria. As stated by David Cameron this week, there are many groups, including 75,000 ‘moderate’ fighters in the region. By moderate, this means that these fighters are nationalist, but they seek to restore Syria to its previous state of harmonious multi-sectarianism, where all have an equal status before law and state. Some of these groups include the Free Syrian Army, the Islamic Front, the Muslim Brotherhood of Syria, as well as various Kurdish forces. They are focused on fighting the Assad regime and many British individuals who have travelled to Syria to fight have joined these particular groups and have not joined ISIS. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to infer that the individuals with ‘sympathy’ for those going to Syria to fight may have been expressing solidarity for those attempting to defeat Assad. Other problems with this poll include the use of the word ‘sympathy’, which is incredibly problematic. One is able to sympathise with another without endorsing their actions. Does this mean that all those who sympathise with adulterers disrespect the concept of marriage? No, it doesn’t. The other issue is that of course, most obviously, 71.4 per cent of the respondents to the poll, regardless of any inconsistencies, stated that they had no sympathy at all for anyone who does to fight in Syria. Perhaps it’s not unreasonable to suggest that The Sun have taken too far a leap regarding the results of this poll.
The wider impact of this is of course, difficult to ascertain. However, it is not hard to imagine that this would further exacerbate any Islamophobic sentiment which has developed since the Paris attacks. In the wake of the attacks, many quickly jumped to the assessment that the attackers were in fact refugees who had passed through Greece. These allegations have since been refuted. However, meanwhile, statistics have been circulating throughout the British media, which have been posed in order to create more fear and panic amongst the British public. Earlier this month, the Express led with an article that alleged, ‘4000 covert ISIS gun men have been smuggled into western nations – hidden amongst innocent refugees,’ a quote from an ‘ISIS smuggler, who is in his thirties.’ There isn’t really any way of knowing whether this is true, but this statistic helps to bolster the story with something ‘concrete’ which can resonate amongst the public. What the media does not circulate however, is the possible positive benefits of refugees coming to a country. African refugees in areas such as Uganda are illustrating the benefits of taking in refugees into an economy. The number of refugees entering Uganda is reaching half a million people, a further 75,000 people from 2014. Due to Uganda’s progressive 2006 Refugee Act, these individuals are able to work, travel and use public services, including access to education. This is despite the fact that the GDP per capita is only $696 and youth unemployment is estimated to be as high as 83 per cent. Based on the rhetoric of the west and their reluctance to take in refugees fleeing conflicts in Syria, one would expect this to be to the detriment of the Ugandan economy.
“ What the media does not circulate however, is the possible positive benefits of refugees coming to a country
However, a 2014 study by the Humanitarian Innovation Project (HIP) has reported that over 50 per cent of the refugees are selfemployed and are creating and managing small businesses which sell goods as informal vendors or engage in trade. There is no doubt that this is beneficial for their economy. Here we can see that in the world of public perception and the media, statistics are entirely reliant on framing and interpretation. It is our responsibility as consumers of media to question any ‘facts’ that are presented to us. It is certainly heartening to know that The Sun’s headline caused the newspaper to receive record complaints from the public.
Comment
Epigram 14.12.2015
@epigramcomment Editor: Jordan Kelly-Linden Deputy Editor: Stefan Rollnick Online Editor: Liam Marchant jkellylinden@epigram.org.uk
srollnick@epigram.org.uk
lmarchant@epigram.org.uk
Students can and need to do more about the refugee crisis Scarlett Sherriff describes the ordeal asylum seekers have to go through to enter the UK and argues that Bristol students can do more to help
Scarlett Sherriff Comment Writer
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You don’t have to be at all intelligent, then, to realise that the methods used are specifically in place to make it more difficult for asylum seekers to enter the UK.
country. Refugees are interrogated intensely in both a short and a long interview about horrendous events, with unnecessarily challenging questions about where they came from, including dates from history.
Flikcr / AnthonyBrewster
In the media we hear about people - men, women, children and babies - drowning as they make the perilous journey from Turkey to the Greek islands to escape the war in Syria. We hear how hundreds die from suffocation, attempting in desperation to find a better life in the back of greedy, twisted, moneygrabbing drivers’ lorries. As students it is difficult to know what we can do to help, but that does not make the need any less urgent. Going to a talk called ‘Perspectives on the Refugee Crisis’, which was held in the Anson Rooms on Sunday 29th of November, reminded me that we cannot close our eyes to the plight of our fellow human beings. A speaker from the organisation, ‘Bristol Refugee Rights’, described how arduous and discriminatory the system for seeking asylum is in this
The whole process is unnecessarily antagonistic and its effectiveness very questionable. Not only could relaying events, that were so dire they made you flee your home country, cause unimaginably terrifying flashbacks, the memories of people with posttraumatic stress disorder have been scientifically proven to be patchy and hard to recall. This seems like common sense. Of course your memory is going to be impaired by trauma. It didn’t take a qualified GP, who was there as part of an organisation called ‘The Haven’, a practice especially for asylum seekers and refugees in Bristol, to highlight this point of contention for myself or the other listeners around me to question this interrogation technique. You don’t have to be at all intelligent then to realise that the methods used are specifically in place to make it more difficult for asylum seekers to enter the UK. I would struggle to recall details from the history of Britain, when I am in a calm, familiar environment, let alone if I was somewhere completely unknown, fearing deportation to a place where I have been
persecuted. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to see that this is clearly an unjustified and biased system. One that assists the government’s agenda to reduce migration to this country by using bullying tactics to exclude those who we should be most willing to welcome. In fact, the whole process for refugees seeking asylum in Great Britain is contrary to any notion of fairness. You receive only £36.60 a week on which to live, an isolating level of poverty in a country where you hoped you would be welcomed. Moreover, the letter that asylum seekers receive reads, ‘You could be detained at any moment,’ this being without the need for a proper judge to make the decision. Surely locking someone up, curtailing their freedom, without proper legal backing is a violation of human rights? Indeed, according to Article 6 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ‘Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law’, and according to Article 7, ‘All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection
against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.’ It would seem that detaining someone for days on end, without the decision of a judge, is certainly contrary to Human Rights law - even if a clever lawyer could argue that it is not actively discriminatory because it is a clause in British law, it is certainly ‘incitement to such discrimination.’ We all therefore need to be writing letters to our local MPs and campaigning against this. More importantly, one thing which is not time-consuming, does not involve travelling and is free that we students can do is to sign petitions. We need to express our solidarity and continue to raise awareness about the troubles faced by fellow human beings. We can help put a stop to the unnecessary and discriminatory measures forced upon asylum seekers by taking 30 seconds to fill out petitions such as those on 38 degrees and refugee-action.org. And we need to do it now.
The strongest relationships are based on honesty and mutual respect Maddie Goodfellow attacks the government’s plans to exempt universities from the Freedom of Information Act
Flickr / Simon Collison
In November of this year, the government announced a green paper allowing the possibility for all British universities to be exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. The government has argued that th is will create a level playing field between the public and private sector, as currently private providers are exempt from the act, yet public universities, as they receive government funding, are not. Furthermore, they state that it will deregulate and reduce the burden on universities to justify their spending, as in reality the majority of requests are not even from students. But is this really the case, or is it just a vessel for corruption? Those in opposition to the paper have argued that, in reality, it just allows the government and universities to stop the public knowing how funds are spent and it allows universities to become heavily reliant on private funders with little repercussion or accountability, going against the spirit of research council policy and public engagement. This can therefore give private donors a huge say in university matters, which could easily lead to corruption, without the knowledge of those it will affect most, the
Flickr / Darren Johnson
Maddie Goodfellow Comment Writer
students. It is crucial that this exemption is not allowed in order that those closest to the university, most importantly students, know how university money is spent. In 2010 a request to the High Education Funding Council for England revealed that the lecture theatres and halls of residence at many high-ranking universities were deemed ‘At serious risk for major failure or breakdown’ or, even more worrying, ‘Unfit for purpose.’ With facilities such as these forming an intrinsic part of our university experience how is it fair to pass a motion that would allow UK universities to conceal issues such as these when we are the people most highly affected by it? At the end of the day a university can only improve their reputation and student satisfaction by being open and honest about what’s going on behind the scenes. Without the ability to submit an FOI to access this information, how are students ever going to respect and have confidence in their institutions? Only last year at the University of Bristol, 157 requests were made under the Freedom of Information act. These ranged from seemingly small requests regarding admissions procedures, to controversial questions such as queries regarding the university’s supposed involvement with funding from arms deals. If students were unable to ask these questions, how could the university ever be held to account? And surely, with tuition fees higher than ever, it is only fair that students are allowed to know where their money is going?
157 requests were made at the University of Bristol under the Freedom of Information act last year
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14.12.2015
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Young Tories are the worst kind of Tories Comment writer, Giselle Storm Hyam, berates the young Tories and questions everything that’s wrong with their ‘worldly’ ‘Ah,’ purrs the ‘Young Tory’, swilling the space there’s some heart in your convictions. Under the Tories I feel like my future is less of constitution That is what being young is all about, being a an oyster and more of an Iceland fish-finger. I look where one day he hopes a glass of Port will be, ‘but
Giselle Storm Hyam Comment Writer Young Tories, what are you doing? What are you thinking? Why are you so drearily practical? Why are you so unendingly dull? We are young, the world is our oyster. We are on the cusp of adulthood, just old enough to make questionable decisions but young enough not to have to be reasonable about them. Dishwashers and mortgages are lurking in a grey and distant future but for now we are free to be as idealistic, idiotic and impractical as we can ever be again. I don’t know about you guys, but I own approximately jack shit. This might be an overstatement, I own minus jack shit. I own a
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around and ask what prospects do I have? I am surrounded by austerity, have little hope of ever actually owning a house and to top it all off am embarking onto the great ship of life dragging a pile of debt in a dinghy behind me. It doesn’t seem to be stopping either; talks of scrapping grants, taking the cap off university fees and dismantling the NHS ward-by-ward, not to mention having a government who, after blowing up the best part of the Middle East, have just decided to bomb it a little bit more – blindly hoping that maybe this time round something good will actually come of it. It’s hard not to feel a bit hopeless. But it’s also hard not to feel a bit rebellious, a little bit radical, a bit like I want to go and wave some banners in the general direction of Westminster, shout through a megaphone, raise a glass to ‘The Revolution’ in the basement of a dingy pub. Dishwashers can wait until later, for now we’re young and we can try and make a difference, make some noise and all be wildly, madly, hopelessly idealistic about the future.
think of the economy, we have to be practical.’ I am
Under the Tories I feel like my future is less of an oyster, and more of an Iceland fish-finger.
thinking about the economy and to be honest I am not best pleased with it. I’m also not completely enthused with the idea of being practical either. Everyone has their arguments, austerity, notausterity, spend, don’t spend, abolish the concept of money altogether and go and live in a commune in Kent… I don’t really mind what you think as long as you have good reasons for thinking it. What I mind is whether or not you are hopeful, whether you want a change for the better, no matter how practical or impractical it may be, just as long as
bit too idealistic, a bit too hopeful, wanting – no matter how likely it is – things to be a bit better. The ‘Young Tory’ rejects this, the ‘Young Tory’ is hyperpractical, the ‘Young Tory’ accepts the current state of things and thinks ‘Well… this is alright, I’ll just go into banking.’ The ‘Young Tory’ plunges us into a future of mortgages and debt with no end in sight. The ‘Young Tory’ is already middle aged and developing a slight paunch. The ‘Young Tory’ lives in the land of the eternal dishwasher. And I ask, where is the idealism? Where is youth? Where is imagination? Why are you not chasing some dream of a better world, shouting and waving a flag as you go? Why are you so unendingly, eternally practical. Why are you so bloody dull? As Mr Churchill once said, ‘If you’re not liberal when you’re 25 you have no heart.’ He also added, ‘If you’re not a Conservative when you’re 35 you have no brain,’ and I’ll leave that in contention, but what I say to you, ‘Young Tories’, is please, have a little heart.
I own a few grands worth of debt, an overdraft, and some organs which are starting to look less valuable than the prospect of central heating.
Flickr /Flickr BBC/ Radio 4 Vole Phlashing
few grands worth of debt, an overdraft and some organs which are starting to look less valuable than the prospect of central heating. And, I think, give or take the overdraft and organs, this is pretty representative of a large portion of our generation. Unless you happen to be the child of some Russian Oligarch or developed an app when you were 12 and are now thinking about going into property, I don’t see why you would choose to support a party which is specifically targeted at those who own positive jack shit, aimed at those with dishwashers and mortgages who want to keep one and get rid of the other. What’s the point of this now, when we are young and so brilliantly free of any semblance of practicality?
Speaker’s Corner: Why I’m grateful for my anxiety First year can be difficult at times and you can often find yourself feeling a little bit lost, Kanekwa Nzimba tells us why it’s okay to worry sometimes
Kanekwa Nzimba Comment Writer Flickr / alshepmcr
Looking back to one of the welcome talks during Freshers’Week, I now understand what the speaker meant when he described the transition into uni as a ‘Roller coaster ride.’ Of course this roller coaster will differ for each individual. For many, the lows are likely to consist of worry, tears and fear of missing out. With the pressure to make new friends quickly, adopt new styles of essay writing and find the balance between studies and social, it is very easy to get overwhelmed and anxious. University thus far has definitely been the opposite of a smooth ride. Today, it seems like I have this ‘Roller coaster’ to thank for many things: I’m learning the importance of resilience and being confident about myself. A few weeks ago, as house hunting season approached, I was consumed with worry that I wouldn’t have anyone to live with. I was worried that I wasn’t outgoing enough and this constant worry made me feel isolated and consequently made giving up and going back home seem like the best option. This gradually changed
after a walk back from the Student Union when my flatmate voiced the same housing concern. In a way, she brought to light the fact that most students have the same worries. Even more importantly, she made me realise that it’s okay to worry but that it’s more important to be mindful and to try not to think too much about things that are out of our control. Surprisingly, it seems that I have my anxiety to thank for my taking part in many exciting things around uni. Be it joining a plethora of societies, research interning or bonding with my lovely flatmates. Post panic attacks, it always seems like I have two options: either hide in my room (a.k.a
safe place) forever, or try again, regardless of the (perceived) embarrassment or willpower required. Although the former is always very enticing, I know the latter is the better choice for it offers change and possibility. Not only does trying benefit our studies, it encourages us to challenge ourselves to do daring things that we feel passionate about. Things we know we will look back to with no regret. I remember wanting to run for course rep but being too scared that no one would vote for me. The same worry hit me again when I saw an ad about joining the Feminist Society’s committee. However this
time, I feel determined to put myself out there, despite the outcome. Clearly, the uncertainty that accompanies starting university can be frustrating, but perhaps this uncertainty is something we ought to embrace. A wise man told me: ‘No one knows what they’re doing. The difference between those who are happy and those who are fearful is accepting this.’ Indeed, it is this philosophy that I’m currently attempting to live by. For fighting the urge to constantly be in control of our lives could aid in maintaining a peace of mind. After all, doing our best is all we can do.
Epigram
14.12.2015
Science & Tech
@EpigramSciTech Editor: Alfie Smith Deputy Editor: Matt Davis Online Editor: Amy Finch
asmith@epigram.org.uk mdavis@epigram.org.uk
A shot too many for vunerable students
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Despite the significant inherent risks associated with clinical trials, 618,000 people took part in them in 2014. A large proportion of these trialsubject were broke students enticed by the significant payments made for a few weeks of minimal work. Phase One clinical trials test drugs for the first time in humans. Pharmaceutical companies target the young because they want to test their drugs on healthy people to learn more about the right dosage and how toxic the drug generally. It makes sense that these firms seek to employ student test subjects with a lower change of existing health conditions. Other phases of drug testing process requires people that have the disease to test the drug to see what the effect is. Phase One subjects often set the standard for the disease trials and participants take the greatest risk in the process. What a patient goes through depends on the trial and it is worth noting that many people don’t get through the involved application process that includes a full medical exam, health questionnaire and blood tests. Last year, Rebecca Butler, a final year History student applied for a residential clinical trial to test a vaccine for the Flu, ‘I filled out loads of surveys about myself, but after a blood test I was
told that I had the wrong antibodies and couldn’t take part. The money is amazing for it though!’ Another Bristol student who wished to remain anonymous got further along in the process, ‘I didn’t do it because I had a deadline in the trial period and the rooms were really small with no windows’. To try and minimise the side effects of an unknown drug spreading, pregnant women are unable to take part in almost any clinical trials, whilst both men and women may be asked
What lures many people into taking part in a trial is the sheer amount of money that can be earned
to use two forms of contraception after taking part in a trial to minimise the risk of unknown side effects being spread to other people. What lures many people into taking part in a trial is the sheer amount of money that can be earned for conceivably lying in bed for a few days. Some relatively ‘straightforward’ trials offer over £4000 to take part. Students are specifically targeted by companies. The website ‘Employment for Students’ has a page running you through the risks and benefits of
taking part in clinical trials, with at the end of it a list of links to current trials. Students are ideal candidates as they are likely to fulfil the physical requirements, are in need of money, and won’t stop and think too hard about the risks. However, it is worth noting that the pay for each trial is not associated with risk of taking the drug and so a drug with the chance of more serious side effects may pay less than a low risk drug taken for a long period, as you are paid only for your time. Although a lot of the time drug trials go very smoothly with the side effects experienced (if any) negligible, and treated immediately by the organisers of the trial, sometimes trials go wrong. The most notorious example of this is probably the ‘elephant man’ trial of 2006, after which 6 men were left in a critical condition, one of who’s head swelled to alarming proportions, another had toes and fingers amputated, all were told that they were likely to develop cancers in the future. Trials going wrong is very uncommon, but although the risk is small, the possibility is there. The pressure to earn money is impressed upon us as students right from the beginning, when we apply to university and take out our extortionate student loans, and have to figure out some idea of how to pay it all back. Clinical trials have become a viable alternative for those who
StockB/Jonas salik
Matt Davis Deputy Editor
struggle to find work in or out of term time. One biochemist reported being unable to take even part-time work due to the demands of his degree. Although drug trials make people very uneasy, it is often the only other source of income possible. The demand for volunteers is growing with the speed of research. Often this means an inability to conduct proper oversight of the trial
process, especially in phase one. Students are often poorly informed about the risk they may face due to the demand all firms are under to bring in new subjects. While a quick source of cash, students should take a long time to think about these risks of these trials and remember that those operating them may not be being completely honest about the risks.
Chemists use winning combo against Ebola David Morris Science Writer Since the beginning of 2014, Western Africa has been battling an outbreak of Ebola Haemorrhagic fever (EHF), or more simply, Ebola. The epidemic has been largely contained but there are still some cases being declared in Liberia and Guinea. The Ebola virus is a filamentous virus comprised of a single strand of genetic code known as RNA encapsulated by a protein membrane. It can survive in a multitude of bodily fluids for up to several months making inter-host transmission very feasible. The fruit bat, native to large parts of western Africa, serves as a ‘natural
reservoir’ for the virus. This means the virus can survive and replicate within a fruit bat without killing it. The Ebola virus remains dormant wherever fruit bats are prevalent. After the Ebola virus is introduced to the human body, it expresses a protein that binds to human ‘interferons’. These are proteins that call for an immune response when necessary. This binding stops the interferons calling for antibodies to destroy the virus rendering the immune system largely redundant. The exterior membrane of the virus presents pendant proteins called glycoprotein to the surface of a healthy cell. Ebola glycoprotein hijacks the
cholesterol influx receptors of healthy cells and so is readily absorbed into them. This allows the virus easy access to the cell interior where it is free to replicate destroying the cell in the process. The Ebola virus also expresses a disordered protein called VP24 that interacts with collagen. The decay of the collagen means there is nothing to stop blood pouring into organs and to the surface of the skin. Global internal and external bleeding occurs and is usually fatal. The incredible amount of new research that came as a product of the recent Ebola virus has led to new methods and drugs unlike any seen
before. The many ways that the Ebola virus acts on the body has given chemists just as many platforms to stop it. The body tries to respond by expressing a specific antibody to combat the virus. Scientists have mapped this antibody and developed an effective way to detect the rapid expression of this antibody making early diagnosis and recovery from the disease much more likely.
UNWHO:via Economist
“ It is important that these drugs be cheap with outbreaks usally occurring in the poorest regions of the planet.
Sarepta Therapeutics have developed a modified strand of RNA that, when deployed, the virus encounters in the body and mistakes for its own genetic code during replication. Due to the modified code, the daughter virus then goes on to express dysfunctional VP24 which can’t bind to interferons properly allowing them to signal the immune response to destroy the virus. This is a very clever route to stopping the virus by making it think that it’s successfully replicating while buying the body time to take it out. Similarly, Tekmira pharmaceuticals have developed ‘small interfering’ RNA drugs that the virus again mistakes for its own RNA. This modified RNA prevents the daughter virus from being able to replicate itself so stopping the process all together.
Another approach taken by Mapp Bio-pharmaceuticals is ZMapp. A ‘cocktail’ of several antibodies that have a high affinity to Ebola glycoprotein. The cell doesn’t recognise the new glycoprotein-ZMapp structure upon binding and so isn’t tricked into allowing it into the cell. As the virus cannot infect new cells, it eventually perishes. Synergistically, therapy using the antibodies of survivors can act as a pseudo-vaccine. These techniques have resulted in a plethora of antiviral drugs that can be used to treat EHF. These types of drugs work well as they are so structurally similar to the actual virus that they have a much higher aptitude for it than for human cells. This allows the drug to selectively interrupt the virus’ processes over bodily processes and therefore limits the potential negative effects of the drug on the patient. Chemists are currently developing ways for EHF drugs to be made in a quick, scalable and economically viable fashion without toxic impurities so they can pass through clinical trials and be used on an outbreak level of demand. As it is equally important that these drugs be cheap with outbreaks occurring in the poorest regions of the planet. Ebola recovery is becoming much more common making continent level outbreaks increasingly difficult. Backed by countries and NGOS, The pharmaceutical industry is pouring research into fighting the Ebola virus and it is very realistic that these epidemics will be controlled and potentially exterminated in the coming years.
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UoB research steering the future of roads Natasha Gertler Science Writer
If a car puts the lives of its passengers first people might be more inclined to purchase from that manufacturer.
App of the week: Framed Sophie Wells Science Writer
The huge savings in emissions warrants positive local and state policy to encourage the universal adoption of driverless vehicles.
of innovation. This goes beyond taxis. With most everyday items travelling up and down the motorways to get to local shops, increasing the efficiency of this delivery means cheaper goods
for everyone. Highly efficient cars also require less fuel to do the same distance reducing the UK’s pollution. The lack of a driver means that cars can be smaller and lighter. The huge savings in emissions warrants positive local and state policy to encourage the universal adoption of driverless vehicles. At the end of the day, everyone is a winner in the long-term after the implementation of driverless cars on the roads, through improvements to our safety, economy and environment. However, this huge change requires an equally significant change to the UK’s law and regulatory standards. When walking to your lectures, remember a lot of the research behind these changes is still going on all around you.
on screen. I’d say that this is probably one of my favourite ideas for a game with great story telling and a strong style letting that the player get fully immersed
in the sequences. If only life allowed unlimited rewinds - unfortunately we have to make to with our shot in the dark approach, but at least now with Framed we can have some practice in case a Groundhog Day/Freaky Friday situation does actually happen!
An all round masterclass in interactive story trelling perfectly suited to a mobile device. Short, sweet and well worth wasting a few hours on. 8/10
Framed press image
My essay deadline two days ago was a depressing moment. I handed in work that if I could turn back time, I’d probably have spent many more hours on. Unfortunately in life there are no Marty McFly Back to the Future moments. With Framed, however, you are not only able to turn back time, but required to do so for the game’s plot. Framed is an app that has been nominated for several awards and had gushing reviews about its interactive story, with cartoon-like character silhouettes being guided by the player through a series of situations. After a short movie clip of the briefcase-carrying protagonist, the player is shown said character either being killed or captured. You are given a chance to replay the scene and change the order of the comic book panels. The player is required to guess the correct order of panels to progress the plot to the next scene. The story starts with your shady briefcase carrier on the run from the police. At every turn the player is put into a new kind of scenario, one of
which involved you being tackled in a hotel room. Paying close attention to the detail of each panel is required to determine the correct sequence to see if you could sneak past a guard by walking along the wall behind him for example. At other times I found that the right sequence could only be found by trial and error. If I was feeling particularly lazy (or was really engrossed in the story) I’d arrange the panels without thinking just to see the different scenarios play out and as the game doesn’t penalise you for getting the order wrong, it is possible to play the entire game this way. Watching a mysterious unidentified man being chased across an intriguing city-scape whilst listening to smooth jazz quickly becomes the best way to waste time on a long train journey and certainly feels world apart from the mind-numbingly dull platformers and Angry Birds knock-offs. The game does have a few flaws worth mentioning. Some situations require user interaction, lighting a cigarette with your finger for example, however, at other times you have a very small role in the outcome of the story and I felt, in these situations, rather superfluous to the events happening
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to be policy in place to help those drivers who will be put out of work as a natural, but unfortunate, by-product
Nissan press image
one that has the potential to rewrite all our public infrastructure, is scary. We can make it less so by focusing on all the lives it will save once human inefficiency is removed from the process. Some of the analysis done by the University has focused on the moral dilemmas driverless cars may bring, such as whether or not a car should swerve to save pedestrians if it injures the passengers. These types of moral predicaments are unavoidable and already happen to drivers. The problem comes in establishing a precedent that all people accept as morally just. Given that humans disagree massively on ethics, this is not a simple matter. Additionally, discrepancies in response to such dilemmas across manufacturers may result in bias and unfair car sales. If a car puts the lives of its passengers first people might be more inclined to purchase from that manufacturer. One solution to this is to force all driverless car manufacturers to adopt the same government regulated moral policy. Government policy, with extensive research to base it on, must be in place before any consumer owns
a driverless car. Driverless cars have the potential to make everything we do and consume cheaper and easier. Driverless taxi firms won’t need to spend as much in wages and insurance leading to cheaper fares home. Furthermore, these cars may be able to reduce crime: there’ll be fewer vulnerable people walking home at night because they can’t afford cab fare and fewer unlicensed taxis with any kind of person behind the wheel. The police don’t need to spend time looking for drunk drivers on the motorway and can focus on protecting people on the street. Again, this does require a whole new system of regulation to be put in place to check all these cars are operated safely and fairly. There also needs
Flickr: James Marvin Phelps
Driverless cars will play a key role in a sustainable and enriched future, so much so that the University of Bristol has recently joined the VENTURER consortium to investigate the feasibility of driverless cars in the local area. Transport Minister Claire Perry said: ‘Driverless cars are the future. I want the UK to be open-minded and embrace a technology that could transform our roads […] the Bristol trials will go a long way in helping us better understand the full implications of this exciting development.’ The trial is being funded by Innovate UK and will explore the legal aspects of driverless cars and explore how the public reacts to these vehicles. 90 per cent of all road accidents are due to driver error. Humans, unlike processors, can be tired, drunk or lazy. Driverless cars are able to communicate with each other through vehicle-tovehicle (V2V) radio technology. Dr Robert Piechocki, a senior lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (UoB) added, ‘we believe car-to-car communications will play a key role in providing the safety and public trust levels necessary for autonomous vehicles to become a reality on British roads.’ This technology allows each car to give and receive advanced warnings of emergency stops eliminating the risk of rear-end collisions. Furthermore, driverless vehicles will employ radar detection to perceive unusual obstacles. This data is continuously fed through algorithms, refined over millions of test drives, updating the car’s decision making instantly. This sensory technology has the potential to go beyond any human sense. Cars can see in the dark and
don’t get distracted by flashing lights or back seat arguments. Dr Piechocki believes that media around driverless cars should be focusing on this above-human perceptual capability rather than the comfort of not needing to drive. New technology, especially
14.12.2013
Letters
@EpigramLetters Editor: Sophie Hunter shunter.epigram@gmail.com
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Epigram
Men’s mental health - time to speak up
Ben Marshall pens an open letter on young men’s mental health and the culture surrounding masculinity in response to the controversial UoB Journalism Society Yiannopolous/Reid debate. Ben Marshall Letters Writer
Milo Yiannopolous, who recently spoke at a University of Bristol Journalism Society debate, has done well to identify disaffection amongst young men around how society labels them and the struggles of being unable to voice concerns about their mental health. I can understand how some men can end up feeling bad for simply being themselves. I can also understand how the media (especially social media) spins an inaccurate picture that polarises opinions and helps no one. The same can be said of ‘debates’ between parties with no hope of reaching consensus. Yiannopolous fails hopelessly in his assertions about the cause of this disaffection and the solution. I read his comments at the recent Journalism Society debate and was horrified at what he was advocating. The problem of young men’s mental health not being discussed is not a problem caused by feminists, or the notorious battle of the sexes. Nor is the solution to vilify feminists (which many incorrectly think is a synonym for women) and to embrace a society that is, at its core, totally unequal in how it expects different people to feel and function. It scares me more that a lot of people who have not been exposed to mainstream feminism might find Yiannopolous’s narrative an attractive
one, especially because it provides a scapegoat. Hence, I am writing this letter. I don’t want to live in a world where different genders look on each other with suspicion and misunderstanding. Where women feel unable to walk home late at night and men are scared of asking for help lest they be told their problems aren’t important enough. There is a catastrophic confusion between ‘The problems men face’, or ‘The problems women face’, and ‘The problems a man has’ or, ‘The problems a woman has.’
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Our failure to do so is precisely what has created a situation in which some men are scared to cry about their problems. Men, in general, have less to fear in our society than women. This has absolutely no bearing on the problems an individual man or an individual woman might face, nor can there be any comparison drawn between them. All people, regardless of gender, have problems unique to them. Certain genders also have problems that people who identify as such are more likely to suffer from. All of these problems are going to be solved by compassion, not competition. We must recognise that the structural
problems faced by a segment of our society cannot be compared to the problems of an individual. Our failure to do so is precisely what has created a situation in which some men are scared to cry about their problems. We cannot have ‘Generation Reddit’ conned into thinking they cannot speak up about their suffering because they don’t identify as (or share the problems of) one gender or another. Similarly, we must all realise that it is our actions as individuals that create the perceived behaviour of the whole. Charity begins at home (so the saying goes) and so does a fairer, more inclusive, more empathetic society. It is a lie that men are somehow all sexual predators and latent misogynists, even if the majority of both are in fact men. It is an even bigger lie (propagated by people like Yiannopolous) that feminists are hateful of men. If you believe feminists truly think this, I would encourage you to talk to one, in real life, away from the lies and twisted agendas of the internet. We need to reclaim masculinity as a concept, it is not about bravado, posturing, brute force or lad culture. Like all other people, men should stand for respect, equality and compassion, and not let a small number of hateful people speak and act for us while we are cowed into tacit acceptance of the status quo. A common misconception in society is that more women suffer from mental illnesses like depression, anxiety and
eating disorders. This is wrong. We can only say that more women seek help for such things than men. Why is this? I put it down to one thing: the way society conditions us to think about masculinity. It is toxic and needs to stop.
We cannot afford to let a generation of young men live under the false perception that their individual problems are not worth solving This is feeding a second, increasingly dangerous fear: that they will not be taken seriously, because they are a man and men have it easy in our society, or are expected to be tough enough to get over it. This goes back to my point about the difference between the personal problems of an individual and the structural or societal problems of a gender. Worse still, this fear is unfounded. It is simply a damaging perception encouraged by people who (for whatever reason) try to attack feminists as being a threat to men, rather than recognising it is the patriarchal bounds placed on both masculinity and femininity by our society that are the threat. We cannot afford to let a generation of young men live under the false perception that their individual problems are not worth solving. I am
scared that Yiannopolous and others like him are using this as political ammunition and I am worried that young men are being duped into fighting against the very thing that would help them: the equal treatment of all people. This is an appeal to everyone who feels that their problems are being invalidated because someone else is worse off. There is always someone who has it worse off; no one should use that to lessen the tragedy of your own situation. We should all be fighting for gender equality and we should never tell an individual their problems aren’t worth talking about because of their gender. I am a straight, white, mentally ill man trying to be a feminist. I only chose one of those attributes and woe betide the fool who makes me feel bad for being any of them.
If you are affected by any of the issues discussed in this article you can reach out to Peace of Mind, Bristol University’s Mental Health Society on Facebook, Twitter or via Bristol SU
‘You’ve got this girl’- wise words to my Student Self... Molly Simpson Alumni and Letters Writer
Finally, don’t compare your own university experience to others. Everyone gets something different from uni, whether it’s a non-stop social life, academic achievement, or pursuing other passions alongside their studies like sport or drama. Some prefer to have a bit of all three, like us. You’re there for you, your degree is your degree, and (sadly) your debt is your debt. So if you don’t want to go out one night, don’t go out. If you want to write for the uni newspaper, then take a leap of faith and do it. Because the memories you’re going to be making are made exclusively for you, by you. You’ve got this girl. I only wish I could be doing it all over again with you! Love, Future Molly
Flickr / Caleb Roenigk
Dear Molly, It’s so unsettling being the last to leave for university, with almost two weeks of seeing your school friends adding hundreds of new people on Facebook with photos going up of Fresher’s events, all whilst you struggle to pack your IKEA plates and glasses into a box that’s too small. I know it’s horrible seeing everyone starting their new life before you, but it’ll all be worth the wait. There may be people on your accommodation Facebook groups who sound like they’re nothing but excited about such a big change, but don’t worry, inside they’re bricking it too. After three weeks you may still be wondering where this incredible friendship group you were promised is going to spring up from and whether any of the people you’re talking to at the moment really are going to be your lifelong friends. They may not be, but even if Fresher’s Week hasn’t formed the thousand friendships you thought it would, you’re going to spend the next three years meeting some wonderful people, so don’t panic because you haven’t met them yet. (In fact, you’re not going to meet a lot of them until third year so just sit tight). One of the most wonderful things about university is that you never stop meeting people really and if you do and you settle for the friends you have
rather than taking any opportunity to make new ones then you’re doing it wrong. You’ve always put your all into your education but university isn’t for everybody and there’s a reason for that: it’s hard work. But you are up to the challenge and there’s no shame in putting the long hours in because the rewards are going to be so worth it. It really does feel great to graduate with a First and I’m not ashamed to say it. Also, make sure you separate your living space and your study space. It might sound insignificant but when it comes to exams and you’re revising in your bedroom for 12 hours before crawling across the floor to your bed you will go stir crazy. Discover the library a little earlier, you will thank me for it! Having said this, first year really doesn’t count for anything so maybe cut yourself a bit of slack just for those first 9 months… Then it’s go time. Nothing can really prepare you for a long distance relationship. Not only are you moving to a different city, you’re not going to be seeing your boyfriend for two or three weeks at a time, let alone everyday. Your paths are going to diverge a little bit from now on and that takes some getting used to. It’s going to be tough, but looking back I am so glad to say that Elliot and I had our own university experiences because it made us more interesting people, making our relationship more interesting too. They do say that absence makes the heart grow fonder and having done it I’m tempted to agree.
Words of wisdom from graduate, Molly
Tweets of the fortnight: @Beth_Teo -
‘One of our lecturers uses comic sans for every powerpoint and no one can take him seriously’
@ ScheifferBates -
‘Every time the train pulls up in Bristol the fellas who get on are always talking about some kind of ‘gap yah’ activity. #banter’
@ theizzygreen -
‘actually feel sorry for Milo Yiannopoulos because of his shit hairdresser and his tragic 2002-style highlights’
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@epigrampuzzles
Editors: Suzie Brown; Andrea Philippou
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In this Christmassy sudoku, the numbers are represented by pictures, but you solve the puzzle in the usual way. May test your drawing skills as much as your logical reasoning...
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ACROSS 6. Vessel capable of transporting Santa around the world in 24 hours (6) 7. Country with parts in Europe and Asia (6) 8. Kids sticking candles in oranges (11) 10. Frightened some shepherds by suddenly appearing to them (5) 12. Popular boys name in Latin America (5) 13. This season is coming (6) Decoration for your front door (6) 1614.Average 17. French for “to eat” (6) 2018.Good Rudolph is the most famous one of all (8) 20. Peak time for purchasing of gym 24 Very good memberships (3,4) 22. Germanic festival which became Christmas (4) 24. An excuse to eat chocolate every morning (6,8) 25. Stand under it if you like kissing (9) 9 strangers Average
sbrown.epigram@gmail.com
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impromptu Christmas fancy dress (6) 2. Put it in your living room and watch it drop needles as it dies (9,4) 3. Makes getting drunk taste like Christmas (6,4) 184. Birthplace Averageof Jesus (9) 5. They bring Christmas cheer door-to-door 24 (5,7) Good 308. Wallace Very good and Gromit almost forgot them when they went to the moon (8) 9. Watch all your efforts melt away as the weather warms up (7) 11. Buying these is the primary cause of preChristmas stress (5) 15. Your childhood is over when you find out 12 he’s Average just Dad in a silly hat (5) 1616.Good What’s white and red and looks better it tastes? (5,4) 20 than Very good 19. One of Santa’s little helpers (3) 21. The first name of comedian Mr Fielding (4) 23. Full of fruit and covered with marzipan - not what you want after a big dinner (4)
CEA R I S T L E T O E E B R 12 Average 16 Good Y N Network R 20 Very good Event UoB Hosts Inaugural Young Generation K
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With EDF Energy, Hitachi-GE and
graduates to connect and gain a further
technologies for the plants of the future.
Details of the next event will be
NuGen all vying to make imminent
understanding of the industry.Talks from
It is taking a leading role in preparing
released in the New Year. Anyone
investment
energy
a variety of perspectives were given
the next generation of nuclear scientists
considering a career in the nuclear
market, nuclear power looks set for
highlighting that the nuclear industry
and engineers by setting up the nuclear
industry regardless of discipline is
reinvigoration in the UK and particularly
is not just for scientists and engineers.
MSc course and is in the middle of
welcome to attend.For more information,
in the South West. The UK has a long
Michael Bray from Burges Salmon gave
constructing a brand new facility, the
please see our Facebook page: www.
history of nuclear power generation
an overview of the NI and the YGN and
Nuclear Hub, due to be ready this April.
facebook.com/BristolYGN.
which currently produces 19% of our
shared some experiences of his work in
This is the only university based branch
power. But with the last of the original
nuclear law. Gareth Davies from Davies
of the YGN and is in prime location with
Magnox plants set to close by the end of
Nuclear Associates discussed the past,
a plethora of projects and companies
this year, we are left with an impending
present and future of nuclear power in
nearby.
energy deficit. Compounded with the
the UK and how foreign investment is
announcement from the government
playing a key role in securing the UK’s
that all coal power plants will be phased
energy future. Tom Scott from Bristol’s
out within the next decade, a suitable
Interface
replacement must be found. Nuclear
proceedings with an overview of the
power offers a stable alternative that
contribution the University has given
enables the UK to meet emissions
to the industry thus far and the bright
targets and add diversification to the
future to come.
into
the
UK
Analysis
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finished
Bristol plays a significant role in nuclear
UK’s energy portfolio. Generation
research and has been ranked top in the
Network (YGN) event was hosted in
UK.The university works with companies
the Physics Department on the 17th
such as EDF Energy, Sellafield, Magnox
of November. The YGN, a subsidiary
and the National Nuclear Laboratory to
of the Nuclear Institute, is a platform
help optimise current operation of sites,
for young professionals, students and
decommissioning of old ones and new
An
inaugural
Young
This article is an advertorial
Epigram 16.11.2015
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A new curriculum for Bristol? Join the discussion Graham Read, Student Hubs
As you know, we are in the midst of a developing a new University vision and strategy. Thanks to all of you who have given us your views already in response to our #change1thing campaign; if you have not yet had a chance, please do feed in your ideas via the mechanisms described below. One of the questions that we are seeking your views on is: what are the key skills and experiences that we should offer you as part of your degree programme, and how would we provide them? Having taken initial soundings from students, colleagues, employers and partners, Professor Judith Squires, Pro ViceChancellor for Education, has proposed a curriculum on which we would like your views.
Join the discussion: Yammer University colleagues have been discussing the Bristol Futures initiative on Yammer. Some of the debate is over the labels for the pathways – are they the right ones? Or over ‘core skills’, both those within sub-disciplines and across disciplines, and whether the phrase (in the Bristol Futures initiative) is misleading. Perhaps it could be better understood as ‘themes’ or ‘strands’, or even ‘competencies’ instead of ‘skills’. One post suggests ‘international mindedness’ as an alternative to global citizenship; another emphasises the importance of the themes ‘as living themes so that students feel they have an ongoing impact on them – for example they are not just learning how Bristol students become outstanding global citizens but also defining what attributes that Bristol citizen has’. Several agree that students should be ‘more involved in curriculum design and development’ and ‘co-creators of knowledge’ so that learning is more meaningful and has real world application. What do you think? You can join the conversation on Yammer (yammer.com/bristol.ac.uk) and offer a very welcome student perspective on these points, or raise some of your own.
We take it as a given that we need to offer a world-class education in your chosen subject informed by the very latest research, including: • •
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Global Citizenship: generating knowledge and skills to address the needs and concerns of the world in the 21st century – finding answers to today’s global challenges; educating tomorrow’s leaders. Innovation and Enterprise: creating the change-makers and leaders of the 21st century by bringing together the arts, sciences, engineering, humanities and enterprise to deliver innovative products, services and ways of living. Sustainable Futures: inspiring and educating the next generation of decision-makers, business leaders and citizens, to equip you with the skills and knowledge to deal with the challenges of climate change and sustainable living.
Why these three?
A third University Research Institute is to be established to conduct research into the self, society and what it is to be human, which could bring a research-informed perspective to the Global Citizenship pathway. Embedding core skills that are informed by the University’s key research strengths would ensure that we deliver a connected curriculum.
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The city of Bristol has always been a city of exploration, innovation and non-conformity. It was a base for the very first voyages of exploration to the New World, and it continues to be a global outward-looking city. Bristol is also a city of innovation and entrepreneurship, with a thriving economy that depends on creative media, electronics and aerospace industries. More recently, Bristol was named England’s first European Green Capital, and is committed to becoming a sustainable future city. The pathways also reflect the University’s research strengths. Two University Research Institutes deliver cross-disciplinary research of an international quality, with a third in the pipeline. The Cabot Institute conducts world-leading research on the challenges arising from how we live with, depend on and affect our planet, ensuring that the Sustainable Futures pathway benefits from cutting edge research. The Elizabeth Blackwell Institute for Health Research brings together leading researchers from disparate fields to collaborate on solutions to the most pressing health problems of the 21st century, which, together with our existing strengths in enterprise education and planned Innovation degree programme, could enrich the Innovation and Enterprise pathway.
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What do you think?
Have we identified the right core skills or are there other skills that you would like to see introduced? Do you think the three pathways (global citizenship, innovation and enterprise, sustainable futures) should be reflected within your programme of study, in core units, or offered as extra-curricular opportunities? If extra-curricular, do you think the pathways should be credit-bearing for an award separate from your degree, eg, a certificate or diploma in the course? Would you welcome a broadening of the existing open units to allow you to, eg, take a MOOC (massive open online course) in global citizenship or one of the other themes? Would you like to work more with students from outside your subject?
We look forward to hearing your views and welcome feedback via: • email, uob-visionandstrategy-consultation@bristol. ac.uk. • your course reps or SU officers, find them at: bristolsu. org.uk/democracy/representatives. • Yammer, where you can read more about the initiative and join a lively discussion about it (yammer.com/bristol. ac.uk). Or the consultation Facebook group (facebook. com/groups/uobstrategy). • focus groups with students which we will be holding in the New Year to refine these ideas. If you would like to take part, please contact uob-visionandstrategyconsultation@bristol.ac.uk.
Delivery by academics who are recognised as leading international experts in their fields; A curriculum infused by up-to-date research and technological advancements; Opportunities to learn how to research within your course; and Opportunities for a deeper dive into research through intercalated BSc and integrated bachelors/masters programmes.
Graham Read, Student Hubs
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In addition, we are considering developing some extra elements that should help prepare you for your future career. Co-developed with academics, students, Bristol’s city, regional and international partners, these pathways should reflect and celebrate both the distinctive features of the city of Bristol and the University’s particular research strengths, and speak to the needs of students and their future employers. For these reasons, the following three core skills pathways have been suggested:
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Living Travel Style Food What’s On
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Editor Will Soer
Online Editor Maya Colwell
wilso@epigram.org.uk
mcolwell@epigram.org.uk
@e2living
14.12.2015
Epigram Living Section 2015/16
The Shazam Diaries Abroad The core aim of the Shazam Diaries isn’t exactly complicated or original: it’s supposed to document life as a Bristol student. It’s the technique that’s different: I want to do this through the lens of music. What music soundtracked your life, to such an extent that it’ll instigate a serious case of Deja Vu when it comes up on shuff le in 2025 - and why? For this edition I asked for contributions from students going through that most mysterious of experiences: a third year working abroad. I hope you enjoy the responses, feel free to check out the online article to listen to each track. And yes, more than one student picked the same Enrique Iglesias song...
Rhona Egerton, working in France
Bailando by Enrique Iglesias was exactly the kind of naff European music that I imagined would surround me on my year abroad. I don’t understand a single word that comes out of Iglesias’ mouth, but that does not stop this song from making me feel so completely and effortlessly happy. My year in Bordeaux continues to be a fabulous mix of fun people, cheap wine and five day weekends. Come fourth year, this song will hopefully remind me of the freedom that a very limited workload and not so limited student loan provide; I know I will be so grateful for its ability to take me back.
Alba-Lilly Phillips, Portugal
A song that reminds me of my year abroad would have to be Bailando by Enrique Iglesias. Whenever I hear that song, I am taken back to all the open air clubs of Seville, the memory of far too many shots of tequila (along with a few hand burns due to incompetent consumption of the B52 shot), and the feeling of being truly and completely free in a warm climate (being free in a rainy country does little to make you feel like you’re soaring through the clouds, let’s be honest). I also came to truly adore My Life by Billy Joel. I discovered this song through a good friend of mine (how could I have not heard it before? I know, guys, I’m a let-down) and it got me through so many difficult times. Whenever I was doubting myself, or felt like someone was getting under my skin, I would listen to this song, punch my fist in the air, and remember that if Billy Joel says it’s okay to be you in a crazy world where everyone is telling you when to go home, that should just be taken as gospel.
Amelia McWhirter, Italy
Claiming that Easy Love by Sigala encapsulates my year abroad might seem like an odd choise. It’s not Italian, nor particularly deep. Though that is exactly why I’ve chosen it (ok, not the non-Italian element). This song is a gem in that it is both upbeat and chilled. It’s not about getting over a break-up, or about breaking up, or anything depressing in that vein, instead it stays light and energetic. Every time I hear it my mood instantly perks up, (if it were not already perky) and I remind myself I’m currently on a once-in-alifetime opportunity to explore a whole new country and way of life. It reminds me to take every opportunity, however small it may seem at first; go and meet those people who asked you out for drinks even if you’re feeling like a night in – they could be your next ‘bffs’, and instead of surfing the internet go and visit a city and make the most of your days off. Most importantly enjoy yourself and have fun.
Sophie Foggin, Columbia
La Tierra del Olvido (2015 version) by Carlos Vives is the biggest hit of one of Columbia’s most famous singers (think along the lines of Chris Martin/ Robbie Williams). The original version was released in 1995 and became an absolute classic, so popular that this year, on its 20th anniversary, it was re-released as a collaboration of various famous Colombian artists. The title of the song actually has a very significant message, translating as ‘the Land of Forgetting’, referring to the ongoing peace process which is such an important part of Colombia’s history, and its present state. The video takes you on a little tour around the different parts of the country and really shows how geographically diverse and amazing it is. The song always seems to cheer up anyone who listens to it, so it’s definitely worth a listen even if you can’t understand the lyrics!
Sally McConchie, USA
Picture this: cruising through the central valley of California on Highway 140, surrounded by the dead, f lat desert and gazing at the high Sierra Nevada Mountains in the distance. We were heading for Yosemite, with only trucks passing us on the roads tooting in between the few lonely cattle stations. We were listening in to the local radio station, and the moment Buy Me a Boat by Chris Janson started I just couldn’t help but uncontrollably laugh at just how cliché this all felt. The song and the country life of trucks, boats and guns could not be any further from the academic and intellectual setting of Berkeley just a few hours to the West. A truly American Experience! Epigram / Will Soer
Rashina Gajjar, Spain
Will Soer
Out and about in an olive grove one weekend, surrounded by Brazilians Samba-ing and some Portuguese shout/ singing, I caught my friend’s eye and immediately knew we were both thinking the same thing: Shazam. Whenever I hear Deixa Acontecer by Grupo Revelação it takes residence in my head for the rest of the day (in a good way). The best thing about this is when you absent-mindedly burst into song and earn the respect of any nearby Brazilians. With Carolina Bela by Jorge Ben e Toquinho, the thing that got me so over excited on first hearing it was recognizing the sample used by DJ Marky in drum and bass classic “It’s the Way”. This then opened the door to the smooth samba tones of Jorge Ben that will now always remind me of sunny strolls into university here in Porto.
Compiled and Introduced by Will Soer
Epigram Living editorial position available: Deputy Editor Responsible for helping lay up the Living section, sourcing images, editing article submissions and commissioning articles, as well as assisting with our social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram).
To apply please submit: - Your CV - Brief cover letter - Ideas sheet outlining your vision for Epigram Living Section - One example of your writing (preferably from student media) Send submissions to wilso@epigram.org.uk or mcolwell@epigram.org.uk
14.12.2015
21
Agony Aunt and Uncle: Grindr and Guy-Code
As the nights draw in, so have the sunny feelings for two of you. Winter always tends to make things look worse- the sky; dry and unmanageable skin; that jog you still haven’t done. This time, its boys. Not getting them, not keeping them: being them. And being them in love trysts so luke warm they flatter the ‘story ark’ of even Made in Chelsea – to put it bluntly, these stories won’t inspire blockbusters. However, they are definitely problems you have had or will have so we could just label this one FAQs.
He’s on Grindr - it’s doubtful he’s searching for piña coladas and walks in the rain He’s on Grindr – it’s doubtful he’s searching for piña colada and walks in the rain and you know what, its fine if that’s not the job he wants to start. But let’s level, it’s not the job you want finishing. Keep looking. Rachael Saunders says: Ruthless though it is, you should have zero tolerance for people who aren’t honest with you from the start. I mean this in the most basic sense; we all conceal our less flattering traits or darker pasts until we get comfortable with our partner, but waiting until a third date – even agreeing to date you at all – before revealing such a vital piece of information is cruel behaviour. He has purposefully gotten your hopes up before dropping a bomb on them, making it much harder for you to just forget about him. Sadly, that is what you have to do. Personally, I’m in the camp of people who don’t believe in open relationships. Call me oldfashioned, but sleeping with multiple people whilst claiming to be committed to one person is oxymoronic. If you’re looking for exclusivity, no less commitment, you can be assured he isn’t the one to give it to you. It’s best to get out of the situation before things get more complicated, especially as there’s another man’s feelings at play here too.
James says: Gosh. Maybe it’s time to try a different tact like sincerity? Now if this was a random guy, I’d suggest honesty to put right your mistake but just like Gwyneth Paltrow, that’s faded. Whether the pair work out happy, or unhappy – you have one option and that’s to leave them to work it out for themselves. Unfortunately you missed your chance and there’s no going back. People often say that honesty is the best policy, but I find that’s only applicable when with doctors, and new outfits. - You had 19 sexual partners. - You don’t have the emotional complexity for emerald green. Add to that list, saying ‘I love you’ when you mean it, and not when you don’t. Write those down, and remember them because those are the only times total honesty is going to help you.
Rachael says: Are you sure your feelings aren’t just mirroring his? Jealousy is a very powerful emotion. What was it that made you invoke the friend-zone in the first place? Maybe you should trust this instinct. In any event, it’s not fair to pursue her now just because she’s ‘showing the signs’. No doubt once the novelty has worn off you’ll be writing in to ask us how you should end it. If you really are convinced that you have feelings for her, you still need to solve the problem of your ‘mate’s’ involvement. If it’s true that they’re only seeing each other out of desperation, and, as you so confidently suggest, she’d rather have you anyway, whatever they have will fall apart very quickly. Though this thought might give you an ego boost, don’t wait around for it to happen – there are plenty of other love triangles out there waiting for you. James Higgins and Rachael Sanders
My Top Spot: The Cori Tap There’s the old saying that only three things are certain in life: death, taxes, and that you’ll drink Bristol’s best cider at the Cori Tap. Admittedly, I am paraphrasing and that was a joke. But then, a lot of truth is said in jest. Situated in the heart of Clifton and next to the Suspension Bridge, the Cori Tap is one of Bristol’s best-loved spots. For students keen to experience the West Country’s signature drink, the Cori Tap is, therefore, peerless. Boasting live music too, the Cori Tap has been consistently shortlisted in recent years for the Publican’s ‘UK Music Pub of the Year’, and various other accolades. If you do go to the Cori Tap, there is also a challenge to attempt. But a word of warning: the 10 before 10 challenge has proved too much for countless students. I do not know anybody that has attempted it and has stood upright to tell the tale. So, if you like good music, great cider and would relish a greater still challenge, there is nowhere better than the Cori Tap. See for yourself – you won’t regret it. Johnny Thalassites
Will Soer
Dear James and Rachael I met a girl on a night out – we had a good time and ended up going back to hers. We saw each other casually a few times but I decided that I probably didn’t like her more than just as a friend. A few weeks later, my housemate and her hooked up and went on dates. My mate is quite desperate for a girlfriend and I don’t think she is really that into it because whenever we see each other we still flirt a lot. They still seem quite happy. To add confusion to the mix, I’ve realised that I actually fancy this girl quite a lot – it just took me a while to realise. Can I tell her?
Flickr: Amanda Hinault
James Higgins says: ‘Fun’ – funny how the British have a metaphor for sex, particularly as we all know ‘fun’ is rarely what it says on the tin. Or am I turning into my mother? Certainly my mum did once say to me, men rarely stick at a job until it’s done. It sounds lewd, but she was referring to my Dad’s inability to follow through on the long awaited patio her social life so desperately needed, but I feel it’s a true go-anywhere, meananything wisdom. With my usual metaphor dangled, let me finish the job I’ve started. We cannot prejudge him for anything, for all I know he might finish all the patios he promised. What I can judge him for is his behaviour: he’s cheating on his boyfriend. Whether they’re consensually cheating or otherwise, he’s in a mixed up situation.
Dear James and Rachael I started seeing a guy casually after we met on a night out – we had ‘fun’ a few times but after our third meeting he revealed he had a boyfriend but they were in an open relationship – in fact both of them are on Grindr. He has said to me he doesn’t love his boyfriend, and quite recently he has started to see me but without sex. He says he’s stopped seeing other people except me, and he keeps coming to me with advice for his relationship because he thinks its ending. Obviously I want them to break up, but I don’t want to look like I’m ending it. What do I do?
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Epigram Travel Section 2015/16
Year abroad: one month later... Amelia McWhirter in Padua
Amelia McWhirter
believe I have improved, which is a relief. I’ve been watching a few Italian TV series, as well as American ones dubbed into Italian (because I think it’s pretty clear that Italians haven’t yet perfected the art of a successful TV series) in order to quicken up this process. This has really helped me, and has meant that I am slowly learning the colloquial side of Italian, the side that never seems to get taught in the classroom. While I may have been an expert at discussing euthanasia and other controversial themes at university, oddly enough these topics don’t tend to pop up in everyday conversation, so learning the laidback slang of the everyday Italian was key to giving me any hope of making friends whilst here in Italy. In other news, in order to satisfy my cravings for English puddings, I’ve been teaching Italians how to make them. Not
Mairead Finlay in Geneva
Budgeting
Things I’ve learnt from my first month abroad:
Homesickness
Flickr/ Jack at Wikipedia
Before coming to Switzerland, I genuinely (and well, rather arrogantly) presumed homesickness wouldn’t be an issue for me. I’d been away abroad before on different occasions for months at a time and it was rarely a problem. I thought that it would be more of the same here in Geneva. I was wrong. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt, it’s that you can’t presume anything, and also that you are probably at your most susceptible when ill (something other friends on their year abroad have unanimously agreed with). The susceptibility is heightened, I’ve found, when the country you live in treats buying paracetamol almost akin to buying a highly scandalous drug. Bought only in pharmacies and hidden in a drawer behind the counter, the experience makes you yearn for 25p paracetamol from Clifton Down Sainsbury’s like never before. You might lose all rationality at the same time when homesick. This was the case for me last week when, full of a horrible flu and miles away from home, I ended up finding myself getting tearful about mangos - because that week was the first time I had bought mangos in Switzerland... and mango eating reminded me of being in the UK and having them all the time. This was shortly followed by feeling emotional seeing a picture of the pig, Babe, in a Buzzfeed article... because I had watched Babe a lot as a child and, you guessed it... this also used to happen in the UK.
One step at a time.
Amelia McWhirter
The last month has truly flown by; so much has happened and I’m feeling better than ever. Routines have been established, friends have been made, all in all it has been a great month. It all began with the introduction of personal tutoring at the university where I work. This has gone down really well with the students and it has also meant that I’ve been able to get to know the students myself. Rather than just seeing a sea of faces sat in front of me during lectures, I now recognise many of them, which makes doing the register a lot easier for starters. I’ve also met up with a few of them outside of university, mainly for the classic Italian aperitivo, which always goes down a treat. This week, for example, there has been a chocolate festival in the centre of Padua, which was more than exciting to discover. Anyone that knows me will know I have a ridiculously sweet tooth, so any excuse to exploit the numerous tasters from the various stalls was an opportunity not to be missed. I ended up going to the festival with some lovely students that I met through my conversation classes, which was a great experience and was typically followed by an aperitivo to end the night. Last weekend I also visited a beautiful Italian town about 40 minutes by train from Padua with some friends. The town itself is truly picturesque and has a large wall surrounding the ancient part of the town. From this, we walked along the huge wall, and around the entire town. This was a fantastic experience, and meant that no part of the Cittadella went unseen. As well as visiting new towns and cities I’ve also been trying to improve my language skills. Fortunately, I actually
only does this mean I get to eat delicious food, I also seem to be making friends at the same time. Next week I think I’ll be introducing them to brownies - a few weeks back it was flapjacks. The classic Victoria Sponge may have to wait a bit; we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. As with everything, I’m starting with the basics and working my way up. I’ve also found myself adapting extraordinarily well to the Italian lifestyle. Shops closing from 12-4 is no longer an issue for me - in fact I think I rather like it - and nothing beats the feeling of returning home to Padua after visiting another city for a day. I have even been able to point Italians and tourists alike in the direction of the main sites in Padua. You could almost say I’m becoming Italian – though that could be pushing it for now.
What have I learnt about budgeting in Switzerland during my first month here? That budgeting and Switzerland is pretty much an oxymoron in itself. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel for us students and it’s a four-letter word you should truly etch into your memory like your life depends on it: Lidl. The amount of adoration I now have for Lidl is quite frankly, embarrassing. I have been known to go twice in one day. In fact, it’s got to the point where my friends have given me the dubious honour of being called ‘Lidl girl’. Not my favourite ever nickname it has to be said, but given that my weekly shopping comes in at generally about half the price of what others spend, it is one I can deal with. However, coming to the pathetic realisation that there are few things that bring me a greater high here than buying cheap fruit or cheese does need some re-evaluating on my behalf. On the clothes side of things, the flea markets here are great; I thoroughly recommend Plainpalais on Wednesdays and Saturdays. And it’s not just cheap in the Switzerland sense of the word. Things are GENUINELY cheap. For example, I bought three jumpers for 6 francs last week. Something I have wittered on about endlessly ever since to anyone who will listen.
Studying
Flickr/ DennisM2
Flickr// Dennis Jarvis
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy studying translation and interpretation here at the University of Geneva, but it is about 80 per cent harder than my course in Bristol. The result of which is that about half of the time I feel like I’m being really challenged to do better, accompanied by a rose tinted vision of reaching fourth year fully accomplished at translating. Then the rest of the time, I feel completely incompetent. It’s a constant flip between the two, but I’m trying to learn to give myself a bit of a break as it’s still early days.
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A hot Christmas down under Christmas jumpers, log fires and warming hot chocolates characterised my childhood Christmases - well, all except one. When I was 14, my family and I swapped fluffy socks and woolly scarves for shorts and flip flops when we spent Christmas Day on Manly Beach in Australia. It was certainly a very different experience - for a start, I got sunburnt. Indeed, it’s amazing how much of a difference the weather makes to festive celebrations. In Britain, we stay indoors and spend the whole day eating. Some of us might wrap up warm and brave the cold weather for a country walk, but the focus
Epigram/ Sarah Newey
Flickr: Thomas Depenbusch
of the day is certainly on inside activities; for good reason it gets dark by 4pm and let’s be honest, it’s usually raining. But in Australia, I spent the day on the beach in 30 degree heat. The whole day was focused on being outside - although this was potentially heightened by the fact we were staying in a small hotel suite. And the huge, white sandy beach on our doorstep. Manly is a beautiful part of Australia. It’s a bustling suburb in northern Sydney, with a 2.5 mile long beach and an array of shops, restaurants and cafes. I far preferred the area in comparison to the city centre 11 miles away; my overwhelming memory of Sydney is grey concrete. The harbour side, Opera House and Bridge were undeniably impressive, but I have to admit I was a little underwhelmed by the city in general - Manly, however, I loved. But spending Christmas Day there, lounging around on the beach and spending hours bodyboarding and snorkelling in the clear blue sea, was surreal. It really didn’t feel like Christmas at all, especially when we went to a steak-house for dinner rather than having the classic British roast. The atmosphere in Manly was also incredibly social; large groups of friends were meeting on the beach to play cricket, cook barbecues or have picnics. The whole day felt more like a summer holiday than Christmas Day then again, for Australians, I suppose that’s what Christmas is. It’s a summer festival, not a winter one. Christmas in Australia was amazing, it was the trip of a lifetime and I’m desperate to go back further explore the county - I’m already planning a trip after my graduation. Yet I think I’m a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to
the festive period; I’m set in my ways, and I’m a fan of a British Christmas. Big roast dinners with all the trimmings, fairy lights illuminating otherwise dark streets and my secret wish each year for a white Christmas (which is at least plausible in the UK), make the festive period feel, well, festive. In Australia the day was great fun, but it didn’t feel quite right. Sarah Newey
Venturing into the unknown
From all of the travel team: Flickr/ SurFeRGiRL30
Will Soer
Will Soer tells us about the month he spent living and working in Shanghai, China.
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Torres del Paine, Chile by @bellindsay
One of the aspects of the city that really surprised me was its parks; my hostel was near a cluster of them, some of which had only been built in the last decade and were astonishing in their calm quietness and gorgeous architecture, especially in contrast to the intense neon ‘smoregasm’ that surrounded them. It might seem like an odd thing to fixate on, but I was really impressed by how many locals I saw sleeping on benches in complete faith that no one would steal their bags. I also used the weekends to explore various areas of the city, each of which had a completely different feel and identit. Even the more middle class, expat-filled areas like the French Concession were fascinating and perfect for late night strolls. Would I visit again? Absolutely. Shanghai was utterly unlike anywhere I have ever visited, and I’m still itching to scratch a little further beneath the surface; I’m sure that there are countless more gems waiting to be found. Would I go again on my own, without any contacts? Probably not.
Will Soer
I’ve never done a gap year, or gone interailing, so when looking for work experience for last summer I decided to really push the boat out. I finally managed to find a company who would help pay for my travel to, and accommodation in, Shanghai and spent a month living in a four person bunk-bed dorm in the city centre. In all honesty, this was one of the strangest and most confusing months of my life. I had been warned that the city would feel oppressive and intimidating, but I only really experienced this in gentle ways that slowly creep up on you, such as the way in which everyone stared at me wherever I went (except for my brief visits to the more touristfilled areas). It’s not that the city’s residents stared much more than could be expected of any local in their situation - after all I stood out like a sore thumb almost everywhere I went - they simply made no effort to hide it, often furrowing their brow in contemplation. At one point I remember a group of teenagers straight-up laughing and pointing at me in an art gallery. Add a lack of friendly lodgers in my hostel and pimps who target young men in public areas with astonishing veracity (one guy tailed me for a solid 15 minutes) and you’ve got a pretty strange experience! However, of all of the places in which to spend a month of isolated evenings, Shanghai was a fantastic venue. The food was occasionally delicious and permanently cheap, with personal highlights being the mountain of egg friend rice and tomato-and-egg-soup I could buy for the equivalent of a pound at the restaurant below my hostel, Lai Wong Bao or ‘custard buns’ (so life-changing that I would sometimes get a table at a nice place exclusively to buy them, to the servers’ confusion) and Yang’s Friend Dumplings, a local chain selling cheap soup-filled balls of deliciousness, that was eulogised by locals for obvious reasons.
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A Vegetarian’s Guide to Christmas Matilda Haymes gives her advice on how to avoid meat in the festive season
One of the most common responses I get to my vegetarianism is ‘but what about Christmas dinner?!’ One of the common choices for a vegetarian who does not want to take part in the laborious task of cooking everything from scratch is the Linda McCartney Vegetarian Roast. This is a soy product, which is made in order to mimic the taste of turkey. Although meat substitutes are often slightly disappointing in comparison with the real thing, the Linda McCartney vegetarian products are usually satisfactory
replacements, being some of the nicest meat alternatives available.
they do not mimic the taste of another dish. This Christmas I will be attempting Mary Berry’s recipe that includes thinly sliced aubergine wrapped around the nut-roast. Another popular Christmas main is a vegetable roulade. Several recipes suggest the combination of spinach and ricotta for this dish but there is a wide assortment of recommendations of different flavours such as parsnip with sage and onion stuffing or butternut squash and goat’s cheese.
It is still a wonderful occasion, with or without meat! Flickr: Ewan Munroe
With Christmas day fast approaching, the vast majority of us are in strong anticipation of a wonderful meal on the 25th. For a meal that is so traditionally made up with meat products it is quite difficult to be a vegetarian around this time of year. I often find one of the most common responses I get to my vegetarianism is ‘but what about Christmas dinner?!’ With turkey and pigs in blankets perceived as such an integral part of the festive celebration, the vegetarian diet is often under more scrutiny at this time of year because of so many people’s decision to miss out on this part of the Christmas meal. Although it is often a slight hassle for vegetarians during these festivities, it does not mean that we have to compromise on taste or options due to the omission of meat from our diets. Christmas celebrations are famous for their variety of amazing food and our subsequent overindulgence, but this is still the reality for those who choose to denounce the (slightly dry) turkey that is deemed essential.
For a meat-free alternative to pigs in blankets, you could try wrapping vegetarian bacon around the vegetarian sausages made by Linda McCartney. Some recipes recommend replacing the vegetarian bacon with sundried tomatoes. Despite there being a wide variety of soy products available, a lot of people often prefer to replace meat in their Christmas meal with a nut-roast. Nut-roasts are a brilliant and cheap alternative to the meat on Christmas day; whether you make your own or purchase one from a supermarket, it will probably cost you no more than between £5-10. Nut-roasts are a brilliant option for vegetarians that are likely to be far more satisfying that a fake meat product as
Christmas is a difficult time to be a vegetarian because meat is an iconic part of Christmas. For the only vegetarian in a meat-eating family, it is a slightly arduous task having to make a separate meal for yourself because of your dietary requirements. In order to make my family’s Christmas dinner more inclusive of my vegetarianism, we serve both vegetarian stuffing and vegetarian gravy so less of our meals are separate. There are various delicious recipes for both of these, such as BBC GoodFood’s one for apricot and hazelnut stuffing, but the vast majority of supermarkets stock both vegetarian stuffing and gravy if your cooking time around Christmas is limited. If your Christmas dinner includes a starter, making this vegetarian is another way to reduce the disparities between the meat-eaters and vegetarians within your family. The food at Christmas can still be a delectable way for families to celebrate together, with or without the inclusion of meat. Although it is sometimes more time-consuming to avoid the turkey, by no means does this impair the quality of your Christmas meal; it is still a wonderful occasion, with or without meat! Merry Christmas!
Everything in Moderation...
Ellie Donnell discuss whether healthy eating is possible over Christmas Christmas is a time for indulgence. As soon as the first day of December hits, we enter into a chocolate enforced contract bound by the promise of 24 little cardboard doors on the Cadbury’s Advent calendar that was just too tempting for £2. The final month of the year - and most likely January owing to the mountain of biscuit tins, chocolate boxes and homemade jam received on the big day - is made for eating.
Flickr: monkeymagic1975
Flickr: Edward Betts
Don’t bypass the stuffing or skimp on the gravy. Your soul is hungry Indeed, with such a potent emphasis on staying healthy over the holidays there is a danger of making traditional festive cuisine an obsolete memory. Don’t bypass the stuffing or skimp on the gravy. Your soul is hungry and needs to be satiated. Truthfully, Christmas food really is a love/hate relationship. We all have differing opinions on Brussels sprouts, mince pies, turkey, Christmas pudding and bread sauce with these options in particular lacking in popularity. Exemplified in the Waitrose Food Magazine, former 2014 Great British Bake Off contestant, Martha Collison, has reinvented the Christmas pudding owing to her sister’s distaste of the dessert, by replacing the classic flavours of fruit and spice with a chocolate and mint variation. Whilst the Christmas pudding’s brandy-less and raisin-less counterpart undoubtedly tastes as ‘velvety’ and delicious as Martha claims, attempting to set it alight with a spirit induced blue flame does not have quite the same appeal. Whilst most may opt for the chocolate log sitting adjacent to the domed dessert on the table, akin to the neglected cranberry sauce no one touched during main course, it’s nice to know it’s there. Above all, Christmas is about nostalgia as well as food which is why attempts to make the season healthy feels not only futile, but wrong. In order to live an honestly balanced lifestyle, particularly applicable during the festive season, is to think about everything
in moderation which includes our obsession with health. As a health conscious enthusiast, I understand and advocate the importance of eating a good breakfast, drinking lots of water and getting enough sleep – all of which are listed on Deliciously Ella’s food blog under ‘Advice: How to stay healthy over Christmas’ – and I’m not suggesting these should be surpassed to allow for a ‘cheat day’, or indeed month, for the sake of Christmas. However, with so much delicious food on offer in December, from festive specials to enticing lunch deals in numerous Bristolian eateries, Christmas is principally a time to enjoy food and not to shy away from it. I think the last tip on health guru Ella Woodward’s blog post is the one that resonates the most, and that is to ‘Enjoy Yourself!’ Most importantly, ‘life is about balance and enjoyment’ so that whilst December may cause a spike in chocolate and cake intake, hopefully this is balanced by an increase in happiness. There will soon be 11 months of smoothies, gym sessions and coconut water until you next relapse into those deeply decadent desires, so relax this Christmas and make the most of each mince pie that comes your way.
Flickr: Steve Petrucelli
However, with the growing awareness and increasing popularity of healthy eating that has fuelled a new appetite for goji berries, chia seeds, almond milk, vast quantities of green leafy kale and the glorified avocado, there is more tension than ever between the contrasting pressures of staying healthy and enjoying a generous helping of roast potatoes cooked in goose fat over the coming season.
There is food for the body and food for the soul and whilst Christmas food does veer towards the latter category, I don’t think eating one too many mince pies should elicit a feeling of guilt or even over indulgence.
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Cafés to get you into the Christmas spirit Meg Matheson tells us where you can get your best Christmas caffeine kicks this festive season Bristol is host to many great cafés embellishing every street, road and shopping centre. Spoilt for choice in a city that satisfies nearly every coffee taste and culinary desire, I’ve listed some of my favourite cafes to visit during this merry month of December. Here are the festive four which are certain to raise your Christmas spirits and getting the good times rolling: Café Kino Finally, because vegans can enjoy Christmas too, I am listing Café Brew
Brew Website
Starbucks
Cafe Revival
I didn’t feel as though the list could progress without giving Bristol’s oldest coffee house a mention. Although boasting a magnificent menu stamped with bagels, winter veg soups and jumbo jackets, for me it is the cosy customer experience Cafe Revival promises that makes it so inviting. The first floor café gives rise to a snug, tucked away on the second floor. Somewhere to relax and refuel during the arctic conditions we are soon to be acquainted with, you can sit in the window seat and gaze onto the Christmas-lit Georgian streets of the old centre with a tea and a toastie. The coffees are extremely reasonable; you can buy a cappuccino for £1.80 - not quite the £2.45 in Costa. The drinks selection caters for all preferences, but may I suggest a (nonalcoholic) hot apple and ginger cider to warm you perfectly from the inside out on a winter’s day.
Turkey vs. Takeaway on Christmas day ! Heather McGowan reminds us that the bird is worth the effort! the highlight by far so don’t deprive yourself of the pleasure! Most seasonal vegetable will go well with a roast, so whatever your family choose are unlikely to be particularly outrageous. But how important is the turkey? My family annually bicker over the dryness of turkey and in the past few years have replaced it with chicken. This version of the Christmas roast eliminates all stress and hassle; you can buy seasoned whole chickens in a bag from Asda, put it in the oven for the set time and you’re good to go! The chicken substitution is increasingly common so I don’t think it particularly qualifies as being experimental, however there are clever ways that you can experiment while retaining tradition. You could try jerk gammon either alongside your turkey or as a substitute if you’re feeling like a stark change, roasting sweet potatoes along side your normal roast potatoes and choosing the vegetables that matches the meat. Salmon is a common substitute, but works even better as the starter or fish course. On a student budget, you could split two salmon fillets between four people as a starter with perhaps asparagus or minted peas. The possibilities really are endless, so why choose a takeaway when you can adapt your roast to your tastes and/or needs. You can incorporate experiments to the traditional dish, meaning that you are still enjoying a roast dinner, just with your own personal twist. Put your Hotcha menu down and keep it away until Boxing day is gone because either way, there’ll be plenty of leftovers! Flickr: Dianne Rosete
A turkey roast dinner is a vital part of British Christmas Day celebrations, as much as gift giving, the decorations and the awkward small talk with the aunt you see once annually. It is a crucial part of our Christmas culture! Christmas brings everyone together and on Christmas Day itself it is the dinner that does this. A true turkey roast dinner with all of the trimmings. It is the one day of the year that you will definitely be served Brussel sprouts, love them or hate them. Haters may change their mind if they tried my dad’s buttery Brussel sprouts with chestnuts, they are a real game changer! So why on earth would you want to substitute this crucial component which makes up Christmas day for a Chinese takeaway? No, a Chinese takeaway would not suffice. You can get a Chinese on any other day of the year - hardly a catalyst for festivities! Even if you aren’t the biggest fan of roast dinners (I’m not), the Christmas dinner is always the exception. So how far can you stray from the standard turkey roast dinner? You definitely have room for experiments with the starters and desserts. Some families have the typical roast potatoes, other go for mash, which splits into the subcategories of potato mash, sweet potato mash, carrot and swede mash, the list goes on. I believe that stuffing is always a must but apparently there are people out there who don’t like it, something I’m yet to believe. Is there really controversy over Yorkshire puddings, or are they a staple to the Christmas dinner? Pigs in blankets cannot be replaced, they’re
Kino. One of my favourite places, located on Cheltenham Road in Stokes Croft, the ethical and non-profitable café will ensure that a Christmas free from animal products can still be a great one. Mince pies and spiced cider and walnut muffins are added to their signature falafel platters and sweet potato fries. However, there aren’t many seasonal changes to the menu and that is absolutely fine. With its warm-hearted staff and corresponding atmosphere, every day is Christmas at Café Kino!
Cafe KIno Website
The first contender, a commercial café everyone may know and (may or may not) love, is Starbucks. Its list of seasonal specials, which entertain the possibility of leaving customers in a sugar coma, are not for the faint-hearted and certainly not for the fainttoothed. The eggnog latte, thick and creamy, relishes in being that luxurious special-occasion drink. Yet this year, Starbucks definitely raises the bar once again with the introduction of its brand new festive brew, the dreamy honey and almond hot chocolate. To accompany your coffee, there is a wide selection of cakes to feast your eyes upon or just feast on. A new fig and cinnamon loaf is on display, which I am yet to taste, but considering Christmas is indelibly characterised by fruits and spices, with this cake everyone gets what they bargained for. December 1st marked the advent of red cups and red aprons for staff; Starbucks do not hold back on the attention to detail. Also, as a slave to good marketing, I have indulged in (but not yet bought) their Christmas merchandise; who wouldn’t be delighted to see star-splattered mugs, metallic tumblers and candy canes at this time of year?
Falling at the university end of Whiteladies Road, you can never go wrong with a pre-lecture brunch at Brew. Although it is fairly manic in the morning (a good sign if any), it offers good food and a good brew (the clue is in the name). Its artisan finish is now suffused with Christmas tidings, where wooden stars dangle around exposed pipes and enamel lights. Without trying to sound like a food critic, the menu is bursting with autumnal flavours; a few weeks ago I spied a roasted pumpkin, beetroot and balsamic onion salad, pre-emptive for me of a winter meal at home. It’s also always nice to see barista art on top of a coffee and they have definitely perfected this artistic touch in Brew. Now what I would very much like to see is an artistic Christmas creation sprinkled on their seasonal drinks. As a final hail to Brew, rumour has it that their coffee company is setting up a Christmas cheese popup shop at St Nick’s Market (15th December); very exciting news for me and all fellow cheese enthusiasts.
Why not see if Heather’s Brussel Sprout Chestnut and Bacon Recipe can revolutionise your Christmas meal. Ingredients: 1kg (standard size when pre bought) Brussel sprouts Standard pack of Pancetta (add as much as you like, most supermarkets sell twin packs) 80g (each for around £1.50) 50g butter 200g vacuum-packed chestnuts
Method:
Once you have brought a pan of salted water to the boil add the Brussel sprouts and cook for five minutes. Drain and run under cold water for a few minutes, then drain again. In a heated frying pan, fry the pancetta for a few minutes until golden brown (can take up to 10 minutes depending how much you are cooking). Remove the cooked pancetta from the pan but leave the fats and oils to cook the chestnuts for five minutes on a medium-high heat turning occasionally. Add the sprouts to the pan with a splash of water. Cover and cook over a medium heat for about five mins, stirring now and again, until just tender. Uncover, turn the heat up to high and add most of the butter. Sauté the sprouts for two minites more (the water will have evaporated). Add in the bacon and chestnuts, season with salt and pepper, then serve with a little butter on top.
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BS8 Park Street
Bags from £15
Fedora Hats from £15
Black and Blum ‘Eau Good’ Charcoal water bottle, £15
Kaffe Fassett Essential Achillea Kit, £25
Ortigia Soap Box, £45
THE BRISTOL GUILD Park Street
Charbonnel et Walker Pink Champagne Truffles, £14
Williamson Tea Elephant, £12.50
beefayre ‘Winter Berries’ candle, £8 (small), £16 (large)
Assorted Bath House Crackers, £10 each Cartwright and Butler Biscuits, £8
Emma Bridgewater Plates, £49.95
Bialetti Coffee Press, £40
14.12.2015
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Sequins, glitter and sparkle, a.k.a. Festive as F***
Georgie Wootton rates this Christmas season’s most startlingly sparkling outfits
When it comes to holiday dressing, there are those of us that like to give a subtle nod to sparkles, and those of us who stick to the mantra go big or go home. With that in mind, we’ve graded these festive holiday favourites by their sparkle factor. From left to right, Urban Outfitters top, £22. This go-witheverything tee is discreet, just throw it on and you’re ready for the party.
& Other Stories dress, £95. The glitter accents on this dress keep it super-subtle. Peter Jensen trackies, £230. I can’t think of anything better to wear on New Year’s Day as you lie comatose on the sofa, rendered immovable by the alcohol consumption of the night before. Ted Baker dress, £149. This body-con babe from Ted Baker will scratch that glitter itch, but you needn’t worry about
feeling like a human discoball. H&M top, £6. This top costs less than a tenner and is enough to make the most boring outfit party-ready. The 8th Sign dress, £105 (down from £150). This dress is definitely a show-stopper – from the low back to the big-ass sequins – and it’s pretty much guaranteed to be the best dress at any Christmas do.
There actually is a definitive winter wardrobe Alice Cook selects some of the classic Christmas looks from our festive film favourite, Love Actually. It’s finally that time again: the time to scoff our first box of mince pies and slug down our first litre of mulled wine whilst we settle down in front of everyone’s favourite festive rom-com, Love Actually. The box office banger only recently gained fashion notoriety after a Buzzfeed article ranked the impressive range of turtlenecks sported by its characters. However , the costume department deserves far more praise than it has yet been granted. The film serves as a study in the key fashion pieces of the season, so get your head out of the Ce l e b ra t i o n s box; there’s something to be learnt here.
1. Nothing brightens up a bleak winter day like a bold statement coat, and the ladies of Love Actually tactically go for cheerful colours to trick everyone into thinking that all really is merry and bright, despite the dwindling hours of daylight and the persistent drizzle. Better still, the bigger the coat, the easier it is to conceal the fact that you’re still wearing the thermals you slept in underneath.
2. Bright colours aren’t the only way you can make a statement with your choice of outerwear this festive season. Fur coats never go out of fashion, b e it the finest mink with a price tag that makes you gag or a charity shop find that smells a bit like your Grandma’s old cat. A fur coat will make you look achingly sophisticated as you chug your third pint at the German Christmas markets, but be careful not to get caught in a snow storm, as the transformation from classy lady of mystery to bedraggled rat is all too rapid. 3. ‘Tis the season to dig our long forgotten woolly hats out of the back of the wardrobe, used to cover up bed head and chapped winter skin the world over. Winter finally gives us the opportunity to don our favourite headwear w i t h o u t looking like we’re about to rob a bank, and Claudia Schiffer’s woolly beanie is a perfect example of how
to exploit the pretty-meets-practical accessory. If only we all had supermodel heads on which to put said beanie.
4. For reasons unknown, and universally accepted by womankind, the coldest season of the year is also the season where we wear the least to parties. Skimpy cocktail dresses take the rightful place of long-johns and onesies during the party season, as we all show a little too much flesh whilst prowling round the mistletoe (who needs layers when you’re permanently sporting your alcohol jacket?). A show-stopping party dress is a staple of every winter wardrobe, and no one does it better than Love Actually’s resident scarlet woman played by Heike Makatsch (just maybe ditch the devil horns).
5. Bristol students’ obsession with all things glittery gives magpies a run for their money,and at no time is this penchant for sequins and sparkles more socially acceptable than at Christmas time. Not only does the pint-sized Olivia Olsen attract our envy time and again with her belter of a voice, but her festive sequinned top also turns our heads. Never fear though, if the bank balance is dwindling after you bought just a few too many Christmas presents for yourself, just don the nearest string of tinsel.
It looks like there actually is a timeless winter wardrobe that we all know and love.
All images from Love Actually, Universal Studios
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14.12.2015
Backstage access: Coexist fashion show Robert Priessnitz photography
Epigram / Beatrice Murray-Nag
Robert Priessnitz photography
Facebook / Averse Attire
Image, unless otherwise credited, by Robert Priessnitz photography
It’s 7:30pm in the heart of Stokes Croft and designers and models alike are buzzing around Hamilton House in a chaotically organised fashion. It’s the time of year for the Coexist Fashion Show, an annual two-night event held to showcase the work of many independent designers based in and around Bristol. Upstairs in the dressing room, a colourful atmosphere takes hold, as Bristolians from all walks of life come together, united by a universal love of fashion, art and a general belief in the importance of staying true to exactly who you are. This mantra is embodied backstage in the jigsaw of brightly-coloured clothing rails on which hang a whole range of outfits waiting for their turn on the catwalk, from Jerry at True Soldier’s clean-cut, urban prints to Rose’s festival inspired leotards and leggings. As the minutes tick by past the show’s proposed start time and hairdressers and make-up artists alike put down their brushes with a sigh of relief, a frenzy of last-minute image checks in iPhone cameras begins to take place; final touches are made and one last jewel or bindi is stuck in place. ‘Models, this is your 5 minute call,’ shouts Danny, trying to make his voice heard over the general buzz of excitement and beer-fueled conversation. Gradually, the last safety pins are put in place and models begin to line up for the beginning of the show, frequenting the makeshift backstage photo-studio for some quick shots on their way. Stepping out onto the catwalk first are the delicate lace-clad models of Annabelle’s SUGAR collection, walking down the catwalk in Jekyll-and-Hyde-esque pairs of black and white versions of each outfit. As soon as the first walk is over, designers run backstage to meet their models for the first quick change of the evening and body-consciousness melts away as clothes are flung off and new outfits donned ready for the next collection to be showcased. As most models are shared between the 21 designers exhibiting at Coexist, these changes are just a characteristic of the hectic whirlwind of clothes, colour and talent that makes the show exactly what it is. As the night unfolds, models bring fashion of all varieties to life on the catwalk, from the girls sporting the pretty pastel tailoring of fashion student Rachel Lynsey’s 50s/60s housewife inspired collection, to the grungy, street vibe of Where The Wall’s stenciled t-shirts that see models sauntering down in snapbacks, spray paint cans in hand. Male model Sol even takes to the catwalk in skin-tight silver leggings, accessorised neatly with 80s-esque shades and a matching disco ball. Backstage, I manage to catch up with a few of the designers exhibiting at Coexist, who tell me a few words about their work and the inspiration behind it. Fraser Johnston, founder of Fugee Clothing, talks about his collection, inspired by his daughters who are half Cameroonian, half British. With his designs that feature African prints and motifs such as Christ the Redeemer in tribal dress, Fraser says he ‘wanted to do something that reflects their duality and makes the most of two halves of a great whole.’ More of his collection can be found at www.fugeeclothing. com. Sheli, who is busy packing her range of custom-designed Nike trainers into their respective boxes, also has some wise words to offer on the beliefs behind her brand’s inspiration. ‘Averse Attire sets out to reflect a positive message. It basically says if you wanna achieve greatness, don’t ask for permission and don’t be defined by society.’ Her label, Averse Attire, offers cuttingedge cool printed t-shirts and hand-painted kicks. Butzi Schlaadt, the event coordinator, can be found buzzing around backstage with an omnipotent air of calmness and contentment, seeming almost unnaturally stress free. Marvelling at Butzi’s talent in both organizing the event and designing her own stunningly detailed knitwear range is commonplace conversation in the dressing room, where she is accepted as the common contact who brings everyone at Coexist together. Model Jules, who wears Butzi’s handmade knitted catsuit, was scouted by her in a restaurant, whilst some designers even saw her adverts for the show on social media. As the night draws to a close and the dressing room becomes littered with a colourfully chaotic mix of hangers, fabric, make-up and glitter, the models line up one last time for their final walk. And if the two-night festival of fashion couldn’t get any more unique and offbeat, its grand finale involves this diverse mix of new-generation Bristolians dancing down the catwalk in a range of eccentric fancy dress outfits handmade and designed by the talented and just a little crazy Trina. The scene rather embodies assistant event coordinator Danny’s summary of what Coexist is all about. ‘It’s about team spirit,’ he explains, ‘about serving the community and bringing people together.’ As the models, designers and supporters who make up the Coexist team disappear off to the bars of Stokes Croft to celebrate the event’s after-party, designer Faye of Fayenique Collection leaves me with these words over a gin and tonic, which just about sum up the celebration of being yourself that is Co-exist Fashion Show: ‘Follow your heart,’ she smiles, ‘wherever it takes you.’
Beatrice MurrayNag Style Writer
Want to design clothes for FUZE fashion show?
Join Fashion Federation Society! Membership: £6 Meetings: 5:30pm, every Friday Like us on Facebook for more information and meeting locations. Facebook: facebook.com/fashionfederationbristol Twitter: @UobFashionFed Instagram: @uob_fashion_federation Facebook / Fashion Federation Society Bristol
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13. 15. 17. 18. 19.
Editor Ben Duncan-Duggal whatson@epigram.org.uk
14.12.2015
Tangerine @ The Cube Cinema 13 - 16th December If you’re stuck in Bristol over Christmas, fuck the telly and get yourself down to this: it’ll prove more food for thought than 10 attempts to use your emotions to sell you things (hello John Lewis). A transgender woman is released from prison, only to find out that her boyfriend has been cheating on her. She enlists her friend to help search for him, a search which ends in dramatic fashion 24 hours later following a trawl through the LA underbelly. If that doesn’t sound enticing enough, it was shot entirely on an iPhone.
TWSS Print Mag Launch Party @ Balloon Bar 15th December That’s What She Said (Bristol University’s Feminist Magazine) features some great, challenging writing. Recently they’ve also been drawing attention for other reasons - they no-platformed someone accused of transphobia. Whatever the merits of that, you can be assured that this event and the magazine will be kick-ass. With the event promising to feature ‘music, spoken word and wine’, both promise to draw the feminist community at Bristol together for one big party.
Semi Peppered - Billy (Live) & Ektt @ The Arts House 17th December An up and coming record label is hosting its first ever night, with up and coming producer Billy. Billy looks well set for success within the (large) edgy Bristol public school boy market, with a combination of relaxed balearic style beats and disco guitar chops, synths and vocals. In other words, it could end up as one of those ‘I was there’ nights; if it does, its value in this respect will be increased immeasurably by the fact that it is in a Stokes Croft cafe basement #cool.
Nelly @ O2 Academy 18th December Apparently Nelly is worth 60 million pounds. Or, in other words, no matter how ‘rewarding’ your grad scheme, you’ll never be as rich as someone who is famous for telling people to take all of their clothes off because it’s getting a bit hot. Anyway, he’s performing in Bristol’s O2 Academy. God knows why.
Trevor Nelson DJ Set @ O2 Academy 19th December Esteemed DJ Trevor Nelson has now been shuffled off to pasture at Radio 2 as opposed to remaining at Radio 1, where he made his name as purveyor all things RnB and Dance. You can be assured that this is the side you’ll see of him here, rather than the Radio 2 friendly soul mix, as he seeks to prove he is still an urgent force worth watching.
bring on 2016
THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO FROM BRISTOL SU RECLAIM THE NIGHT
photos from the march EXAM SEASON
survival tips
bristolsu.org.uk
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK
we're changing the way we work
10 Things to do in term two As term one (finally) comes to an end, we’re starting to look forward to term two. Here are ten things you should definitely do next term! events. Vote in the officer elections to make sure that you are represented by the right person for you. Or better still, stand to be an officer yourself!
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Go to a Varsity match
Earlier this year we beat UWE 21 – 16 in the varsity series, which involves thousands of students competing in everything from American football to canoe polo. Support the #MightyMaroon as they attempt to hold on to their title as varsity champions!
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check out Explore ‘16
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Attend a Shake Up Series event
Explore is a cultural society showcase. It’s an awesome event that offers a chance to explore the incredible diversity of all the students we have here at Bristol SU.
Attend a gig at the Anson Rooms
This term we had loads of amazing gigs, from Slaves to Foals. Gigs we already have booked for 2016 include Half Moon Run and Grimes.
on: from the legendary Big Fat Bristol SU Pub Quiz on Mondays, to Karaoke & Street Food on Fridays, widely regarded as the best night in Bristol.
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Get involved in Mind Your Head Month
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attend amm
We began the Mind Your Head campaign last year to raise awareness of mental health issues and to offer support to students who may be struggling. Come along to some of our February 2016 events to take a break and spend some time looking after your mental wellbeing!
This is the biggest democratic gathering of Bristol students in the calendar: every student has the chance to come along and vote on SU policy, which means you get to decide what we work on throughout the year!
Attend a Richmond series lecture
The Shake Up Series is a series of events, talks and workshops that explore often overlooked issues faced by some groups of students. The events are lively, insightful and offer everyone a chance to explore new ideas. Make sure you get yourself down to one next year!
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Give it a go
February is Give it a Go month. This is your change to try out any of our 250 societies: get involved and you may discover a talent or passion you never knew you had!
Leading thinkers will be coming to speak to Bristol students at Bristol SU - starting with the last surviving Dambuster!
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Vote in the officer elections (or stand!)
The SU is run by a network of student officers who look after the interests of students in every area of life: from housing, to representing you to the University, to societies, sports clubs and
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Attend an event in the Balloon Bar
If you haven’t been to the Balloon Bar yet, you’ve been wasting time. The drinks are the cheapest in the city, and there’s always something going
The University are taking nominations for the next Chancellor! If you can think of someone who you would like to succeed Baroness Hale as University Chancellor, you can nominate them at: tinyurl.com/chancellor-nomination
Reclaim the night 2015 Exam season survival tips On 27 November we marched against sexual violence through the streets of Bristol.
For a lot of us, term two brings with it exams and deadlines. Chances are, you’ll be working hard over the holiday in preparation for this. Here are some tips to help you survive this dark, dark time: • Check out where you can study near you at bris.ac.uk/library/study/spaces (there is life outside the ASS!) • Try to take care of your mental health. Sites like Big White Wall (bigwhitewall.com) offer brilliant online support forums for anyone feeling anxious. • Research shows that the human brain can focus for an average of 45 minutes at a time. Try to work in 45 minute bursts, with 15 minute breaks every hour. • Keeping active is one of the best ways to relieve stress and stay focussed. Check out our Get Active programme of free or super cheap sporting/fitness activities at bristolsu.org.uk/activities/sports • Don't work in bed! Bed is for sleeping: try to keep your working spaces and your relaxation spaces separate. • If you need any help at all with any academic issues, you can get in touch with our Just Ask advice service by emailing bristolsu@bristol.ac.uk. They can help with extenuating circumstances forms, missed exams, appeals and advice when accused of plagiarism or cheating.
Good luck!
WHAT'S ON FEATURED EVENT Christmas Cabaret 7pm - 11pm, Saturday 19 December A delicious evening of dancing, variety & cabaret performed by the finest performers on the circuit. Featuring.... The Flaming Feathers - Showgirl Dance Troupe Peggy De Lune - Compère & Burlesque. Back by popular demand! Kiki Lovechild - Clown & Variety
December
Tuesday 15. That's What She Said Launch 8pm, Balloon Bar That's What She Said is Bristol FemSoc's student written feminist magazine. Come along to celebrate the launch of the newest issue!
Wednesday 16. Beginners' Running. 2:15pm – 3:30pm, meet outside SEH Learn to become a better runner, with coaching and instructing. The session is free and perfect for making your lunchtime an active one!
Wednesday 16. MegaFit. 6pm – 7pm, Carpenter Room, Bristol SU Fit & Fabulous Members Only. Every Wednesday 6 - 7pm at Bristol SU Carpenter room (second floor). Come and join in with MEGA FIT!
Friday 18. Karaoke & Street Food, 8pm, Balloon Bar Local street foodies BEats feed us with a different theme of food each week. Plus get up and sing us a tune from our Karaoke stage.
Wednesday 16. COMPETE, 8pm, Balloon Bar then Bunker Wednesday night is Sports Night! Preparty in the Balloon Bar then head to Bunker for a night of dancing, games and general ridiculousness.
Sunday 20. Indoor Football 10am-11:30am, Indoor Sports Centre Information and sign up can be found on the Get Active page on the Bristol SU website. Free with sports pass! £2 entry without sports pass.
Thursday 17. Bristol Improv Scratch Night. 8pm – 10pm Unscripted, FREE comedy night! From one-prov to long form, there will be a number of fresh formats for you to watch and enjoy.
For more information on all upcoming events see bristolsu.org.uk/events
Epigram/ Sarah Newey
C U LT U R E
Epigram
14.12.2015
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
Jamaica Street showcases Bristol’s artistic talent We sent Helena Raymond-Hayling to snoop around the Stokes Croft studio at their Christmas party and exhibition
Situated inconspicuously opposite the notorious ‘Turbo Island’ of Stokes Croft is the artist-led ‘Jamaica Street Studios’ which is run as a co-operative. The studio was opened for an ‘Open Studio’ Christmas event on the 3rd and 5th December for the resident artists to exhibit their work. The art that comes out of the charming three-story, and somewhat higgledy-piggledy space is astonishingly eclectic, skilful and compelling. These studios are home to an assortment of creative talent, ranging from painting, sculpture and illustration to film, textiles and installation.
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the ethos of the studio; ‘an affordable space for artists with a range of experience, those who are both established and just starting out’. She also described the atmosphere and how the artists ‘have an incredibly diverse practice and all work differently: some work on commission, some sell paintings and they all help each other by providing support and advice’. As I wandered round I could really feel the community spirit, and was struck by the talent and diversity of the work around me. A truly charming theme evident in much of the work at Jamaica Street is the fascinating setting of the studio; Karen Edwards displayed
a beautiful painting of King’s Square, and Adrian Sykes a stunning piece of the view out of his studio window, overlooking Stokes Croft and Turbo Island. Some of the other artists had a more intimate and personal flair in their work. Upon entering the studio of painter Clare Bonnet I was stunned by her charismatic and evocative paintings. I asked what motivates and influences her work, and she explained; ‘I find those closest to me the most inspiring and my subjects are all friends of mine. Wallowing in the Wait is a painting I made when my friend was trying for a baby. When she was waiting to hear of the news I created this piece to reflect
I left with the impression that Jamaica Street is an incredibly motivating and supportive environment and the artistic talent it cultivates is of breathtaking standard
Richard Broomhill
Upon entering the little door on Jamaica Street and stomping in my wet shoes round a spiral staircase to the first floor, I was instantly hit with the comforting and nostalgic warmth of Christmas time. The artists were taking it in turns to manage a bar selling mince pies and mulled wine, which was the perfect way to recover from the unfalteringly soggy Bristolian evening from which I had just escaped. I had the opportunity to talk to the studio manager Lucy Ward, who informed me of
everything that was going on. She realised she was pregnant shortly after that and the baby is due any day now’. Abigail Reed told me about how supportive the studio is; ‘we’re all here, have no money and learn from each other. We all share the experiences of arty things, you know, like where you buy your bubble wrap and what courier to use. Galleries also come to look at our studios, so it’s a really great platform to get work out there’. The studio that most captured my attention was that of Anouk Mercier, who uses a solvent on selected 17th and 18th Century landscape etchings, Victorian photographs and collected postcards to create transfers and thus build a layered collage to create a new scene. This technique made work both magnificent and delicately intricate. Anouk works at the studio with her husband Max McClure, a freelance photographer recently involved in documenting Theaster Gates’ project ‘Sanctum’ in Temple Church in November. I left with the impression that Jamaica Street is an incredibly motivating and supportive environment and the artistic talent it cultivates is of breathtaking standard. The studio opens in the summer for an annual Open Studio event and work is displayed continually at various exhibitions in Bristol and beyond. Having been invited into the everyday world of these artists for the evening, I cannot imagine a better place to get a real feel for the raw talent that emerges from the sensational creative scene in Bristol. http://www.jamaicastreetartists.co.uk/ Helena Raymond-Hayling
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Depicting the dysfunctional domestic Christmas Ed Grimble takes a look at two writers’ efforts to capture the perfect dysfunctional Christmas Day festivities Two writers piqued my interest when thinking about this piece. James Joyce; champion of avantgarde modernism, pen behind the greatest forays into the novel form of the 20th century, and the Dubliner. Sir Alan Ayckbourn, staggeringly prolific British playwright (frequently claimed as the second most performed of all time after Shakespeare), and a man who once suggested that ‘if you are flattering a woman, it pays to be a little more subtle. You don’t have to bother with men, they believe any compliment automatically.’ Both have made a massive written contribution to our culture and canon, and their works subject the human experience of the domestic and the societal to rigorous scrutiny. It is the former to which I wish to draw attention. Whether you’re Christmas Day traditionalists, or a bunch of Christmas Eve mavericks, Christmas dinner is the apex of the festive period. Advent builds up to it, and the post-25th twelve days are
WHO
nothing but a wrapping paper strewn come-down; The first chapter of Joyce’s 1916 novel, A Portrait that day of the year where extended family come of the Artist as a Young Man, sees young Stephen together to eat, make mirth, and wear stupid Dedalus pressed into his best clothes for his first hats. And argue. There’s always an argument. Christmas dinner sat with his adult family, rather than confined to the nursery with the other children. Food is brought to the table and, barely a page after the first mouthful of turkey has been wolfed down, disaster strikes as Stephen’s pater Who doesn’t follow midand provocateur Simon Dedalus unwisely decides night drunken ‘snakes and to discuss religion and politics. The following exchanges see the aforementioned Simon and ladders’ with a clumsy atthe stoically pious Dante Riordan trade blows as tempt at sitting-room sex? the flustered Mrs. Dedalus struggles to preserve order and decorum and the young Stephen is repeatedly dished up comically large portions A tragic display of alpha-male dominance by various diners to keep him out of the verbal over who has right to carve the bird, a pseudo- crossfire. Who knew the silent shovelling of a roast despotic dinner à la Peep Show’s ‘Merry potato into one’s mouth could be so unheimlich? Christmark’, or simply the fact that gran’s a Whilst the Dedalus’s luncheon disintegrates racist. Festive conflict seems sadly unavoidable. following John Casey’s table pounding
Bill Viola (b. 1951) is one of today’s most illustrious artists. His work has proven crucial in the establishment video
as
an
essential
form
of the video age’. Viola’s installations are striking and brazen, and make no apologies for being popular with a mainstream audience.
Bill Viola
‘For a time I would despise
Video Artist
work that lots of people liked, but...I realised that these things were not just for a small esoteric group. I really did want everyone to get at least something out of it’, he says.
For 40 years Viola has created installations,
sound
impressive video
environments,
electronic
music performances and pieces for television broadcast. Viola has been known to turn his creative
of
contemporary art, and he has been called ‘the Rembrandt
WHAT
Born 1951
Flickr/ Bill & Hiroshi
of
declaration of, ‘No God for Ireland!’, piety seems of little importance in the English suburban sphere of Ayckbourn’s 1980 Season’s Greetings. A black comedy, much of the play’s dark farce arises from the increasingly erratic infighting and outlandish behaviour of the family and their guests. Who doesn’t follow midnight drunken ‘snakes and ladders’ with a clumsy attempt at sitting-room sex? The sheer amount of unhappiness, misfortune (and, thanks to a dose of Beckettian schadenfreude, audience amusement) that Ayckbourn manages to tease out of three days of supposed yule tide cheer is devilish. If Oscar Wilde was right, and ‘Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life’, then chances are your Christmas Day festivities will also descend into wine-fuelled familial infighting, with fissures emerging that no amount of Bublé will fix in a hurry. Sorry…Merry Christmas. Ed Grimble
attentions to collaborative projects, creating videos to accompany musical compositions (including those of composer Edgard Déserts and the rock group Nine Inch Nails). His creative flair and artistic style again proved to be versatile when he joined with Peter Sellers on reproducing Richard Wagner’s opera, Tristan und Isolde, where Viola’s video backdrop was said to have a “mesmerizing effect”.
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Epigram
14.12.2015
37
In defence of the literary canon
Liam Marchant steps to the defence of the literary canon, amidst accusations that it is disproportionately dominated by white European male writers anniversary of his death. For all that’s said of the Bard as a ‘dead, white, European male’, the image of a young Syrian boy’s face lit up with joy as Hamlet feigns madness is unspeakably heartening. It affirms the now unfashionable idea on university campuses that culture is a place where everyone may find their common humanity, regardless of race, gender, or nationality. As much as sociology may attempt to strap it down and dissect it with the unsparing scalpel of critical theory, great literature survives through a transcendental quality. This is actually a view articulated by materialist-in-chief Karl Marx in his musings on art: ‘the difficulty lies not in understanding that the Greek arts and epics are bound up with certain forms of social development. The difficulty is that they still afford us artistic pleasure and that in a certain respect they count as a norm and as an unattainable model’. This is not to suggest that the canon acts as a block on the
Flickr/ xlibber
Tolstoy couldn’t stomach Shakespeare. He simply loathed the Bard. Throughout his life the dour novelist made several attempts to understand the playwright’s popularity – first reading him in Russian, then in English, then in German – but to no avail. Eventually he concluded he would only ever find ‘repulsion and tedium’ in the plays; the genius for which Shakespeare is celebrated being a cultural enigma. In fact, Tolstoy resented the universal appreciation of Shakespeare so much that he even composed a rambling attack on the writer to set the vulgar masses straight. This diatribe is as pedantic and humourless as you would expect it to be, criticising inconsistencies of plot, lack of moral vision, and the wincingly awful puns in Shakespeare’s works as evidence of his mediocrity. The pamphlet is a curious read now, largely because it has proven so ineffective. Over a century ago, a Russian of not inconsiderable literary talent attempted a hatchet job of Shakespeare and guess what? We’re still reading Shakespeare. The western canon remains intact just as the sky hasn’t fallen in on itself. The best response to Tolstoy’s completely rational and legitimate criticisms of the man at the centre of the canon comes from George Orwell. In his essay ‘Lear, Tolstoy and the Fool’, the English writer humbly notes that ‘there is no argument by which one can defend a poem. It defends itself by surviving, or it is indefensible. And if this test is valid, I think the verdict in Shakespeare’s case must be “not guilty”’. It is seventy years since George Orwell penned these lines and Shakespeare is still renowned as the greatest writer in the English language, with an audience more global than ever. Nevermind Benedict Cumberbatch, the most exciting production of Hamlet this year was performed in a Jordanian refugee camp – just one stop on the Globe Theatre’s tour of 136 countries to commemorate the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth as well as the 400th
Campaigns like ‘Why is My Curriculum White?’ (read page 3 for more details) are subjecting the ‘canon’ to increasing scrutiny.
writings of women or people of colour (that is, if one even deems the identity of the author as relevant to the text), actually, the opposite is true.
Tolstoy resented the universal appreciation of Shakespeare so much that he even composed a rambling attack on the writer to set the vulgar masses straight Last year, I took a module called ‘Dangerous Books’, a unit which explored literature as a vessel for political ideas. One of my favourite texts on the reading list was The Al-Hamlet Summit by the Kuwaiti writer, Sulayman Al-Bassam. The play is a reworking of Hamlet, telling the story of an Arab prince who becomes embroiled in a rotten state of despots, arms dealers, and Islamic jihadists. It is an innovative piece which, in my most humble interpretation, demonstrates the relevance of Shakespeare in the context of the war on terror. Like Shelley’s reimagining of Paradise Lost in Frankenstein, it engages with and draws from the literary canon as a fresh and independenmt text in itself. But is is canonical? In a hundred years’ time when human beings are fighting for their survival against an army of robots set on world domination, we may find recourse in The Tempest, Middlemarch, Things Fall Apart, or any other text which sheds meaning on our lives. After all, what will survive of us is the canon. Liam Marchant
Curtains for the pantomime dame?...It’s about time! Flora Doble makes the case that in a culture of rapidly evolving attitudes to gender and identity politics, perhaps we have outgrown the pantomime dame The dame may be a traditional and highly recognisable character in the world of pantomime, but its continuing use on the stage raises many questions concerning transphobia and the portrayal of transgender individuals in popular culture. For those who are unfamiliar with the pantomime dame, she is often an incredibly exaggerated character, with ostentatious hair, clothes and boldly coloured make-up. Generally, she is played in an incredibly ‘camp’ style, but occasionally she slips into what we may consider their
Flickr/ Nell Moralee
‘real’ voice – a gruff and manly tone. Although we may laugh at the incongruity of this, we must ask ourselves why. Is it because under all this womanly attire we find a man? That this womanly exterior means nothing, because really this person is a man, no matter how much effort is put into suggesting otherwise? It isn’t difficult to see how this is problematic, and could be considered potentially transphobic. For transgender people, who are constantly fighting to validate their gender identity, the pantomime dame suggests that they are nothing more than a character, their inner most feelings can be reduced to nothing more than something you can ‘put on’ and ‘take off’. Gender identity is something emotional and psychological and is not dictated by your genitalia nor the clothes you wear. The pantomime dame offends this important distinction, reducing womanhood to one’s exterior, fuelling a harmful stereotype in which those who struggle with their gender identity must constantly fight against. Moreover, imagine you are an individual who is questioning their gender identity and you are not in an environment where such topics can be freely discussed. It is possible that your only exposure to something outside of the traditional gender binary would be through the media, whether this theatre, television or films. If you were confronted with the pantomime dame as one of your only examples of a transgender individual, this would be highly upsetting, especially as you experienced others laughing and jeering at the dame. Here, ‘dressing as a woman’ is associated with hilarity, and something that isn’t serious. Not only would those comfortable in their gender make this association, but trans individuals may internalise this toxic idea, and fortify a
locations. In 1979 he and his wife and long-
1972, and he began to explore capturing the
time collaborator Kira Perov traveled to the
essence of emotion through recording extreme
Southwest documenting Native American rock art. Most recently in 2005, they journeyed to India to record a prayer blessing with the Dalai Lama. Perov (executive director of Bill Viola Studio) and Viola now live and work in Long Beach, California.
display in his 1976 work, ‘The Space Between the Teeth’, a video of himself screaming. Three exhibitions showcasing Viola’s work are currently ongoing in the UK. ‘Artist Rooms’ at The Wilson, Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum, Gloucestershire; ‘Tiny Deaths’ is at Tate Modern, London;
and ‘Bill Viola’ at
Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Yorkshire.
The subject matter and composition of medieval and renaissance art have informed much of Viola’s work, exploiting high definition slow Flickr/ Canadian Opera Company
‘Tape I’ was Viola’s first work as a student in
Flickr/ Canadian Opera Company
Viola has taken inspiration from many
they traveled throughout the American
WHY
WHEN
WHERE Sahara desert to record mirages. In 1987
feeling of self-hatred. The fact that there are so few transgender portrayals in the media is, frankly, an outrage and the mere fact that the pantomime dame is one of the most prevalent is deeply problematic. Furthermore, no matter how respected the pantomime dame is as a theatrical character, it has been used as a slur and a way of devaluing the opinions of those in the LGBT+ community. As recently as 2014, Iain Duncan Smith labelled a gay MP ‘a pantomime dame’, which the victim maintains would not have been the case were he not gay. A similar situation occurred in 2010 where George Osborne retaliated to a comment from a gay MP with ‘at least I’m not a pantomime dame!’ Therefore, not only does the pantomime dame threaten the trans community, but also threatens the entire LGBT+ community by creating harmful stereotypes and equating gender identity to sexuality (when, in fact, the two are mutually exclusive). In conclusion, I see no real reason for the pantomime dame to remain on our stage, apart from the arbitrary fact that it is part of our theatrical ‘tradition’. However, I am no real believer in tradition, especially when such a tradition can cause such damage. Once blackface theatrical make-up was incredibly popular although in hindsight we can see that it is blatantly racist. I do not wish to equate the struggles of race to the struggles of gender identity, but I do want to suggest (and hope) that in the future we will, as a society, be able to recognise the pantomime dame for what she really is: a potentially toxic and transphobic stereotype, mocking every aspect of gender identity, and creating an environment in which they can be openly ridiculed. Flora Doble
motion video to capture passing moments of intense emotion and fervour. ‘Nantes Triptych’ featured images of his dying mother and a woman in labour on either side of a man floating in water. This is characteristic of his work, which frequently employs concepts surrounding shared human experiences through the progression of life from birth, through consciousness, to death.
Helena Raymond-Hayling
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Epigram
14.12.2015
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
New Star Wars film? It must be Christmas!
As the festive season approaches, there’s one film release that is more exciting than any other event this Christmas. Nathalie Perthuisot reports.
Flickr: Marta Wlusek
I don’t think it’s too bold to say that the change of director is a blessing to the future of the franchise
But - for lack of a better expression - the hype is real. The Force Awakens’ first teaser alone has almost reached
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At last we have reached the month of December. The release of the long awaited Star Wars: The Force Awakens is only a few days away. It seems almost surreal to think that after ten years we are about to experience a completely untold story and brand new full length feature in the Star Wars saga. Anticipation has been growing ever since Disney bought the franchise from Lucas himself in October 2012 and immediately announced plans to release Episode VII in 2015. The fans, perhaps divided by the passing over of their beloved franchise from one studio to another, were unanimously ecstatic at the endless possibilities for a cinematic sequel to Return of the Jedi. Information and any substantial new content came in tiny snippets, perfectly timed teasers and snapshots: the name of the new director, a cast photo from an early read through in 2014, the first one minute teaser at the end of the year. Everything else was rumours, rare interviews and speculation.
75 million views on Youtube. So, why are we so excited? I don’t think it’s too bold to say that the change of director is a blessing to the future of the franchise. George Lucas did create the timeless space opera and household name that is Star Wars but his writing and cinematography have arguably hindered the saga’s appeal in recent years. Having an inspired young director J.J. Abrams at the helm is incredibly refreshing. From the trailers alone, something feels different. The angles and movements of the camera have shifted in style, not only in characters and dialogue. It is Star Wars, but not like we’ve ever seen it before: exciting and bold as well as reassuring and familiar. Abrams is a massive self-declared fan, ensuring that he will treat the material with love and respect. In fact, the current generation producing, making and acting in Star Wars are mainly great admirers and lovers of the universe. Their obvious passion is a positive note that reaffirms the chances of achieving excellence. The Force Awakens, set approximately forty years after the events of Return of the Jedi, also promises to delve into unexplored ground. At least in terms of visual medium, this period of Star Wars has not been put on screen since the video game Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy in 2003. The thought of seeing just what became of our favourite Rebel heroes after decades is particularly exciting - do Leia and Han have children? Anything could happen. The return to practical effects, as evidenced by a behind-the -scenes Comic Con showreel, adds a heavy dose of confidence and joy to anyone who grew tired of the overused CGI that has become the trademark of the prequel trilogy. Even the affectionately named ‘football droid’ BB8 has been proven to be a real object after an authentic physical reproduction was shown off at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim last April. The new film appears to have a balanced mix of old and new in a story that altogether still retains
Flickr/Stefson
Nathalie Perthuisot Film & TV Writer
core parts of the Star Wars mythos such as shiny Stormtroopers and the famous Jedi, Sith and their lightsabres. New actors join the distinguished original cast, with jaw dropping space battles, female villains including Game of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie, and the wondrous nostalgia of John Williams’ addictive score.
Abrams is a massive self-declared fan, ensuring that he will treat the material with love and respect
Sure, we may have fears that The Force Awakens will never live up to the hype. The film could be overcrowded, the plot an updated version of Evil Empire versus Grandpa Rebels, and perhaps we’ll have too much of a hard time accepting the departure of Ford, Fisher and Hamill from the franchise as they pass the torch to the modern generation of actors. In my eyes, however, it is very easy to put faith in Abrams after his brilliant work rebooting Star Trek. I have next to no idea what to expect of the film’s plot, despite extremely frequent TV spots; I will be in the cinema on the 17th of December, ready to be transported to a galaxy far far away.
Are you going to the premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens? Let us know @EpigramFilm
Epigram 14.12.2015
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Grit, corruption and deceit: Johnny Depp leads in Black Mass Film & TV Writer Francesca Newton discovers the truth about all of us in Scott Cooper’s new gangster film. The trailer for Black Mass was a bit misleading. Although I knew it was based on the true story of ex-con crime lord Jimmy ‘Whitey’ Bulger (Johnny Depp) and his senator brother Billy (Benedict Cumberbatch) - with an unshakeably bizarre Boston accent - the horror-esque opening credits made it clear that we weren’t in for the hyper-realistic, dynamic crime flick that I was expecting. Instead, a highly political, borderlinetragic set of events unfurled before us. Black Mass has a message. It’s a gangster film, but there’s a clear sense from the start that this is far from your classic cops and robbers dialectic. The glaring contrast set out at the beginning between the grotty, night-time criminal world and the shiny high-rises of the FBI slowly blur into one another as cop John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) falls deeper into his corrupting relationship with Jimmy, until we see the gangsters in the offices and the agents in the bars.
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There’s a clear sense from the start that this is far from your classic cops and robbers dialectic.
BFI/ LFF Press
It’s vitally unclear who’s corrupting who. While Connolly clearly sets out with good intentions, he is the one who initiates the relationship with Bulger and the latter who originally refuses – and this world is one where childhood loyalty is stronger than the edicts of the law. This is a world where it’s impossible to know who is a comrade and who is playing a game: while the cops try to chase down the gangsters, there’s lying and abuse going on internally in either side too. Although the costumes are nothing exciting, a word has to be said for the metamorphosis of Depp from a beautiful man to a bizarre and menacing cross between a lizard, Dracula and Count Olaf. There’s something uncomfortable about those piercing blue contact lenses and the freckly skin. But despite Depp’s sinister look and careful characterisation of Jimmy’s unnerving unpredictability, which comes to a head in
his sickening confrontation with Julianne Nicholson, we still can’t quite shake the feeling that we like Jimmy. Is it ‘like’? Maybe sympathise is a better word. The desperate internal contradictions - the contrast between the bloodthirstiness and the desire to help the old lady with her shopping, the greed with the fatherly concern for his son - can’t help but create sympathy for the lost soul on the screen. Cooper has taken special effort to show the extent to which Jimmy’s life is punctuated by death. Of the film’s three sections - snapshots of 1975, 1981 and 1985 consecutively, with flashforwards of narration from the post-1985 police interviews with various members of Jimmy’s gang, who get increasingly close to Jimmy the first and last revolve around deaths within his own immediate family, while the second capitalises on his own collection of murders. It’s a violent film. Although Cooper is less liberal with his use of the tomato juice than Tarantino, I lost count of the number of characters shot, strangled and beaten. The most intense reminder of the violence the world is experiencing is a particularly striking shot where bullets fly through the windscreen of a car straight towards our own faces, especially when those shots are juxtaposed and integrated into the beat and sweat of the dance music playing in a club in Miami. There’s no point getting attached to any of the characters: as we see at the end, they’re all really as vulnerable as the next. As emphasised by Jimmy’s senator brother, and the repeated mentions of ‘loyalty’ from corrupt Connolly, crime lords aren’t born. They’re made by the streets, by the people who surround them, by their own experiences. Black Mass could be renamed with a ‘Rise and Fall of…’ prefix: it’s a story of success, both at cleaning up and sullying the streets of ‘Southie’ – but as they rose, the cop and gangster must also fall together. One of the final shots, of Jimmy and Connolly staring across the harbour together, leaves the resounding message that they are very much equals. The moral reverberates: however good or bad we might consider ourselves to be, the potential for both, and the ability to blur the distinction, exists inside each of us.
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Sherlock who? It’s all about The Bridge’s Swedish detective Saga Noren Film & TV Writer Harry Bennett explores the attraction of The Bridge’s protagonist Saga Noren, a Scandinavian Sherlock. relies on Saga’s detachment and rationality. His emotional and intuitive character may be easy to warm to, but on the several occasions he has acted independently it has led to disaster.
It is the constant and unpredictable evolution of the case and the show’s characters that draw you in.
Displaying a lack of both emotion and empathy, Saga’s symptoms of autism are far more pronounced than Sherlock’s. Many, including Sofia Helin (whose portrayal of Noren appears almost effortless) cannot understand how she could realistically have become a police officer. But it is because of her condition that she is both a great detective and so endearing as a character; emotions cannot affect her work as she doesn’t experience any. This leads to many awkward yet comical scenes due to Saga’s direct speech and inability to read a situation or character and respond accordingly (her signature pick up line is ‘would you like sex?’). It also makes her moments of vulnerability much more impactful simply because they’re so rare. Unlike in Sherlock, there are no extended monologues whereby an entire case is unravelled in a matter of minutes. The genre of nordic-noir is more realistic, in the sense that the cases probably aren’t more complex
Flickr/News Oresund
It was easy to fall for Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock. Despite his cold, manipulative character and suspected autistic condition causing him to fall short of generic social graces, he possesses a unique charm. His arrogance is easily mistaken for an unwavering confidence, rendering a female cult following inevitable (see: the self-confessed Cumberbitches). Saga Noren, the Swedish lead detective of the Scandinavian crime drama The Bridge has no such charm, which makes her an unlikely choice for a protagonist. Nevertheless, I became completely infatuated with her and the show. As did millions of other British viewers. It is easy to do so because The Bridge isn’t a show you slowly grow into - it instantly intrigues. I’d argue that for most it takes just the first two minutes of the very first episode. A woman’s body cut in half across the waist lies across the border between Sweden and Denmark upon the Øresund bridge, drawing the two countries and its two police departments together. Martin Rohde, the Danish detective played by actor Kim Bodnia, is the first to arrive in his people carrier. But Saga then pulls up in her 1970s Porsche and steals the scene, ‘assuming’ she is in charge. The two are partners in crime throughout the first two seasons, but it is obvious there is only one detective running the show. I mean, what’s a people carrier to a Porsche? But that’s not to say Saga could live without Martin, or vice versa. The two are mutually dependent. Martin attempts to improve Saga’s social awareness and behaviour, whilst he often
but they take much longer to solve, as the intricate complexities of the case-solving process are also depicted (in seasons one and two, the cases span the entire season). We are often introduced to characters in an episode who at first appear to be completely irrelevant, only for their significance to be revealed several episodes later. It is this constant and unpredictable evolution of the case and the show’s characters that draw you in. The Bridge is now into its third season, with
Thure Lindhardt’s Henrik Saboe filling the gap left by Kim Bodnia’s absence, and we could already sense a different dynamic between the two protagonists before the latest episode. This time Saga didn’t need to use her pick up line. This time she was the one implying. This time it’s different.
What did you think of The Bridge? Join the discussion @EpigramFilm
Epigram 14.12.2015
41
Enough to get your teeth into? Pixar’s farewell to 2015 with The Good Dinosaur After Inside Out, Pixar returns with the heartwarming story of a boy and his pet dinosaur. Film & TV Writer Nick Herbert reviews.
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The release of The Good Dinosaur marks the first time that Pixar has released two films in the same year. Inside Out was an exceptional film that was quickly ranked as highly as films like Toy Story. Simply put, The Good Dinosaur had a tough act to follow. Original director Bob Peterson was replaced by Peter Sohn, who oversaw major character and story changes, and the film’s release date was pushed back over a year in order to give it more time. But don’t worry; what we are left with is straightforward coming of age film that is funny and visually stunning. The film takes place in a world in which the asteroid that was meant to wipe out the dinosaurs missed its target. A family of Apatosauruses- apatosauri- a clan of dinosaurs that go by the name Apatosaurus live together on a farm. The beginning of this film sees three
eggs hatching. We meet the boisterous brother, the livewire sister and our protagonist, the cowardly Arlo who is desperate to be brave to impress his dad. Following a brief exposure to this dino way of life, we see Arlo being swept from home and lost with no companion other than a dog-like human child, named Spot. Unfortunately the story is a relatively familiar one - Pixar breaks no new ground here. Their films are usually known for rich sub-plots and scene stealing secondary characters, but they just aren’t evident here - a scene involving a trippy dinosaur covered in his ‘critter friends’ and some cowboy T-rex being an exception here. The plot feels somewhat unfulfilling compared to some of the more sophisticated offerings we are used to from Pixar, but this is not to say that this isn’t an exciting film.
Despite the few problems with the adventure itself, Sohn has clearly perfected the relationship between Arlo and Spot. The bond between the two is both hilarious and touching; a scene in which the two describe losing their family with sticks and circles in the dirt is a particularly moving moment. As is expected from Pixar, we root for these characters, we want them to beat the odds and get home. This is a film that would fail without this bond but thankfully it hits all the right notes. A possible sign of the difficult development of the film is the sudden shift into the Western genre about halfway through. After the initial confusion we get to see the true fun nature of Pixar flourish. Meeting up with some cowboy T-rex, Arlo is forced to face his cowardice in a fight with rustlers and the following stampede.
Beautiful shots of these cowboys against the desert plateaus and sunsets show Sohn’s great love of cowboy films. Clever references and homages never become too obvious and act as a catalyst to a film, whilst allowing Arlo to learn the film’s all-important message: bravery isn’t about not being afraid, it is about acting when you are at your most scared. The Good Dinosaur may have a few shortcomings, as all films do. Whilst it will never be talked about alongside Up and The Incredibles, it is still a movie with enough emotion and humour to be considered one of this year’s best animated efforts. Its truly stunning backdrops show the scale that animation is ready to tackle and although the story may never live up to the spectacular visuals, but it has enough heart to make us forget the few pitfalls it faces.
What’s On? What can I do in Bristol this week? ‘When a bell rings an angel gets its wings.’ It’s a Wonderful Life is possibly the most life-affirming Christmas film of all time, as reluctant businessman George Bailey (James Stewart) is shown what life would be like if he never existed. It’s guaranteed to make every member of the family cry. Go see it at the Watershed, 18th – 23rd December.be
Films to Faces
Editors’ Picks
Kate Deputy Editor
Georgia Online Editor Krampus
Hector
Ice and Sky
At Watershed 11-17 December
At Watershed 18-23 December
In cinemas now
The trailer to this film feels like an advert stunning cinematography and extremely slick graphics. I’m looking forward to seeing a film revolving about something other than romance, whilst still pulling all the right heartstrings.
Luc Jaquet follows the extraordinary life of explorer and climate specialist Claude Lorius. Both a celebration of this part of the world and a cry for help for what is happening to it, it is bound to be unforgettable.
It looks ridiculous in the best way possible, a refreshing break from all that incessant commercial Christmas cheer. It gives a whole new meaning to those famous lyrics:‘he sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake...’
Dr Who Christmas Special
Age of Loneliness
Luther
December 25th, BB1
January 7th BBC 1
15th December
The Dr Who Christmas special, entitled ‘The Husbands of River Song,’ is definitely going to be worth watching. It doesn’t seem like the Doctor is going to be getting a new companion just yet, but we’re sure to see some old faces return. Greg Davies and Matt Lucas will also be making guest appearances in the episode.
With Britain being named loneliness capital of Europe, this programme explores how the the phenomenon affects people’s lives, from students to divorcees to the 100 year old who says she lives on ‘lonely street’. This isn’t going to be easy to watch.
Idris Elba makes a return to the small screen with the award winning series Luther, as the dark detective series comes back with a bang. It’s been a while since we’ve seen DCI John Luther on London’s streets, so it will be fascinating to see how much has changed in his life and investigative moods.
Flickr/ LadyDragonflyCC->;<
Flickr/Stefan Klauke
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Flickr/Michael Summers
Ella Editor
Father Christmas The North Pole
1. Love Actually I’ve always been a bit of a romantic- the final scene in the airport gets me every time. (I’m kidding, it’s Mrs Claus’s favourite film and I’m made to watch it every year.) 2. ELF I like to keep track of all of my workers, even when they run away. It’s not just your kids who can be naughty or nice, Buddy’s been up to no good in New York. He has some explaining to do! 3. Die Hard Don’t tell anyone but I’m an adrenaline junkie. Skydiving, parachuting, bungee jumping, the lot. When I’m busy delivering presents, Die Hard is the closest I can get. I invite the polar bears in and we have a guy’s night in.
Epigram
14.12.2015
Music
@epigrammusic Editor: Gunseli Yalcinkaya
Deputy Editors: Alex Schulte; Caitlin Butler
Online Editor: Sam Mason-Jones
gyalcinkaya@epigram.org.uk
aschulte@epigram.org.uk; cbutler@epigram.org.uk
s.masonjones@epigram.org.uk
Our Favourite Albums of 2015
Sam Shepherd’s long-awaited full-length debut is pretty much as good as it could have been. A sermon in subtlety, Elaenia only ever skirts the edges of the dancefloor: her seven tracks seamlessly lace groove-laden live drums with halfmelodies and repeating patterns to create something two parts jazz fusion, one part post-rock and three parts ambient. Magic.
Jamie xx’s full-length solo effort, In Colour, is titled fittingly; it is vivid, varied and bold. To categorise the album simply as electronica underestimates it. Jamie xx amalgamates genres with artistic ingenuity, and the result is dazzling. The highlight is ‘Loud Noises,’ which packs such an emotional punch. The rest of the album, however, is equally as superb. It is difficult to find a single flaw.
A favourite is impossible, but La Flor de Piedra by Isinohana is a bit special. It’s unlike anything you’ve probably ever heard, but imagine you wake up on a boat slowly meandering down a magical river as you float past all sorts of weird and wonderful landscapes. That is what it sounds like. Sam Ferris
Caitlin Butler, Deputy Music Editor Sam Mason-Jones, Online Editor
When I saw The Internet live 18 months ago, I was shocked at how unique and powerful Syd’s voice was and how brilliantly they flowed together as a live band. After the release of Ego Death, such shock should never happen again; on the band’s third LP they finally managed to translate their smooth, swaggering power onto record, whilst maintaining their unique sonic identity. Nothing this year soundtracked lying on your back doing shit-all better than this album. Will Soer, Living Editor
It’s undeniable that Carrie and Lowell is an honest, if not heart wrenching, piece of art. Written for Stevens’ late mother, whose schizophrenia and alcoholism meant that she was often absent from his life, the album is a doleful lament of a broken childhood. Between the façade of cheery chord progressions and allegorical lyrics, is the sobering reminder that ‘we’re all going to die.’ This is not the tinsel-clad Stevens whose music comes clad in lightup suits and bird wings, but Stevens at his most stripped-down and vulnerable. Gunseli Yalcinkaya, Editor
After nearly six long years of waiting, America’s reigning chanteuse finally treated us to another piece of her signature baroque elegance, and what a record it is. As harps collide with Newsom’s evergorgeous falsetto over ornate lyricism that would make even Leonard Cohen gasp for air, the simple joy of songwriting is more palpable here than on any other record of 2015. Spellbinding. Alex Schulte, Deputy Music Editor
Foals have always been a band of small but significant improvements. In What Went Down, their initial, high-guitar, indie style has fully transformed into original a wall-of-sound style with hard-rock blended throughout. Every album, I like Foals more, which is high praise as there aren’t any other bands I feel that applies to. ‘Mountain at my Gates’ and ‘Birch Tree’ are two of their best songs and I find myself drawn to rinsing WWD on a daily basis. Alfie Smith, Science and Tech Editor
The title fits this record perfectly: at times manic, at times downtrodden, but always captivating us with Furman’s unique rock ‘n’ roll flair. Lyrically, the album is painfully relateable at points, but always ultimately uplifting and written with refreshing honesty, perception and wit. Bold, raw, but never downbeat, this record is a true gem of 2015. Ellen Kemp
Epigram 14.12.2015
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BESTIVAL 2015 This album sums up what electronic music has been in 2015; bold, atmospheric and explorative. The album channels deep funk vibes fused with heavy base, creating a sound that immerses the listener into the groove. With minimal vocals, the emphasis is definitely on the flawless production and innovative sound.
Guitar music may be almost dead, but Slaves’ Are You Satisfied isn’t really guitar music. Instead it feeds off of the same urgent energy as grime does, complete with charged rhetoric. It serves as a timely reminder to the guitar world that the best music, is made looking forwards, not backwards.
Louisa Kendal
Ben Duncan-Duggal, What’s On Editor
Live Reviews Ethan Johns Rise, 2/12
Wikipedia Wikipedia
Drenge & the Maccabees Colston Hall, 2/11 Selling out Colston Hall is a tricky task for even the mightiest of guitar bands. Filling the iconic venue with the Nutcracker or similar would be a piece of cake.
Whether or not this was your favourite album of the year, it’s pretty hard to argue that it wasn’t the best. Listening through the whole thing in one go will leave you exhausted and shaken, but this is worth it for the dense emotional picture of a whole world that racist hip hop cliches doesn’t do justice. It also pulls off it’s predecessors’ feat of including tracks like ‘King Kunta’ that contribute to the whole narrative, but also sound fucking good on a club PA.
Another marker in Hebden’s constant evolution, Percussions - 2011-2014 translates the signature Four Tet sound to the dance floor. Despite it’s early release in January, the hard-hitting groove of ‘KHLHI’ and ‘Blatant Water Cannon’ among others has kept it at the fore of UK dance music Charlie McNelly
Will Soer, Living Editor
Appearing quietly on the tiny stage at the back of Rise, Ethan Johns quickly abandons the mic and PA, perching on a bench in the café downstairs, in amongst the sizeable audience that quickly gathered at the promise of seeing him. Johns is currently touring to promote his new album Silver Liner, recorded at his own Three Crows Records with the band The Black Eyed Dogs. The evening was spent in an entertaining
mixture of raw, heartfelt acoustic performance and a Q&A about Johns’ twenty-odd years in the music industry. Johns’ credentials are extensive: so much so that when he disarmingly promises that he’ll try his best not to drop names, expectations have to be heftily adjusted. Talking animatedly about working with the likes of Tom Jones, Ryan Adams, Ray LaMontagne and Gillian Welch, it’s easy to forget that he’s tactfully not mentioning credits ranging from Paul McCartney, the Kaiser Chiefs and Kings of Leon all the way to Laura Marling and Emmylou Harris.
Just like his production style, Johns’ music is characterised by warm nuance that never feels cramped or rushed. Seldom without a self-deprecating joke or a wry twinkle, his performance feels very natural and unforced. Solo as he is, there is nowhere to hide in the sparse arrangements and while the songs are sometimes hindered by an obvious lack of the other parts present on the record, they’re also made more emotional involving and endearing by the same token. Particular highlights were his opening rendition of the stirring ‘Silver Liner,’ and a moving cover
But for a guitar band used to its audience throwing themselves about in the smallest and sweatiest of venues, the challenge to put on a really good show here can be formidable. This particular evening, rising to this challenge are two bands from opposite ends of the country we inhabit. Selling out the 1,932 capacity hall are Drenge from Sheffield and the Maccabees from South London. Unfortunately, tonight, Drenge don’t quite manage to step up to the proverbial plate. In a word, their set is formulaic. They mooch onto the stage and proceed to mooch nonchalantly through their set. The drummer, apparently bored stiff, informs the audience that they ‘are Drenge and they will play some songs before the Maccabees.’ Aside from the lead singer noting the building is ‘nice’, that is the extent of interaction we as a crowd are treated to. That is not to say their songs
aren’t good. They are raw, bassy and have the potential to whip up the crowd. But the band don’t seem to bother with the attempt; they play more directly to each other than anything else. They read like a recital. The crowd do nothing to help, nor are helped, to engage with more than the most standard of nodding heads. Entertainment does come when a chap, who is clearly excessively inebriated, throws himself around the crowd, earning himself multiple death glares in the process. Security tick him off twice, but he has no restraint, unlike everyone else there. If only the band had some of his passion. If Drenge provide a textbook example of how not to perform live, the Maccabees provide the polar opposite, going on to show the assembled punters exactly just how great live music can be. From the moment the band bound on stage, the massive
increase in energy is palpable. It’s clear the crowd is here to see the Maccabees, and the Maccabees know it. The setlist is a rattling through of hits from all of their four albums and each one is received in rapture from the crowd. They play here with an extra percussionist, pianist and a trumpet player. Their music is big, bold and at points, anthemic, in their own way. Lead singer Orlando Weeks is undeniably cool. His voice is so distinctive and the transition from record to the live arena is effortless. His lead guitarist, however, manages to steal the show. Felix White performs in a suit and he puts on such a good performance. He obviously loves playing live and interacts continually with the audience. He does so even with yours truly, making eye contact rather a few times. This and his skill with his guitar, definitely left one girl at
of Gillian Welch’s ‘Everything is Free.’ You really get the sense that Ethan Johns absolutely loves what he does. His music feels like a homage to so much of the best Americana, folk, country and rock, and he is such an interesting and engaging person that it is definitely worth taking the time to listen to him, whether that’s in front of the microphone or at the mixing desk. Harry Ferguson
least weak at the knees. Possibly the best moment of the set comes at the encore. The crowd sing, endearingly, the chorus of ‘Grew Up At Midnight’, which obviously means a lot to Weeks and co when they reappear. They go on to play their song which more or less everyone seems to know, but which is not always performed live; ‘Toothpaste Kisses’. Soppy, perhaps, but the crowd lap it right up. After exhortations from White to ‘get down’, the band launch into ‘Pelican’, a true indie anthem if ever there was one. There is passion flying everywhere, from crowd and band alike. And as we all stream out of the Colston Hall and although some more than others, we are definitely all a little bit in love with the Maccabees. Caitlin Butler
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Epigram 14.12.2015
4525
Sam MasonJones sits down with spectral wordsmith Ghostpoet. Who is totally normal. Honest.
Obaro Ejimiwe is just an ordinary man. An ordinary man who lives in South London with a girlfriend and a cockapoo called Oscar. Sitting across from me, leather-clad behind thick-rimmed specs, he doesn’t really elaborate on this: ‘I live a very normal life. I don’t really do anything special, I just try to live as normal as possible. Sorry I’m a bit boring!’ I’d be inclined to believe him, were it not for the time and place of our meeting, which he has had to postpone as a result of a last-minute desire to forge a sword at a real-life blacksmiths. As you do. ‘I just randomly said on the radio that I was considering an alternative career to my musical one, and said “Yeah, maybe I’ll become a sword-smith!”’ he explains. ‘And this lady from Bristol emailed Lauren Laverne and told her that she was an actual black-smith and offered for me to have a go.’ He proudly presents a small, ornate blade, forged only of four inches or so of iron, but still looking pretty sharp. ‘It’s not for doing anyone a mischief with though, mind,’ he clarifies. ‘I’m going to use it for letter-opening, as an ornamental knife.’ Though this in itself, of course, constitutes relatively normal behaviour, when taken in the context of our setting his comments begin to betray aspects of the extraordinary. We sit in a cushty dressingroom backstage at the Marble Factory, half an hour before he’s due onto a stage whose backdrop is emblazoned with his moniker, Ghostpoet. Under this guise he has released three run-of-the-mill, critically-acclaimed albums, two of which were bestowed with particularly ordinary Mercury nominations. The most recent of these, Shedding Skin, only five days ago was pipped to the gong by rank-outsider Benjamin Clementine. ‘I’m glad Ben won, At Least For Now is a good record. Besides winning puts pressure on you to make something better next time. I can make something shit and get away with it!’ he laughs. ‘It was a good night, it’s nice to be part of that. ‘It’s lovely to have been nominated twice, and moreover to know that this is going to bring more awareness to what I’m doing, but life goes on.’ More seriously, he continues, ‘I kind of just wanted it to be
done, because you do get caught up in this Mercury bubble and it’s lovely but I just wanted to get on tour.’ Currently slap-bang in the middle of his biggest UK tour to date, he certainly seems to be enjoying it. He delivers to the Marble Factory with confidence aplomb, flanked by a surprisingly loud live band who provide a brick wall of sound onto which the rapper can gruffly scrawl his words. During the bigger tracks like ‘X Marks The Spot’, ‘Off Peak Dreams’ and selfascribed ‘golden-oldies’ ‘Survive It’ and emphatic closer ‘Liiines,’ he reels away from the mic to bust some relatively energetic moves. His languid drawl well becomes the myriad influences which lace together to back them, with his back-catalogue drawing from electronica to folk, blending ambience with noise. Despite the vivacity, the set does lull considerably at times, notably during tracks from Ghostpoet’s sophomore LP Some Say I So I Say Light. This, perhaps, isn’t surprising: whilst the stories told in both Shedding Skin and debut Peanut Butter Blues And Melancholy Jam redeem the doom and gloom of the mundane everyday with glimmers of hope, his second effort was a much darker affair. ‘It was a depressing time. We all have ups and downs and that was a definite down period in my life. I always like to write in the moment and most of my stuff is kind of dark anyway, but it has to be connected to the time. It was a pretty shit period in my life. I wanted to write through it though rather than leaving it to pass and then make something retrospectively.’ Asked why the light returned to his words in Shedding Skin, he replies simply: ‘I’m in a happier place. Life has become happier.’ If Ejimiwe appears to take a relatively passive role in his day-to-day happiness, in the process of his writing he is wholly active, his pen doggedly following the direction of his scatter-gun whim. ‘If I talk about motives that starts to sound sinister’, he grimaces. ‘I just write about the world that I see and the world that I feel and the world that I interact with.’ Indeed, it is difficult to extract any kind of discernible agenda from the rapper: Shedding Skin only features social commentary because that’s what Ejimiwe ‘likes to talk about’; the decision to record the same album with a live band came because he ‘felt like it’. ‘I just make music. I write about the things I want to write about; I’m very lucky to be able to do that.’ So there you have it: just a normal bloke who lives in South London with a girlfriend and a cockapoo called Oscar, making ordinary, Mercury-nominated music. With the off-chance of some casual blacksmithing. Naturally. Sam Mason-Jones
Epigram
14.12.2015
46
2015 - The turning point for women’s football I, along with a remarkable number of others, thoroughly enjoyed watching this year’s Women’s World Cup. I was therefore bitterly disappointed when I found out that I would be away on the night of the first semi-final. Having enjoyed the luxury of following the majority of the tournament via the BBC’s highdefinition coverage, I was reduced to watching the USA’s 2-0 victory over Germany on a blurry online stream. Yet, the pixelated image did not in any way affect my enjoyment of what turned out to be a thrilling contest between the two most impressive teams of this summer’s World Cup. In fact, the fuzzy
figures upon my computer screen prompted me to question whether I could even tell that I was watching women’s football. Without a clear picture or any match commentary, the players’ gender was not obvious. The football being played therefore became my only tool for determination. Again, this was in vain – for I could see no clear difference between the football being played by the two women’s teams and that which I see week-in, week-out following top-flight men’s football. If anything, the only differences I noticed were positive differences. Sportsmanship and respect for opponents and officials was certainly far more prevalent, while the freedom and tempo of the football being played made it a far more entertaining spectacle than a
lot of the men’s games I have found myself watching over the years. The difference in physicality between male and female footballers makes for a more skilful and technical game, where longball football is almost non-existent. That’s not to say that the women’s game is lacking in crunching tackles and brave challenges – just take a look at England captain Steph Houghton’s game if you think that is the case. From what I witnessed during this summer’s World Cup, I would go as far as to say that the women’s game is a purer form of football. Now I’m not pretending in any way to be an expert on women’s football. I am happy to admit that my knowledge of the game hardly extends beyond the 2012 Olympic Games, the 2015 World Cup and the
occasional highlights broadcasted on Sky Sports News. Yet, from what I have seen, I firmly believe that the differences quality-wise between the top level of women’s football and the second or third divisions of the men’s game in England are minimal. While there is no point in getting carried away and suggesting that these teams could match the quality of the Premier League, a team such as the United States women’s team could certainly test a fair few Championship and League One sides. 1.6 million people in the UK tuned in until well past midnight to watch England’s quarter-final victory over Canada, while the Lioness’ semi-final tie against Japan received a peak audience of 2.4 million viewers. A pessimist would tell you that these figures are only due to the England’s
success throughout the tournament and it remains to be seen whether this is indeed the case. One thing that is for sure is that the FA must now build upon the foundations set by England’s achievement. England’s World Cup campaign should serve as a catalyst for the long-term growth and popularity of women’s football and help wash away the phallocentrism attached to football within our nation. This will therefore help to inspire younger generations of females to take up football and erode the benighted mind-set that football is for men and men only. With the right marketing and exposure, the FA WSL (Women’s Super League) could certainly be as popular as the mid-to-upper tiers of English football. Certainly not immediately, but given time
and support, women’s club football in England has the potential to change the lives of thousands, if not millions, of females who may have previously been put off by the patriarchy surrounding English football. In the wake of the 2015 World Cup, the WSL has seen a 48% year-on-year increase in popularity, as the average crowd climbed to 1,076. The final day of the season – during which Chelsea Ladies were crowned champions for the first time in their history – drew crowds of 2,710 for Chelsea’s match and a season-high crowd of 3,180 who watched Manchester City Women claim second spot. A number of the women who make up England’s squad currently play their club football in the FA WSL, as well as Chelsea Ladies’ Ji So-Yun who impressed during the
World Cup group stages with South Korea. Furthermore, Sunderland Ladies have recently signed Stephanie Roche – the 2014 runnerup for FIFA’s Puskás Award for the best goal of the year across all forms of football. The fact that Roche was considered for the award is a clear sign of progress, and though she was eventually beaten by James Rodriquez’ volley during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, her goal reached a global audience and opened many football fans’ eyes to the quality of the women’s game. Likewise, the recent nomination for England fullback Lucy Bronze in the 12-person shortlist for BBC Sports Personality should inspire millions across the country, and help the sport to gain the recognition it merits. On a similar note, this year saw the introduction of women’s football
into the FIFA video-game franchise for the very first time. Though this is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, the marginalization of women’s football is best highlighted through the fact that the UK editions of the FIFA games have been offering the low-quality Belgian Pro League for the past 16 years. In addition, the deluge of ignorant tweets in response to the announcement shows the challenge that women’s football still faces. EA Sport’s decision to include USA forward Alex Morgan on the front cover of the U.S. edition of the game was met with similar contempt, although the support it did receive drowned out the bigotry. Two of Morgan’s club teammates at Portland Thorns - Christine Sinclair and Steph Catley - also appear on the cover of the Canadian and Australian editions of
the game respectively. Following the culmination of the WSL season and Chelsea Ladies recent 4-1 aggregate defeat to a strong VFL Wolfsburg side in the Women’s Champions League, no more fixtures remain for the topflight English clubs in the women’s game until the 2016 WSL restarts in a few months’ time. Until then, fans can enjoy the rest of the Women’s Champion League fixtures – with a number of stars from the 2015 World Cup on show for their respective club sides. Furthermore, over 13,000 fans made it to Ashton Gate on November 29th to watch the Lioness’ first game back in England following their World Cup success – which they marked with a 1-0 victory over Bosnia & Herzegovina to continue their 100% record in Euro 2017 qualifiers.
The success of this year’s Women’s World Cup has provided the momentum required for change within the social structure of English football, right from the top down to grass roots football. Given the unfortunate circumstances that mean there will be no women’s Great Britain team at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, now is the time for the FA to prove their worth, and ensure that positive change occurs. Baby steps have been made of late, while the England women’s team have added a giant leap to the cause; it is now up to those in power to provide the backing and support to ensure that women’s football takes its rightful place within the beautiful game’s structure. It doesn’t matter if you’re black, white, male or female. Football is football. Let’s enjoy it together.
Lewis Blakeman Sports Reporter
Flickr: Josjjdss
Epigram
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And the 2015 BBC Sports Personality of the Year is awarded to...
Epigram Versus
Malik Ouzia Online Sport Editor
from the World Championships with three golds, including a neverbefore-seen breaststroke double over 50m and 100m. On the pommel horse Max Whitlock dazzled, becoming the first British man to win a world title. And while his union counterparts faltered, rugby league star Kevin Sinfield set about
leading his Leeds Rhinos to a historic treble. Sadly though, Sinfield, Whitlock and Peaty remain far from household names, although if the latter two can replicate their performances this year in Rio next summer they may well be. In the world of cycling Lizzie Armitstead produced a stunning sprint to win the world title yet will find it difficult to gain votes from even cycling’s biggest fans given the achievements of a certain Chris Froome this year. Lucy Bronze has been an integral part of the year in which women’s football came of age in England, as our lionesses captured the hearts and minds of a nation with performances at the World Cup in Canada. Bronze scored twice in and was nominated for the tournament’s golden ball prior to England’s typically-English exit. Greg Rutherford completed a grand
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British sport has had such an extraordinary year that the shotlist has been extended for the first time since the Olympic glory of 2012
Normally, one member of the Epigram Sport editorial team and a guest both aim to correctly predict the Premier League scores. But for the Christmas Special, it was a three-way battle of the Epigram Sport team.
slam, adding the World long jump crown to his Olympic, Commonwealth and European titles. However, like Armitstead, the performances of his teammates are likely to split the athletics vote. Tyson Fury will benefit from the close proximity of his victory over Vladimr Klitchsko to the vote but
The darling of a nation, the greatest female all-round athlete in the world and surely the 2015 BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Flickr: Jaguar MENA
his controversial views on the world outside of boxing are unlikely to win him too many votes on the ‘personality’ count. Lewis Hamilton won last year despite many people fancying double major winner McIlroy. He added a third world title this year, emulating the late-great Aryton Senna, yet the combination of repetition, ease of victory and dependence on a machine may cost him votes. And then there’s the personality argument. Chris Froome has now done twice in three years what it took a nation 99 attempts to do once: win the Tour de France. Yet he’s hardly Bradley Wiggins when it comes to
Flickr: Al King
Gary Linker hit the nail on the head. ‘It shouldn’t be that important, it shouldn’t really matter, but to many it still does.’ An award like no other, one which attempts to compare the achievements of individuals across sports as diverse as golf and formula one. BBC Sports Personality of the Year. With no Olympic Games or major men’s footballing tournament, this was supposed to be a year for the stars of cricket and rugby union to shine, with a home Ashes series and a home World Cup. Yet, neither sport has a representative, nor does golf, where injury stalled Rory McIlroy’s bid for global domination. And yet somehow, in spite of this, British sport has had such an extraordinary year that the shortlist has been lengthened for the first time since the Olympic glory of 2012. There’ve been feats of heroic proportions in the water, most notably from Adam Peaty who came home
giving a speech and the British public has never taken to him in the same way. For repeated success, one can look no further than Mo Farah. An unprecedented ‘triple-double’, world titles number four and five secured over 5000m and 10000m to go with his pair of Olympic golds from 2012. Attempting to run even 400m at the pace at which Farah goes for thousands highlights just how good he is and put paid to those who take his success for granted. And then there’s Andy Murray, a man for so long labeled a miserable Scot. In 2015, under the flag of Great Britain, he silenced his critics. Eleven points and an unquantifiable dose of passion and emotion contributed to a Davis Cup victory few thought feasible just a few years ago. No one did more for a British team effort in 2015 than the man from Dunblane. To take the crown from him then would require a feat of not just sporting genius but one of logicdefying proportions. Unfortunately for Murray, in 2015 British sport got one. There were 384 days between the birth of Reggie Ennis-Hill and his mother Jessica’s crowning glory in Beijing. World heptathlon champion, just 13 months after bearing child. The darling of a nation, the greatest female all-round athlete in the world and surely 2015 BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Continued from back page... should have had a penalty and on the balance of play they might have deserved to take the victory. But in the end, this was Chaos’ day. Chaos teamsheet: N Mulkerns; A Marshall, W Stevens, B Hanna; J O’Hara, R Lawton, S Bayes, T Kay; T Vijayakuma, T Waterman
Epigram: James O’Hara
It was reminiscent of Steven Gerrard’s goal in the 2006 FA Cup Final, but this time it was on the Downs on a chilly Wednesday afternoon. If ever there was an advertisement for intramural football, this game was it. It had everything: a stunning goal, heroic defending (including a goal-line clearance from Chaos’ Will Stevens) and not enough players. Yes, Postgrads
Marcus stormed to victory with 8 points, with Malik pipped to the post on 5. James, however, was Aston Villa-like in his peformance, with 2. Check out this week’s results... www.epigram.co.uk/sport
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14.12.2015
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Ten-man Physics football secure dramatic victory
Epigram: Charlie Hall
James O’Hara Deputy Sport Editor Three weeks ago on The Downs, something momentous happened. The light was fading and Physics’ players were wilting, but against all the odds, Physics football dug in to secure a famous 1-0 victory over Postgrads. Deputy Sport Editor and the team’s only historian James O’Hara was witness to a famous
victory. From the off, fortune did not favour Physics. They were without key player Sam Harding, unable to field a full team, with only ten players making it to The Downs. But in the end, adversity made victory all the sweeter, as Toby Kay’s stunning second-half volley proved the difference against opponents Postgrads. As the game wore on, it increasingly seemed that this would be Physics’
day. Postgrads dominated the ball and created more of the chances, but through profligate finishing and an inexplicable decision by their winger to refuse to take a stonewall penalty, they were unable to find a way through. From sixty minutes onwards, a tired and fatigued Physics team parked their bus and ultimately held on for victory. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Chaos (as the team is officially called) arguably deserved
victory. Striker Toby Waterman was very unlucky not to score, with his speculative 30-yard effort hitting the bar. Engineer T was a constant menace upfront for the Postgrad defenders, stretching their backline with his pace. Meanwhile, in the second half a brief outfield cameo from Chaos captain Niall Mulkerns almost added salt to the Postgrad wounds, as he was nearly rewarded for a cute turn only to see his shot flash past the post.
However the winning goal itself deserved victory alone. About ten minutes into the second half, a Chaos cross was headed away from apparent danger in the penalty area. It bounced favourably for Toby Kay about thirty-five yards from goal, and after a sweet-sounding crack his volley nestled in the bottom corner of the Postgrad goal.
Continued on page 47